OpenGL: glGenBuffer vs glGenBuffersARB

What is the difference between the functions glGenBuffers()/glBufferData()/etc, and the functions with ARB appended to the function name glGenBuffersARB()/glBufferDataARB()/etc. I tried searching around but no one ever points out the difference, merely they just use one or th开发者_开发知识库e other.

Also, is it common for either function to be unavailable on some computers? What's the most common way of getting around that kind of situation without falling back to immediate mode?

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glGenBuffers() is a core OpenGL function in OpenGL 1.5 and later; glGenBuffersARB() was an extension implementing the same functionality in earlier versions.

Unless you're developing for an ancient system, there's no longer any reason to use the ARB extension.