Computer science: Graphics Programming (dx11/dx12)

Device

- A software interface (object) that allows your application to communicate with the GPU.

- A handle/interface to talk to that GPU.

Context

The state and environment in which rendering commands are issued. It tells the GPU how to render, what to render, and with what state.

Swap-chain

A series of images (frames) used for displaying rendered content on the screen — it's how your game or app shows smooth animation without flickering.

Front Buffer

The image is currently being shown on the screen.

Back Buffer

The image the GPU is currently rendering to.

User Mode

Code running in your application (Safer environment with limited access to system resources).

Kernel Mode

Code running at a high privilege level with direct access to system resources.

Driver Mode

The operating mode for drivers, allowing direct access to hardware and system resources for efficient communication.

DXGI (DirectX Graphics Infrastructure)

A Windows API that handles tasks related to graphics interface, allowing for resource management and presentation in DirectX applications.