VKSTRUCTURETYPEAPPLICATIONINFO

VkStructureType is an enumeration used in the Vulkan graphics API to identify the specific type of a Vulkan structure. Each structure that participates in Vulkan’s core API or in extensions contains a member called sType, whose value must be one of the VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_* constants. The sType value serves as a runtime tag that allows validation layers and drivers to recognize the structure and verify that the data is being interpreted correctly.

The sType value is paired with a pNext pointer, which enables a chained extension mechanism. Developers usually set sType to the appropriate VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_* constant for the structure being filled and set pNext to NULL or to a chain of additional structures that extend the base type. If sType does not match the expected value for a given structure, the Vulkan implementation may reject the call or ignore certain fields, leading to undefined behavior.

Common examples include VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_APPLICATION_INFO for VkApplicationInfo, VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_INSTANCE_CREATE_INFO for VkInstanceCreateInfo, VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEVICE_CREATE_INFO for VkDeviceCreateInfo, VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_BUFFER_CREATE_INFO for VkBufferCreateInfo, VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_MEMORY_ALLOCATE_INFO for VkMemoryAllocateInfo, and VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_CREATE_INFO for VkImageCreateInfo. The list of all VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_* constants covers many core and extension structures, with new entries added as the API evolves.

Overall, VkStructureType provides a consistent, type-safe means of identifying structure data across Vulkan calls and extensions, facilitating validation, compatibility checks, and extensibility.