The DirectX HLSL Compiler is a compiler and related set of tools used to compile High-Level Shader Language (HLSL) programs into DirectX Intermediate Language (DXIL) representation. Applications that make use of DirectX for graphics, games, and computation can use it to generate shader programs. The DirectX HLSL Compiler is built on the 3.7 releases of LLVM and Clang.
The LLVM compiler infrastructure supports a wide range of projects, from industrial strength compilers to specialized JIT applications to small research projects.
Similarly, documentation is broken down into several high-level groupings targeted at different audiences:
Several introductory papers and presentations.
.. toctree:: :hidden: LangRef DXIL HLSLChanges
- :doc:`LangRef`
- Defines the LLVM intermediate representation.
- :doc:`DXIL`
- Defines the DirectX Intermediate Language (DXIL) for GPU shaders.
- Introduction to the LLVM Compiler
- Presentation providing a users introduction to LLVM.
- Intro to LLVM
- Book chapter providing a compiler hacker's introduction to LLVM.
- LLVM: A Compilation Framework for Lifelong Program Analysis & Transformation
- Design overview.
- :doc:`HLSLChanges`
- Describes high-level changes made to LLVM and Clang to accomodate HLSL and DXIL.
- LLVM: An Infrastructure for Multi-Stage Optimization
- More details (quite old now).
For those new to the LLVM system.
The documentation here is intended for users who have a need to work with the intermediate LLVM representation.
.. toctree:: :hidden: CMake CommandGuide/index Lexicon Passes YamlIO GetElementPtr Frontend/PerformanceTips
- :doc:`CMake`
- An addendum to the main Getting Started guide for those using the CMake build system.
- :doc:`LLVM Command Guide <CommandGuide/index>`
- A reference manual for the LLVM command line utilities ("man" pages for LLVM tools).
- :doc:`Passes`
- A list of optimizations and analyses implemented in LLVM.
- How to build the C, C++, ObjC, and ObjC++ front end
- Instructions for building the clang front-end from source.
- :doc:`Lexicon`
- Definition of acronyms, terms and concepts used in LLVM.
- :doc:`YamlIO`
- A reference guide for using LLVM's YAML I/O library.
- :doc:`GetElementPtr`
- Answers to some very frequent questions about LLVM's most frequently misunderstood instruction.
- :doc:`Frontend/PerformanceTips`
- A collection of tips for frontend authors on how to generate IR which LLVM is able to effectively optimize.
For developers of applications which use LLVM as a library.
.. toctree:: :hidden: Atomics CodingStandards CommandLine ExtendingLLVM HowToSetUpLLVMStyleRTTI ProgrammersManual LibFuzzer
- :doc:`LLVM Language Reference Manual <LangRef>`
- Defines the LLVM intermediate representation and the assembly form of the different nodes.
- :doc:`Atomics`
- Information about LLVM's concurrency model.
- :doc:`ProgrammersManual`
- Introduction to the general layout of the LLVM sourcebase, important classes and APIs, and some tips & tricks.
- :doc:`CommandLine`
- Provides information on using the command line parsing library.
- :doc:`CodingStandards`
- Details the LLVM coding standards and provides useful information on writing efficient C++ code.
- :doc:`HowToSetUpLLVMStyleRTTI`
- How to make
isa<>,dyn_cast<>, etc. available for clients of your class hierarchy. - :doc:`ExtendingLLVM`
- Look here to see how to add instructions and intrinsics to LLVM.
- :doc:`LibFuzzer`
- A library for writing in-process guided fuzzers.
For API clients and LLVM developers.
.. toctree:: :hidden: AliasAnalysis BitCodeFormat BlockFrequencyTerminology BranchWeightMetadata CodeGenerator ExceptionHandling LinkTimeOptimization TableGen/index MarkedUpDisassembly SystemLibrary SourceLevelDebugging SourceLevelDebuggingHLSL Vectorizers WritingAnLLVMBackend WritingAnLLVMPass HowToUseAttributes InAlloca CoverageMappingFormat MergeFunctions BitSets FaultMaps LLVMBuild
- :doc:`WritingAnLLVMPass`
- Information on how to write LLVM transformations and analyses.
- :doc:`WritingAnLLVMBackend`
- Information on how to write LLVM backends for machine targets.
- :doc:`CodeGenerator`
- The design and implementation of the LLVM code generator. Useful if you are working on retargetting LLVM to a new architecture, designing a new codegen pass, or enhancing existing components.
- :doc:`TableGen <TableGen/index>`
- Describes the TableGen tool, which is used heavily by the LLVM code generator.
- :doc:`AliasAnalysis`
- Information on how to write a new alias analysis implementation or how to use existing analyses.
- :doc:`Source Level Debugging with LLVM <SourceLevelDebugging>`
- This document describes the design and philosophy behind the LLVM source-level debugger.
- :doc:`Source Level Debugging with HLSL <SourceLevelDebuggingHLSL>`
- This document describes specifics of using source-level debuggers for DXIL and HLSL.
- :doc:`Vectorizers`
- This document describes the current status of vectorization in LLVM.
- :doc:`ExceptionHandling`
- This document describes the design and implementation of exception handling in LLVM.
- :doc:`BitCodeFormat`
- This describes the file format and encoding used for LLVM "bc" files.
- :doc:`System Library <SystemLibrary>`
- This document describes the LLVM System Library (
lib/System) and how to keep LLVM source code portable - :doc:`LinkTimeOptimization`
- This document describes the interface between LLVM intermodular optimizer and the linker and its design
- :doc:`BranchWeightMetadata`
- Provides information about Branch Prediction Information.
- :doc:`BlockFrequencyTerminology`
- Provides information about terminology used in the
BlockFrequencyInfoanalysis pass. - :doc:`MarkedUpDisassembly`
- This document describes the optional rich disassembly output syntax.
- :doc:`HowToUseAttributes`
- Answers some questions about the new Attributes infrastructure.
- :doc:`CoverageMappingFormat`
- This describes the format and encoding used for LLVM’s code coverage mapping.
- :doc:`MergeFunctions`
- Describes functions merging optimization.
- :doc:`InAlloca`
- Description of the
inallocaargument attribute. - :doc:`FaultMaps`
- LLVM support for folding control flow into faulting machine instructions.
- :doc:`LLVMBuild`
- Describes the LLVMBuild organization and files used by LLVM to specify component descriptions.