LGTM3 On Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 1:19:19 AM UTC+2 Alan Baker wrote:
> I've landed an update to the explainer (proposal on github). If you want > the diff the PR is easiest: https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/6342. > > Alan > > On Mon, Jul 27, 2026 at 2:54 PM Alan Baker <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Alex, >> >> I'll expand the explainer this week. >> >> Thanks, >> Alan >> >> On Mon, Jul 27, 2026 at 2:38 PM Alex Russell <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Hey Alan, >>> >>> Thanks for explaining. Can you commit to adding these high-level >>> problems to be solved as goals in the explainer and then show, with >>> JavaScript, how this new API addresses them? That's the usual bar for >>> feature legibility, and without it it's hard to proceed. >>> >>> Best, >>> >>> Alex >>> >>> On Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 9:33:23 AM UTC-7 Alan Baker wrote: >>> >>>> The feature provides two major benefits: >>>> 1. Data reinterpretation >>>> 2. Splitting a buffer into multiple logical buffers >>>> >>>> The second falls out from the first. What this feature allows is >>>> viewing the contents of a buffer as multiple different types. This has a >>>> bunch of uses from straight data reinterpretation like type punning in >>>> other languages to more easily expressing packing in a buffer. So I >>>> wouldn't really say the major benefit is memory savings. That is a >>>> definite >>>> possible use case that is highlighted in the sample code, but I wouldn't >>>> want to focus solely on that. The sample is interesting because it would >>>> be >>>> difficult to express the single buffer in standard WGSL because each >>>> geometry has a different size and host-visible structures without this >>>> feature can only contain a single runtime-sized portion that has a single >>>> layout (it could be a composite data type). >>>> >>>> Is the request here to flesh out the feature description in more detail >>>> to discuss possible use cases? If so, would you prefer the proposal is >>>> updated or the chromestatus entry? >>>> >>>> Hopefully I've understood your concerns, >>>> Alan >>>> >>>> On Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 11:33:20 AM UTC-4 Alex Russell wrote: >>>> >>>>> Sorry for the slow reply here; thought I'd sent questions earlier in >>>>> the week. Apologies. >>>>> >>>>> This feature feels useful, particularly if you've been following along >>>>> with the prior set of launches in this area, but it isn't at all clear >>>>> from >>>>> the Explainer what problem we're solving. The example code signature is >>>>> written in Rust (not JS), whereas you have to find an example code PR to >>>>> walk through the benefits of smaller alignment windows: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> https://github.com/webgpu/webgpu-samples/pull/568/changes#diff-7cc23df7ee1165e19cd7f79cc96335f9597b6fa0602b151e7e7543a6a1d9a011R84 >>>>> >>>>> Even from that, though, the sizeable memory savings aren't obvious or >>>>> clearly described in either document, and their value to developers and >>>>> users is a bit opaque. >>>>> >>>>> Particularly when we're the first to ship a feature, we're always >>>>> trying to answer the question "*does this feature solve an important >>>>> problem well?*", and it's difficult to say we've made that case, even >>>>> if this *is *the ideal API. >>>>> >>>>> Best, >>>>> >>>>> Alex >>>>> >>>>> On Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 8:06:17 AM UTC-7 Chris Harrelson wrote: >>>>> >>>> LGTM2 >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> On Wed, Jul 22, 2026 at 6:54 AM Vladimir Levin <[email protected]> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>> LGTM1 >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 2:23:35 PM UTC-4 Chromestatus wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>> *Contact emails* >>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Explainer* >>>>>>>> https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/blob/main/proposals/buffer-view.md >>>>>>>> https://github.com/webgpu/webgpu-samples/pull/568 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Specification* >>>>>>>> https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/6291 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Summary* >>>>>>>> WGSL language feature for reinterpreting data in variables. The >>>>>>>> feature allows developers to divide a single uniform, storage, or >>>>>>>> workgroup >>>>>>>> variable into multiple logical variables. It also allows the type of >>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>> data in the variable to be interpreted as multiple types within the >>>>>>>> program. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Blink component* >>>>>>>> Blink>WebGPU >>>>>>>> <https://issues.chromium.org/issues?q=customfield1222907:%22Blink%3EWebGPU%22> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Web Feature ID* >>>>>>>> webgpu <https://webstatus.dev/features/webgpu> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Motivation* >>>>>>>> This features adds a new opaque type for use with storage and >>>>>>>> uniform buffers and workgroup variables. It allows the data in those >>>>>>>> variables to be reinterpreted as other types. This is useful for both >>>>>>>> type-punning data and logically sub-dividing a variable into multiple >>>>>>>> parts. For ease-of-use and safety, the opaque type can only be >>>>>>>> operated on >>>>>>>> by new built-in functions. The reinterpretation can only occur on the >>>>>>>> opaque type. This maintains flexibility, but reduces implementation >>>>>>>> complexity. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Initial public proposal* >>>>>>>> https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/issues/5338 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *TAG review* >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *TAG review status* >>>>>>>> Pending >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Goals for experimentation* >>>>>>>> None >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Risks* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Interoperability and Compatibility* >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Gecko*: No signal ( >>>>>>>> https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/1205#issuecomment-3312534193 >>>>>>>> ) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *WebKit*: Closed Without a Position ( >>>>>>>> https://github.com/WebKit/standards-positions/issues/294#issuecomment-1877411933 >>>>>>>> ) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Web developers*: No signals >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Other signals*: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *WebView application risks* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, >>>>>>>> such that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based >>>>>>>> applications? >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Debuggability* >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Will this feature be supported on all six Blink platforms >>>>>>>> (Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and Android WebView)?* >>>>>>>> No >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests >>>>>>>> <https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/main/docs/testing/web_platform_tests.md>?* >>>>>>>> Yes >>>>>>>> https://github.com/gpuweb/cts/pull/4652 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Flag name on about://flags* >>>>>>>> Enable Unsafe WebGPU >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Finch feature name* >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Non-finch justification* >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Rollout plan* >>>>>>>> Will ship enabled for all users >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Requires code in //chrome?* >>>>>>>> False >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Tracking bug* >>>>>>>> https://crbug.com/tint/506523198 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Estimated milestones* >>>>>>>> Shipping on desktop 152 >>>>>>>> Shipping on Android 152 >>>>>>>> Shipping on WebView 152 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Anticipated spec changes* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Open questions about a feature may be a source of future web compat >>>>>>>> or interop issues. Please list open issues (e.g. links to known github >>>>>>>> issues in the project for the feature specification) whose resolution >>>>>>>> may >>>>>>>> introduce web compat/interop risk (e.g., changing to naming or >>>>>>>> structure of >>>>>>>> the API in a non-backward-compatible way). >>>>>>>> *No information provided* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> *Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> https://chromestatus.com/feature/5094091886034944?gate=6498100941291520 >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status >>>>>>>> <https://chromestatus.com>. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "blink-dev" group. >>>>>>> >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>> send an email to [email protected]. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> To view this discussion visit >>>>>>> https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/451921f7-f54f-4322-a13b-b82b5172603bn%40chromium.org >>>>>>> >>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/451921f7-f54f-4322-a13b-b82b5172603bn%40chromium.org?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>>> . >>>>>>> >>>>>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "blink-dev" group. 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