// Copyright (c) 2017-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.
//
// SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0

[[Appendices]]
== Appendices

=== Table of Debug Environment Variables

The following are all the Debug Environment Variables available for use with
the loader.
These are referenced throughout the text, but collected here for ease of
discovery.

.Debug Environment Variables

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|====
| Environment Variable    | Behavior   | Example Format
| <<overriding-the-default-runtime-usage, XR_RUNTIME_JSON>>
    | Force the loader to use the specific runtime JSON file.  The value
    should contain the full path to runtime JSON Manifest files.
    *NOTE:* If you fail to use the global path to a JSON file, you may encounter issues.
   a|
* `export XR_RUNTIME_JSON=<folder_a>\xr_vendor_1.json`
* `set XR_RUNTIME_JSON=<folder_a>\xr_vendor_2.json`

| <<forced-loading-of-api-layers, XR_ENABLE_API_LAYERS>>
    | Force the loader to add the given API layers to the list of Enabled API layers
    normally passed into `xrCreateInstance`.  These API layers are added after the
    implicit API layers, but before the standard explicit API layers normally added by
    `enableLayerNames` in `xrCreateInstance`.  The loader will remove any
    duplicate API layers that appear in both this list by using the first
    occurrence of any API layer.
   a|
* `export XR_ENABLE_API_LAYERS=<layer_a>:<layer_b>`
* `set XR_ENABLE_API_LAYERS=<layer_a>;<layer_b>`

| <<overriding-the-default-api-layer-paths, XR_API_LAYER_PATH>>
    | Override the loader's standard API Layer library search folders and use the
    provided delimited folders to search for API layer Manifest files.
   a|
* `export XR_API_LAYER_PATH=<path_a>:<path_b>`
* `set XR_API_LAYER_PATH=<path_a>;<pathb>`

| <<loader-debugging, XR_LOADER_DEBUG>>
   a| Enable loader debug messages.  Options are:
* error (only errors)
* warn (warnings and errors)
* info (info, warning, and errors)
* debug (debug + all before)
* all (report out all messages)
   a|
* `export XR_LOADER_DEBUG=all`
* `set XR_LOADER_DEBUG=warn`

|====

=== Glossary of Terms

.Glossary of Terms

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|====
| Term    | Definition
| <<openxr-api-layers, API Layer>>
    | API layers are optional components that augment the OpenXR system.  They
    can intercept, evaluate, and modify existing OpenXR functions on their
    way from the application down to the hardware.
| <<openxr-call-chains,Call Chain>>
    | The sequence of calls made for a given OpenXR command.  The first
    call in a call chain is the application.  The last call in a call chain
    sequence is always the runtime function.  In between can be:
    a loader _trampoline_ function, one or more API layer functions, and a
    loader _terminator_ function.
| Core Function
    | A function that is defined in a version of OpenXR and not an extension.
    For example, `xrCreateInstance` is a core function defined in the OpenXR
    API as well as `openxr.h`.
| Discovery
    | The process the loader performs to determine the available list of
    OpenXR <<runtime-discovery, runtimes>> and <<api-layer-discovery, API layers>>.
    On Windows and Linux, the discovery process typically focuses on searching
    for Manifest files.  While on Android, the discovery process uses
    <<android-api-layer-discovery, APK packaged Manifest json>> files for API
    layers and the <<android-active-runtime-location, ContentProvider>> for the
    runtime.
| Extension
    | A concept of OpenXR used to expand the core OpenXR functionality.
    Extensions may be vendor-specific, platform-specific, or more broadly
    available.  You should always query if an extension exists using
    `xrEnumerateInstanceExtensionProperties`, and enable it during `xrCreateInstance`.
| <<openxr-loader, Loader>>
    | The Khronos-developed middle-ware program which acts as the mediator
    between OpenXR applications, OpenXR API layers and OpenXR runtimes.
| Manifest Files
    | Data files in JSON format used by the desktop loader.  These files
    contain specific information for either a
    <<api-layer-manifest-file-format, API layer>> or
    <<runtime-manifest-file-format, runtime>>.
| <<openxr-runtimes, Runtime>>
    | A complete VR/XR/MR system available on a end-user's environment
    which supports one or more devices that may be used collectively.
| Terminator Function
    | The last function in the call chain before the runtime and owned by
    the loader.  Only used it a few limited cases.  Currently
    `xrCreateInstance`, `xrDestroyInstance` and `xrGetInstanceProcAddr` are
    the three primary users of a terminator.
| Trampoline Function
    | The first function in the call chain after the runtime and owned by
    the loader.
|====
