Documentation Docs/en/reference/effect-format/validation.md

Effect Format Validation

Generated reference. Do not edit directly. Update BuildTools/EffectFormatInterface.json, then run python BuildTools/docs_effect_format.py --write.

Index

Syntax

Stable ID	Rule	Requirement	Why	Source
`effect-format.validation.required-sections`	Required source content	Reject a missing Effect section or a pass without usable vertex or fragment text.	A partial source cannot produce a complete linked program or runtime state.	Source/Tests/Test_EffectBaker.cpp
`effect-format.validation.compiler-diagnostics`	Compiler diagnostics	Shader parse/link/reflection failures stop effect baking and normalize compiler diagnostics to a single log line.	Build logs remain machine-readable while preserving the shader compiler message.	Source/Tests/Test_EffectBaker.cpp, Source/Tools/EffectBaker.cpp
`effect-format.validation.buffer-layout`	Uniform buffer layout	Reject known uniform buffers whose reflected byte size differs from the corresponding RenderEffect structure and reject every unknown uniform block.	All backends upload fixed native structures without per-shader layout adaptation.	Source/Tests/Test_EffectBaker.cpp, Source/Tools/EffectBaker.cpp
`effect-format.validation.bindings`	Descriptor bindings	Reject missing explicit bindings, duplicate same-stage bindings, dead descriptor declarations, and SDL_GPU stage-limit overflow.	Dense SDL slot remapping must be deterministic and complete.	Source/Tools/EffectBaker.cpp
`effect-format.validation.output-flavors`	Baked flavor completeness	Verify source, metadata, native SPIR-V, SDL SPIR-V, GLSL, GLSL ES, HLSL, and both MSL outputs for every stage/pass.	A resource can pass one backend and still be incomplete for another package.	Source/Tests/Test_EffectBaker.cpp
`effect-format.validation.metadata-bindings`	Reflection metadata	Verify native [EffectInfo] binding values and SDL [EffectInfoSdl] counts/slots for representative effects.	Backends depend on metadata identity even when shader compilation itself succeeds.	Source/Tests/Test_EffectBaker.cpp
`effect-format.validation.cross-backend`	Cross-backend visible validation	Validate project effects on every renderer/backend profile the embedding project ships, including depth/blend-sensitive scenes and the lowest supported shader profile.	Cross-compilation cannot prove driver behavior, feature-level support, visual output, or performance.	Source/Frontend/Rendering-OpenGL.cpp, Source/Frontend/Rendering-Direct3D.cpp, Source/Frontend/Rendering-Vulkan.cpp, Source/Frontend/Rendering-SDLGpu.cpp
`effect-format.validation.project-ownership`	Project contract validation	An embedding project must validate every effect path, EffectType/subtype assignment, ScriptValue slot registry, buffer writer, resource-pack override, and visible fallback it owns.	The Engine can validate format mechanics but cannot infer project shader semantics or art-direction intent.	Source/Client/EffectManager.h, Source/Frontend/Rendering.h

Validation commands

python BuildTools\docs_effect_format.py --check
python -m unittest BuildTools.tests.test_docs_effect_format
cmake --build <build-dir> --config RelWithDebInfo --target RunUnitTests

Finish in an embedding project with its resource bake and visible checks on every renderer/backend profile that the project supports.