vkReallocatelike

vkReallocatelike is a function in the Vulkan graphics API that allows for the reallocation of memory associated with a Vulkan device. This function is used to resize a memory object, potentially reallocating it to a different memory location if necessary. The primary purpose of vkReallocatelike is to efficiently manage and adjust the size of Vulkan memory resources, such as buffers or images, during the execution of an application.

When vkReallocatelike is called, it takes an existing Vulkan memory object and a new desired size as parameters. The function attempts to resize the memory object in place. If the reallocation is successful, the original memory object is updated with the new size, and the handle to the memory object remains valid. However, if the memory cannot be reallocated in place, vkReallocatelike may allocate new memory, copy the contents of the original memory to the new location, and then free the old memory. In such cases, the handle to the memory object might change or a new handle could be returned.

The behavior of vkReallocatelike is dependent on the specific Vulkan memory properties and the underlying hardware. It is important for developers to understand that reallocation might involve significant overhead, including data copying and potential delays. Therefore, it is often more efficient to pre-allocate memory with an appropriate size if the final size is known or can be reasonably estimated, rather than relying on frequent reallocations. Developers should consult the Vulkan specification for detailed information on memory management and the nuances of vkReallocatelike.