KhronosGroup / KhronosGroup/OpenCL-Docs

Clarify CL_DEVICE_LOCAL_MEM_SIZE

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Python
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Description

The definition of CL_DEVICE_LOCAL_MEM_SIZE is given as:

Size of local memory region in bytes. The minimum value is 32 KB for devices that are not of type CL_DEVICE_TYPE_CUSTOM.

I think the meaning of "local memory region" here is ambiguous, because it could refer to either:

  1. The size of the physical local memory present in each compute unit; or
  2. The maximum amount of local memory available to a single work-group.

Based on the behavior of existing implementations, it seems that the intent is 2). Wording like the following would be clearer:

Maximum amount of local memory available to each work-group, in bytes. The minimum value is 32 KB for devices that are not of type CL_DEVICE_TYPE_CUSTOM.

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First steps

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Research direction

Start by searching the OpenCL-Docs sources for CL_DEVICE_LOCAL_MEM_SIZE and compare its definition with the linked OpenCL 3.0 specification. Review nearby device-query documentation for consistent terminology, then verify that the revised wording distinguishes work-group availability from physical device memory and preserves the stated minimum.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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