shader-validate

name	shader-validate
description	Validate and cross-compile GLSL, WGSL, and SPIR-V shaders using naga. Use when writing shaders, checking shader compilation, debugging shader errors, converting between shader languages, or verifying WebGL/WebGPU shader code.
compatibility	Requires naga (cargo install naga-cli)
metadata	{"author":"ridgeline","version":"1.0"}

Shader Validation

Validate and cross-compile shaders using naga — a fast Rust-based shader translator supporting WGSL, GLSL, SPIR-V, MSL, and HLSL.

Validating a shader

naga my_shader.wgsl
naga my_shader.frag
naga my_shader.vert

Exit code 0 means the shader is valid. Non-zero prints error details with line numbers.

Cross-compiling shaders

Convert between shader languages by specifying input and output files:

# WGSL to SPIR-V
naga shader.wgsl shader.spv

# GLSL to WGSL
naga shader.frag shader.wgsl

# SPIR-V to Metal
naga shader.spv shader.metal

# WGSL to GLSL (with profile)
naga shader.wgsl shader.frag --profile es310

The output format is determined by file extension.

Common GLSL validation

For WebGL fragment shaders:

naga my_effect.frag

For vertex shaders:

naga my_mesh.vert

Batch validation

Validate all shaders in a directory:

find src/shaders -name '*.frag' -o -name '*.vert' -o -name '*.wgsl' | xargs -I {} naga {}

Common errors

• "unknown type": Missing uniform/varying declaration or typo in type name
• "expected ';'": Missing semicolon (GLSL) or syntax mismatch
• "binding collision": Two resources share the same binding index
• "entry point not found": Missing main function (GLSL) or @vertex/@fragment annotation (WGSL)

Gotchas

• naga's GLSL support requires the shader stage to be inferred from the file extension (.vert, .frag, .comp). Use the correct extension.
• WGSL is the native format — validation is most thorough for WGSL input.
• naga does not execute shaders. It checks syntax, types, and resource bindings — not runtime behavior.