The SYCL™ Working Group at Khronos® has been hard at work advancing the ecosystem for this open, royalty-free, cross-platform abstraction layer that enables code for heterogeneous and offload processors to be written using modern ISO C++. Through active public development, SYCL continues to grow as developers contribute and provide feedback, shaping the future of this portable programming model. Recently, the SYCL Working Group announced the release of Revision 9 of the SYCL 2020 Specification and exciting upcoming features.

Supercomputing (SC24) is a key industry event where SYCL Working Group members will showcase recent and roadmap developments and offer in-depth, hands-on experience in SYCL programming for high-performance computing.

SYCL 2020 Specification Revision 9

The release of SYCL 2020 Revision 9 enhances specification readability and eases implementation. A notable improvement clarifies complex aspects of built-in functions and assists developers in navigating the specification more effectively.

For those already using SYCL 2020, this update strengthens the foundation with cleaner and more approachable documentation, ensuring a smoother development experience.

New Features: What’s Coming Next for SYCL?

While Revision 9 focuses on refinements, the SYCL Working Group is developing new features as SYCL Extensions. These are being designed to make future versions of SYCL even more efficient and developer-friendly. Here are a few highlights:

• Kernel Submission Overhead Reduction: The Working Group is working on reducing the overhead associated with kernel submission, enabling more efficient execution, especially in high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
• Support for Complex Numbers: Upcoming support for complex numbers will be particularly valuable for developers working on scientific computing and signal processing applications, opening new possibilities for advanced computational tasks.
• Compile Time Properties: New ways to give more information about SYCL kernels to the compiler to allow for further optimization by SYCL implementations.

Open Development on GitHub: Your Feedback Matters

The SYCL Working Group is actively and openly developing these new features on GitHub, and encourages the community to provide feedback and suggestions. This collaborative approach allows developers to engage directly in shaping the future of SYCL.

Whether you’re a seasoned SYCL user, or just starting out on your SYCL journey, you can contribute to the discussion and submit feedback via GitHub Issues on the SYCL repository. This is a great opportunity to be part of the ongoing evolution of SYCL.

SYCL.tech Update: Try SYCL in the Browser

To further enhance the SYCL experience, the SYCL.tech website now offers a new Playground where developers can try SYCL directly in their browser. This tool is perfect for experimenting with code and testing features without needing to set up a local environment, making it easier than ever to explore what SYCL can do.The SYCL Academy course is now also integrated in the SYCL.tech website providing a self-guided tutorial in the browser.

Upcoming SYCL Events: Join Us at Supercomputing 2024 and IWOCL 2025

The SYCL community will gather at several key events in the coming months. These events provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about SYCL, network with experts, and offer feedback on the ongoing development of the standard.

• SYCL Tutorial Session at Supercomputing: Hands-On HPC and AI Development
  • Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm EST
  • Description: A hands-on tutorial designed to teach attendees the fundamentals of developing applications using SYCL and C++. This tutorial is a great starting point for developers looking to master SYCL and leverage its unique single-source style of programming for heterogeneous systems.
• Birds of a Feather Session at Supercomputing 2024
  • Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm EST
  • Location: B212
  • Topic: Heterogeneous Programming with Open Standards, featuring a panel discussion with SYCL experts and an audience Q&A session. This session will dive into SYCL’s use in GPU-accelerated Top500 machines and future directions for the specification.
• IWOCL 2025’s program will be published in the coming months. Stay tuned for more info about the annual gathering of OpenCL and SYCL developers, researchers, implementers, and Khronos Working Group members. The IWOCL call for submissions is now open and anyone using SYCL and OpenCL is welcome to submit a session presenting their work and discoveries. The deadline to submit a talk is January 12, 2025. 

Get Involved with SYCL

If you're passionate about heterogeneous programming and want to contribute more actively, consider joining Khronos as a member for full participation in the SYCL Working Group or the SYCL Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel offers a zero cost avenue to provide feedback to the Working Group to shape the future of SYCL and ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of developers. More information about joining Khronos can be found here: https://www.khronos.org/members/, and the Advisory Panel here: https://www.khronos.org/advisors. Any questions can be directed to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Stay Connected

• Feedback: Check out the new features coming to SYCL and provide feedback at the SYCL-Docs GitHub or the Khronos Discussion Forum.
• Events: Join us at Supercomputing 2024 and IWOCL 2025 for insightful discussions and hands-on learning.
• Playground: Try the SYCL Playground on SYCL.tech to explore the power of SYCL from your browser.

With SYCL’s continued development and exciting new features on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to get involved. Stay tuned for more updates as SYCL continues to evolve, driven by a growing and active community.