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Both FBGEMM and FBGEMM_GPU provide extensive comments in its source files, which serve as the most authoritative and up-to-date documentation available for the two libraries.

Building the API Documentation

Note: The most up-to-date documentation build instructions are embedded in a set of scripts bundled in the FBGEMM repo under setup_env.bash.

The general steps for building the FBGEMM and FBGEMM_GPU documentation are as follows:

  1. Set up an isolated build environment.

  2. Build FBGEMM_GPU (CPU variant).

  3. Set up the documentation toolchain.

  4. Run documentation build scripts.

Set Up Build Environment

Follow the instructions for setting up the Conda environment at Set Up an Isolated Build Environment.

Build FBGEMM_GPU

A build pass of FBGEMM_GPU is required for the documentation to be built correctly. Follow the instructions in Install the Build Tools, followed by CPU-Only Build, to build FBGEMM_GPU (CPU variant).

Set Up Documentation Toolchain

# !! Run inside the Conda environment !!

# From the /fbgemm_gpu/ directory
cd docs

# Install Sphinx and other docs tools
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Install Doxygen and Make
conda install -c conda-forge -y doxygen make

Build the Documentation

# Generate the C++ documentation
make doxygen

# Generate the Python documentation and assemble together with the C++ documentation
make html

After the build completes, view the generated documentation:

sphinx-serve -b build

Deployment Preview

As a PyTorch project, a preview of the FBGEMM and FBGEMM_GPU documentation will be automatically built and deployed by Netlify when pull requests are made. When the build completes, the deployment preview can be found at:

https://deploy-preview-<PR NUMBER>>--pytorch-fbgemm-docs.netlify.app/

General Documentation Guidelines

When new public API methods are added, they should be accompanied by sufficient documentation. Here are some guidelines for documenting FBGEMM and FBGEMM_GPU code:

  • Code by itself is not documentation! Put yourself in the shoes of new developers who has to understand what your code does, and make their lives easier.

  • Documentation should be added for any and all public API methods.

  • Don’t leave docstring-writing as a separate task.

  • Write docstrings together with the code.

  • At a very minimum, add:

    • A description of the method.

    • A description for each argument that can be passed into the method.

    • A description of the method’s return value.

  • Add usage examples, links to other methods, and method invocation limitations.

Adding Documentation to Python Code

Documentation for Python is provided through docstrings and generated using Sphinx. Please reference the Google-style Python docstrings guide for docstring formatting examples.

Please add Python docstrings to the .py files under the name of the method:

def example_function():
    """
    This class is an example of how you can write docstrings.
    You can add multiple lines of those descriptions. Make sure to include
    useful information about your method.

    Args:
        arg1 (int): This is the first arg that you can pass with this function.

    Returns:
        This function returns X.

    Raises:
        AttributeError: This function raises an error.

    Example:
        This is how you can use this function

        >>> print("Code blocks are supported")

    Note:
       You can find more information
    """

Adding docstrings does not automatically publish them to the package documentation. To publish new docstrings:

  1. Add the module method to its corresponding .rst file.

  2. To preview locally, run make html.

  3. Verify the changes by building the docs locally or submitting a PR for a Netlify preview.

Adding Documentation to C++ Code

Documentation for C++ is provided through Javadoc-style comments and generated using Sphinx, Doxygen, and Breathe.

Documentation is kept in header files with the .h extension as well as in .cpp, cu, and cuh files. In these files, everything between #ifndef DOXYGEN_THIS_WILL_BE_SKIPPED and #endif will be hidden from the HTML output. When you add descriptionss to a function, make sure that the #ifndef and #endif are configured correctly.

Follow these instructions to document, generate, and publish a new C++ description:

  1. API methods are grouped together by group tags for better organization in Sphinx. If a desired method group for the target method is not defined yet, define it near the top of the relevant header file with the @defgroup keyword:

    /// @defgroup example-method-group Example Method Group
    /// This is a description of the example method group.
    
