---
name: "clRetainContext"
section: "3clc"
platform: "linux"
package: "opencl-1.2-man-doc"
version: "1.0~svn33624-5.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/clRetainContext"
---

# clRetainContext(3clc)

Increment the context reference count.

## NAME

clRetainContext - Increment the context reference count.

##

**cl\_int clRetainContext(cl\_context** *context***);**

## PARAMETERS

  *context*

The context to retain.

## NOTES

[**clCreateContext**(3clc)](/clCreateContext/3clc.md) and [**clCreateContextFromType**(3clc)](/clCreateContextFromType/3clc.md) perform an implicit retain. This is very helpful for 3rd party libraries, which typically get a context passed to them by the application. However, it is possible that the application may delete the context without informing the library. Allowing functions to attach to (i.e. retain) and release a context solves the problem of a context being used by a library no longer being valid.

## ERRORS

Returns CL\_SUCCESS if the function is executed successfully. Otherwise, it returns one of the following values:

• CL\_INVALID\_CONTEXT if *context* is not a valid OpenCL context.

• CL\_OUT\_OF\_RESOURCES if there is a failure to allocate resources required by the OpenCL implementation on the device.

• CL\_OUT\_OF\_HOST\_MEMORY if there is a failure to allocate resources required by the OpenCL implementation on the host.

## SPECIFICATION

**OpenCL Specification**\[1\]

## SEE ALSO

[**clCreateContext**(3clc)](/clCreateContext/3clc.md), [**clCreateContextFromType**(3clc)](/clCreateContextFromType/3clc.md), [**clGetContextInfo**(3clc)](/clGetContextInfo/3clc.md), [**clReleaseContext**(3clc)](/clReleaseContext/3clc.md), [**clGetContextInfo**(3clc)](/clGetContextInfo/3clc.md)

## AUTHORS

**The Khronos Group**

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2007-2011 The Khronos Group Inc.\
 Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and/or associated documentation files (the "Materials"), to deal in the Materials without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Materials, and to permit persons to whom the Materials are furnished to do so, subject to the condition that this copyright notice and permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Materials.

## NOTES

- 1\.

  OpenCL Specification

  page 57, section 4.4 - Contexts