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authorjmedley <jmedley@chromium.org>2014-09-22 11:27:30 -0700
committerCommit bot <commit-bot@chromium.org>2014-09-22 18:27:47 +0000
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Copy edit Learn Basics section. Includes first group of new illustrations to make overall site images look googly and at the same time part of a single design process.
BUG=none R= TEST=none NOTRY=true (documentation only change) Review URL: https://codereview.chromium.org/581643004 Cr-Commit-Position: refs/heads/master@{#296017}
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-rw-r--r--native_client_sdk/src/doc/nacl-and-pnacl.rst143
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index 3b5336c..b884cc7 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/nacl-and-pnacl.html
+++ b/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/nacl-and-pnacl.html
@@ -6,93 +6,84 @@
<strong>Portable Native Client</strong>, and provides recommendations for when to use each.</p>
<div class="contents local" id="contents" style="display: none">
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#native-client-nacl" id="id3">Native Client (NaCl)</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#portable-native-client-pnacl" id="id4">Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-pnacl" id="id5">When to use PNaCl</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl" id="id6">When to use NaCl</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#native-client-nacl" id="id6">Native Client (NaCl)</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#portable-native-client-pnacl" id="id7">Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-pnacl" id="id8">When to use PNaCl</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl" id="id9">When to use NaCl</a></li>
</ul>
-</div><h2 id="native-client-nacl">Native Client (NaCl)</h2>
+</div><h2 id="native-client-nacl"><span id="id2"></span>Native Client (NaCl)</h2>
<p>Native Client enables the execution of native code securely inside web
applications through the use of advanced <a class="reference external" href="http://research.google.com/pubs/pub35649.html">Software Fault Isolation (SFI)
-techniques</a>. Since its launch in
-2011, Native Client has provided developers with the ability to harness a
-client machine&#8217;s computational power to a much fuller extent than traditional
-web technologies, by running compiled C and C++ code at near-native speeds and
-taking advantage of multiple cores with shared memory.</p>
-<p>While Native Client provides operating system independence, it requires
-developers to generate architecture-specific executable
-(<strong>nexe</strong>) modules for each hardware platform. This is not only inconvenient
-for developers, but architecture-specific machine code is not portable and thus
-not well-suited for the open web. The traditional method of application
-distribution on the web is through a self-contained bundle of HTML, CSS,
-JavaScript, and other resources (images, etc.) that can be hosted on a server
-and run inside a web browser. With this type of distribution, a website
-created today should still work years later, on all platforms.
-Architecture-specific executables are clearly not a good fit for distribution
-on the web. As a consequence, Native Client has been restricted to
-applications and browser extensions that are installed through the
+techniques</a>. Native Client
+allows you to harness a client machine&#8217;s computational power to a fuller extent
+than traditional web technologies. It does this by running compiled C and C++
+code at near-native speeds, and exposing a CPU&#8217;s full capabilities, including
+SIMD vectors and multiple-core processing with shared memory.</p>
+<p>While Native Client provides operating system independence, it requires you to
+generate architecture-specific executables (<strong>nexe</strong>) for each hardware
+platform. This is neither portable nor convenient, making it ill-suited for the
+open web.</p>
+<p>The traditional method of application distribution on the web is through self-
+contained bundles of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other resources (images, etc.)
+that can be hosted on a server and run inside a web browser. With this type of
+distribution, a website created today should still work years later, on all
+platforms. Architecture-specific executables are clearly not a good fit for
+distribution on the web. Consequently, Native Client has been until recently
+restricted to applications and browser extensions that are installed through the
Chrome Web Store.</p>
-<h2 id="portable-native-client-pnacl">Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</h2>
+<h2 id="portable-native-client-pnacl"><span id="id3"></span>Portable Native Client (PNaCl)</h2>
<p>PNaCl solves the portability problem by splitting the compilation process
into two parts:</p>
<ol class="arabic simple">
-<li>compiling the source code to a portable bitcode format, and</li>
-<li>translating the bitcode to a host-specific executable just before execution.</li>
+<li>compiling the source code to a bitcode executable (pexe), and</li>
+<li>translating the bitcode to a host-specific executable as soon as the module
+loads in the browser but before any code execution.</li>
</ol>
-<p>PNaCl enables developers to distribute <strong>portable executables</strong> (<strong>pexe</strong>)
-modules that the hosting environment (in other words, the Chrome browser) can
-translate to native code before executing. This portability aligns Native Client
-with existing open web technologies such as JavaScript. A developer can
-distribute a <strong>pexe</strong> as part of an application (along with HTML, CSS, and
-JavaScript), and the user&#8217;s machine is simply able to run it.</p>
-<p>With PNaCl, a developer generates a single <strong>pexe</strong> from source code,
-rather than multiple platform-specific nexes. The <strong>pexe</strong> provides both
-architecture- and OS-independence. Since the <strong>pexe</strong> uses an abstract,
-architecture-independent format, it does not suffer from the portability
-problem described above. Future versions of hosting environments should
-have no problem executing the <strong>pexe</strong>, even on new architectures.
