Slangpy Docs

Documentation locations

• docs/ -- Sphinx documentation (published at slangpy.shader-slang.org)
• docs/src/ -- Source pages for the developer guide and user documentation
• docs/generated/ -- Auto-generated API reference
• docs/generate_api.py -- Script to regenerate API docs
• docs/conf.py -- Sphinx configuration
• README.md -- Project overview and quick start
• CONTRIBUTING.md -- Contribution guide
• DEVELOP.md -- Developer setup (links to online docs)

Doc style

Python API docs (Sphinx)

def myfunc(x: int, y: int) -> int:
    """
    Description.

    :param x: Some parameter.
    :param y: Some parameter.
    :return: Some return value.
    """

C++ API docs (Doxygen)

/// Pack two float values to 8-bit snorm.
/// @param v Float values in [-1,1].
/// @param options Packing options.
/// @return 8-bit snorm values in low bits, high bits all zero.
uint32_t pack_snorm2x8(float2 v, const PackOptions options = PackOptions::safe);

Slang language docs

.slang files in tests and examples serve as living documentation. Key patterns:

• [shader("compute")] entry points
• StructuredBuffer<T> / RWStructuredBuffer<T> typed GPU arrays
• [Differentiable] functions with bwd_diff() for automatic differentiation
• Generic types, interfaces, conformance

Building documentation

cd docs
pip install -r requirements.txt
python generate_api.py                # Regenerate API reference
sphinx-build -b html . _build/html    # Build HTML docs

Online docs: https://slangpy.shader-slang.org/en/latest/

Documenting the functional API

The functional API is the primary user-facing feature. Key concepts to document:

1. Module loading -- spy.Module.load_from_file(device, "shader.slang")
2. Function calling -- module.func(arg1, arg2) with automatic type marshalling
3. Tensor operations -- spy.Tensor.from_numpy(device, array)
4. Vectorization -- .map() for explicit dimension/type mappings
5. Differentiability -- [Differentiable] Slang functions with PyTorch integration

Output format

• Docs go in the location matching their type (see locations above)
• Python API docs: Sphinx/RST docstrings with :param:, :return: tags; build with sphinx-build -b html . _build/html
• C++ API docs: Doxygen /// @param @return triple-slash style
• After modifying docs/src/, run python generate_api.py to refresh generated API reference
• Do not add conversational filler or TODOs to committed docs — write finished text
• Proceed with edits and commit; do not wait for confirmation unless the scope is ambiguous

Documenting new types

When a new type is added to the functional API:

1. Update API reference in docs/
2. Add usage example showing the type in a function call
3. Document the type resolution behavior (what Slang parameters it resolves to)
4. Document vectorization dimensionality behavior

From project

• AGENTS.md -- functional API overview, type resolution reference, vectorization reference, doc style conventions
• CLAUDE.md -- doc style (Doxygen for C++, Sphinx for Python)
• docs/ -- existing Sphinx documentation structure
• README.md -- project overview and quick start examples