Hey Alan, You've already got 3 LGTMs, but just wanted to add my thanks for making the utility clearer.
Best, Alex On Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 7:18:10 AM UTC-7 Yoav Weiss wrote: > 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. 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/aa8c78fd-6b3c-41c3-ba04-92d8bc743857n%40chromium.org.
