Explain shader compilers and graphics APIs
Overview
This question evaluates understanding of shader compilation pipelines, graphics API differences, and minimal compiler design, focusing on competencies in GPU programming, compiler architecture, resource binding models, pipeline state management, and runtime/driver interactions.
NVIDIA
Aug 7, 2025, 12:00 AM
Software Engineer
Onsite
System Design
0
0
Shader Compilation Pipeline, API Comparison, and Minimal Compiler Design
Context
Assume you are targeting modern discrete GPUs and common programmable stages (vertex, fragment/pixel, compute). Explain how shader source (HLSL/GLSL) becomes GPU-executable code and how different graphics APIs influence compilation artifacts and runtime usage.
Tasks
- End-to-end shader compilation pipeline
-
From HLSL/GLSL source to GPU-executable code, cover:
- Front-end: preprocessing, parsing, semantic analysis
- Intermediate representations (IR): kinds, why they’re used
- Optimization passes: typical and GPU-specific
- Reflection metadata: what is captured and how it’s used
- Back-end code generation: SPIR-V/DXIL/GLSL and driver JIT to GPU ISA
- API comparison: DirectX-like vs Vulkan/OpenGL
- Compare resource binding models
- Compare command submission and synchronization
- Compare pipeline state management and compilation artifacts
- Minimal shader compiler design
- Outline a minimal front end (language support, AST/IR, validation)
- Outline a minimal back end (targets, code emission, validation, reflection)
- Mention key trade-offs and pitfalls
Solution
Login required
Show