GPGPUs

[Paulo Pinto]

Am 23.01.2014 20:34, schrieb Ben Cumming:
> On Thursday, 23 January 2014 at 11:50:19 UTC, Paulo Pinto wrote:
>>
>> Why not just generate SPIR, HSAIL or PTX code instead ?
>>
>> --
>> Paulo
>
> We advertised an internship at my work to look at using D for GPUs in
> HPC (I work at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, which recently
> acquired are rather large GPU-based system). We do a lot of C++
> meta-programming to generate portable code that works on both CPU and
> GPUs. D looks like it could make this much less of a pain (because C++
> meta programming gets very tired after a short while). From what I can
> see, it should be possible to use CTFE and string mixins to generate
> full OpenCL kernels from straight D code.

I did an internship at CERN during 2003-2004. Lots of interesting C++ 
being used there as well.

>
> One of the main issues we also have with C++ is that our users are
> intimidated by it, and exposure to the nasty side effects libraries
> written with meta programming do little to convince them (like the error
> messages, and the propensity for even the best-designed C++ library to
> leak excessive amounts of boiler plate and templates into user code).

I still like C++, but with C++14 and whatever might come in C++17 it 
might just be too much for any sane developer. :\

> Unfortunately this is a field where Fortran is still the dominant language.

Yep, ATLAS still had lots of it.

>
> The LLVM backend supports PTX generation, and Clang has full support for
> OpenGL. With those tools and some tinkering with the compiler, it might
> be possible to do some really neat things in D. And increase programmer
> productivity at the same time. Fortran sets the bar pretty low there!
>
> If anybody knows undergrad or masters students in Europe who would be
> interested in a fully paid internship to work with D on big computers,
> get them in touch with us!
>

I'll pass the info around.

--
Paulo