  2. Add the docstring above the target method’s declaration. At a very minimum, please add descriptions of:

    • The method’s functional behavior

    • The type parameters, as denoted by the @tparam tag

    • The arguments, as denoted by the @param tag

    • The return value, as denoted by the @return tag

    • The exceptions that can be thrown (if applicable), as denoted by the @throw tag

    Other tags @note, @warning, and @see should be added as needed. Here is an example docstring:

    /// @ingroup example-method-group
    ///
    /// @brief A very short description of `example_method`.
    ///
    /// Here is a much longer description of `example_method` with code examples:
    ///
    /// **Example:**
    /// ```python
    /// # Here is a Python code block
    /// def foo(lst: List[int]):
    ///   return [ x ** 2 for x in lst ]
    /// ```
    ///
    /// And here is a verbatim-text diagram example:
    ///
    /// @code{.unparsed}
    ///   .------+---------------------------------.-----------------------------
    ///   |            Block A (first)             |       Block B (second)
    ///
    ///   +------+------+--------------------------+------+------+---------------
    ///   | Next | Prev |   usable space           | Next | Prev | usable space..
    ///   +------+------+--------------------------+------+--+---+---------------
    ///   ^  |                                     ^         |
    ///   |  '-------------------------------------'         |
    ///   |                                                  |
    ///   '----------- Block B's prev points to Block A -----'
    /// @endcode
    ///
    /// @tparam T Description of T
    /// @tparam Alignment Description of Alignment value
    /// @param param1 Description of `param1`
    /// @param param2 Description of `param2`
    ///
    /// @return Description of the method's return value.
    ///
    /// @throw fbgemm_gpu::error1 if a type-1 error occurs
    /// @throw fbgemm_gpu::error2 if a type-2 error occurs
    ///
    /// @note This is an example note.
    ///
    /// @warning This is an example  warning.
    ///
    /// @see For more info, see
    /// <a href="https://www.doxygen.nl/manual/commands.html#cmdlink">here</a>.
    template <typename T, std::size_t Alignment>
    int32_t example_method(T param1, float param2);
    
  3. On the Sphinx documentation side, add a doxygengroup directive to the corresponding .rst file. If an .rst file for the corresponding header file does not exist, create a new one by the same name as the header file. Using the above example:

    .. doxygengroup:: example-method-group
      :content-only:
    
  4. Make sure the .rst file is included in to the toctree in index.rst (fbgemm-gpu.toc.cpp).

  5. The C++ source header file needs to be in one of the directories listed in the INPUT parameter in Doxygen.ini. In general, this has already been taken care of, but if it’s in a directory not listed, be sure to append the directory path to the parameter.

  6. Verify the changes by building the docs locally with Building the API Documentation or submitting a PR for a Netlify preview.


Following the example above generates the following HTML output:

template<typename T, std::size_t Alignment>
int32_t example_method(T param1, float param2)

A very short description of example_method.


Here is a much longer description of example_method with code examples:

Example:

# Here is a Python code block
def foo(lst: List[int]):
  return [ x ** 2 for x in lst ]

And here is a verbatim-text diagram example:

.------+---------------------------------.-----------------------------
|            Block A (first)             |       Block B (second)

+------+------+--------------------------+------+------+---------------
| Next | Prev |   usable space           | Next | Prev | usable space..
+------+------+--------------------------+------+--+---+---------------
^  |                                     ^         |
|  '-------------------------------------'         |
|                                                  |
'----------- Block B's prev points to Block A -----'

See also

For more info, see here.

Note

This is an example note.

Warning

This is an example warning.

Template Parameters:
  • T – Description of T

  • Alignment – Description of Alignment value

Parameters:
  • param1 – Description of param1

  • param2 – Description of param2

Throws:
  • fbgemm_gpu::error1 – if a type-1 error occurs

  • fbgemm_gpu::error2 – if a type-2 error occurs

Returns:

Description of the method’s return value.


Sphinx Documentation Pointers

Adding References to Other Sections

To reference other sections in the documentation, an anchor must first be created above the target section:

.. _fbgemm-gpu.example.reference:

Example Section Header
----------------------

NOTES:

#.  The reference anchor must start with an underscore, i.e. ``_``.

#.  There must be an empty line between the anchor and its target.

The anchor can then be referenced elsewhere in the docs:

Referencing the section :ref:`fbgemm-gpu.example.reference` from
another page in the docs.

Referencing the section with
:ref:`custom text <fbgemm-gpu.example.reference>` from another page
in the docs.

Note that the prefix underscore is not needed when referencing the anchor.

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