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cutlass/media/docs/pythonDSL/cute_dsl_general/dsl_introduction.rst
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* Python DSL examples reorganization.

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.. _dsl_introduction:
.. |DC| replace:: dynamic compilation
.. |IR| replace:: IR
.. |DSL| replace:: CuTe DSL
Introduction
============
Overview
--------
|DSL| is a Python-based domain-specific language (DSL) designed for |DC| of
high-performance GPU kernels. It evolved from the C++ CUTLASS library and is
now available as a decorator-based DSL.
Its primary goals are:
- **Zero-cost abstraction**, DSL is a zero-cost abstraction thanks to Hybrid DSL approach.
- **Consistent with CuTe C++**, allowing users to express GPU kernels with full
control of the hardware.
- **JIT compilation** for both host and GPU execution.
- `DLPack <https://github.com/dmlc/dlpack>`_ **integration**, enabling seamless
interop with frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX).
- **JIT caching**, so that repeated calls to the same function benefit from
cached |IR| modules.
- **Native types and type inference** to reduce boilerplate and improve
performance.
- **Optional lower-level control**, offering direct access to GPU backends or
specialized |IR| dialects.
Decorators
----------
|DSL| provides two main Python decorators for generating optimized code via |DC|:
1. ``@jit`` — Host-side JIT-compiled functions
2. ``@kernel`` — GPU kernel functions
Both decorators can optionally use a **preprocessor** that automatically expands Python control flow (loops, conditionals) into operations consumable by the underlying |IR|.
``@jit``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Declares JIT-compiled functions that can be invoked from Python or from other |DSL| functions.
**Decorator Parameters**:
* ``preprocessor``:
* ``True`` (default) — Automatically translate Python flow control (e.g., loops, if-statements) into |IR| operations.
* ``False`` — No automatic expansion; Python flow control must be handled manually or avoided.
**Call-site Parameters**:
- ``no_cache``:
- ``True`` — Disables JIT caching, forcing a fresh compilation each call.
- ``False`` (default) — Enables caching for faster subsequent calls.
``@kernel``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Defines GPU kernel functions, compiled as specialized GPU symbols through |DC|.
**Decorator Parameters**:
- ``preprocessor``:
- ``True`` (default) — Automatically expands Python loops/ifs into GPU-compatible |IR| operations.
- ``False`` — Expects manual or simplified kernel implementations.
**Kernel Launch Parameters**:
- ``grid``
Specifies the grid size as a list of integers.
- ``block``
Specifies the block size as a list of integers.
- ``cluster``
Specifies the cluster size as a list of integers.
- ``smem``
Specifies the size of shared memory in bytes (integer).
- ``None`` (default) — Automatically calculates the kernel's shared memory usage via **utils.SmemAllocator**. Recommended unless manual control is required.
- ``int`` — Manually specifies the size of shared memory in bytes.
**Additional Kernel Launch Parameters**:
- ``fallback_cluster``
Specifies the minimum-guaranteed cluster size. When set, ``cluster`` becomes the **preferred** size, enabling graceful degradation when hardware cannot satisfy the preferred dimensions.
- ``None`` (default) — No fallback; ``cluster`` is used directly.
- ``list[int]`` — Three-element list [x, y, z].
- ``max_number_threads``
Specifies the maximum thread count per block (**maxntid**).
- ``[0, 0, 0]`` (default) — Auto-generate **reqntid** from ``block``.
- ``list[int]`` — Three-element list [x, y, z].
- ``min_blocks_per_mp``
Specifies the minimum blocks per multiprocessor (**minctasm**).
- ``0`` (default) — No minimum occupancy hint.
- ``int`` — Minimum number of blocks per multiprocessor.
- ``use_pdl``
Enables Programmatic Dependent Launch (PDL) to overlap dependent kernel launches in the same stream.
- ``False`` (default) — PDL disabled.
- ``True`` — PDL enabled.
- ``cooperative``
Enables cooperative kernel launch; all thread blocks launch cooperatively with grid-wide synchronization support.
- ``False`` (default) — Standard kernel launch.
- ``True`` — Cooperative kernel launch.
- ``smem_merge_branch_allocs``
Enables mutually exclusive control flow branches (sequentially executed if-else) to reuse the same shared memory.
- ``False`` (default) — Shared memory is allocated additively across all branches (default CUDA C++ behavior).
- ``True`` — Merge shared-memory allocations across branches (experimental feature, recommended for mega-kernels).
Calling Conventions
-------------------
.. list-table::
:header-rows: 1
:widths: 20 20 15 25
* - **Caller**
- **Callee**
- **Allowed**
- **Compilation/Runtime**
* - Python function
- ``@jit``
-
- DSL runtime
* - Python function
- ``@kernel``
-
- N/A (error raised)
* - ``@jit``
- ``@jit``
-
- Compile-time call, inlined
* - ``@jit``
- Python function
-
- Compile-time call, inlined
* - ``@jit``
- ``@kernel``
-
- Dynamic call via GPU driver or runtime
* - ``@kernel``
- ``@jit``
-
- Compile-time call, inlined
* - ``@kernel``
- Python function
-
- Compile-time call, inlined
* - ``@kernel``
- ``@kernel``
-
- N/A (error raised)