Explain a shader compiler pipeline
NVIDIASoftware Engineer · Online Assessment
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This interview question evaluates algorithm design, data structures, correctness, complexity, edge cases, and implementation details in a realistic interview setting. A strong answer for Explain a shader compiler pipeline states assumptions, handles edge cases, explains trade-offs, and shows how to validate the result clearly.
Describe the architecture of a shader compiler that ingests GLSL/HLSL and outputs SPIR-V or ISA. Cover lexical analysis, parsing to AST, conversion to SSA-based IR, optimization passes (e.g., constant folding, CSE, dead-code elimination), register allocation, and code generation. How would you design differential and property-based tests for such a compiler?
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