[HLSL] Compiler-as-a-library interface for clang HLSL

[llvm-beanz]

One of the HLSL compiler's primary usage modes is as a library. To support this we want to design and build a compiler-as-a-library interface for the Clang HLSL compiler.

This was requested in DXC/3162

Sub-Tasks

• [HLSL] Compiler-as-a-library feature needs a breakdown of work into separate issues #88176

The following tasks attempt to cover many of the feature areas of the library that will need to be built. This is not a complete list and tasks will be added/removed as more is learned about what the library needs to support.

Write specs for each feature in the library specification document

The items below track the work for this feature.

First a design must be created showing overall how the process of compiling a shader will be done. That is tracked in the following issue:

• [HLSL] Spec the c-style library architecture design for compiling shaders #91627

Depending on the output of the architecture design, some of the tasks below may be removed and others implemented.

• [HLSL] Design/Spec an architecture for performing work out of process (example: compiling a shader) #91617
• [HLSL] Implement a library for performing work out of process #90782
• [HLSL] Design c-style apis for compiling a shader only #91621
• [HLSL] Implement c-style apis for compiling a shader #90784
• [HLSL] Design c-style apis for accessing outputs of shader compilation #91623
• [HLSL] Implement c-style apis for accessing outputs of shader compilation #91624

[devshgraphicsprogramming]

How will the Include Handler work for Clang ?

[coopp]

I haven't fully fleshed out that yet, but there will need to be some sort of support for include handlers.

[devshgraphicsprogramming]

its very important to us, because we use JIT source generators and virtual filesystem (not only being able to fetch HLSL headers from archives but also from DLL builtins, etc.)