-Moreover, if an existing architecture is subsequently enhanced, the
-<strong>pexe</strong> doesn&#8217;t even have to be recompiled. In some cases the
-client-side translation will automatically be able to take advantage of
-the new capabilities. A <strong>pexe</strong> module can be part of any web
-application. It does not have to be distributed through the Chrome Web
-Store. In short, PNaCl combines the portability of existing web technologies
-with the performance and security benefits of Native Client.</p>
+<p>This portability aligns Native Client with existing open web technologies such
+as JavaScript. You can distribute a pexe as part of an application (along with
+HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), and the user&#8217;s machine is simply able to run it.</p>
+<p>With PNaCl, you&#8217;ll generate a single pexe, rather than multiple platform-
+specific nexes. Since the pexe uses an abstract, architecture- and OS-
+independent format, it does not suffer from the portability problem described
+above. Although, PNaCl can be more efficient on some operating systems than on
+others. PNaCl boasts the same level of security as NaCl. Future versions of
+hosting environments should have no problem executing the pexe, even on new
+architectures. Moreover, if an existing architecture is enhanced, the pexe
+doesn&#8217;t need to be recompiled. In some cases the client-side translation will
+automatically take advantage of new capabilities. A pexe can be part of any web
+application. It does not have to be distributed through the Chrome Web Store. In
+short, PNaCl combines the portability of existing web technologies with the
+performance and security benefits of Native Client.</p>
<p>PNaCl is a new technology, and as such it still has a few limitations
as compared to NaCl. These limitations are described below.</p>
-<h2 id="when-to-use-pnacl">When to use PNaCl</h2>
+<h2 id="when-to-use-pnacl"><span id="id4"></span>When to use PNaCl</h2>
<p>PNaCl is the preferred toolchain for Native Client, and the only way to deploy
-Native Client modules on the open web. Unless your project is subject to one
-of the narrow limitations described below
-(see <a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl"><em>When to use NaCl</em></a>), you should use PNaCl.</p>
-<p>Beginning with version 31, the Chrome browser supports translation of
-<strong>pexe</strong> modules and their use in web applications, without requiring
-any installation (either of a browser plugin or of the applications
-themselves). Native Client and PNaCl are open-source technologies, and
-our hope is that they will be added to other hosting platforms in the
-future.</p>
-<p>If controlled distribution through the Chrome Web Store is an important part
-of your product plan, the benefits of PNaCl are less critical for you. But
-you can still use the PNaCl toolchain and distribute your application
-through the Chrome Web Store, and thereby take advantage of the
-conveniences of PNaCl, such as not having to explicitly compile your application
-for all supported architectures.</p>
-<h2 id="when-to-use-nacl"><span id="id2"></span>When to use NaCl</h2>
-<p>The limitations below apply to the current release of PNaCl. If any of
-these limitations are critical for your application, you should use
-non-portable NaCl:</p>
+Native Client modules without the Google Web Store. Unless your project is
+subject to one of the narrow limitations described under &#8220;<a class="reference internal" href="#when-to-use-nacl"><em>When to use
+NaCl</em></a>&#8221;, you should use PNaCl.</p>
+<p>Since version 31, Chrome supports translation of pexe
+modules and their use in web applications without requiring installation either
+of a browser plug-in or of the applications themselves. Native Client and PNaCl
+are open-source technologies, and our hope is that they will be added to other
+hosting platforms in the future.</p>
+<p>If controlled distribution through the Chrome Web Store is an important part of
+your product plan, the benefits of PNaCl are less critical for you. But you can
+still use the PNaCl toolchain and distribute your application through the Chrome
+Web Store, and thereby take advantage of the conveniences of PNaCl, such as not
+having to explicitly compile your application for all supported architectures.</p>
+<h2 id="when-to-use-nacl"><span id="id5"></span>When to use NaCl</h2>
+<p>Use NaCl if any of the following apply to your application:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li>PNaCl does not support architecture-specific
-instructions in an application (i.e., inline assembly), but tries to
-offer high-performance portable equivalents. One such example is
-PNaCl&#8217;s <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/reference/pnacl-c-cpp-language-support.html#portable-simd-vectors"><em>Portable SIMD Vectors</em></a>.</li>
-<li>PNaCl only supports static linking with the <code>newlib</code>
-C standard library (the Native Client SDK provides a PNaCl port of
-<code>newlib</code>). Dynamic linking and <code>glibc</code> are not yet supported.
-Work is under way to enable dynamic linking in future versions of PNaCl.</li>
-<li>PNaCl does not support some GNU extensions
-like taking the address of a label for computed <code>goto</code>, or nested
+<li>Your application requires architecture-specific instructions such as, for
+example, inline assembly. PNaCl tries to offer high-performance portable
+equivalents. One such example is PNaCl&#8217;s <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/reference/pnacl-c-cpp-language-support.html#portable-simd-vectors"><em>Portable SIMD Vectors</em></a>.</li>
+<li>Your application uses dynamic linking. PNaCl only supports static linking
+with a PNaCl port of the <code>newlib</code> C standard library. Dynamic linking and
+<code>glibc</code> are not yet supported in PNaCl. Work is under way to enable dynamic
+linking in future versions of PNaCl.</li>
+<li>Your application uses certain GNU extensions not supported by PNaCl&#8217;s LLVM
+toolchain, like taking the address of a label for computed <code>goto</code>, or nested
functions.</li>
</ul>
</section>
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/overview.html b/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/overview.html
index 7886ddc..dc56262 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/overview.html
+++ b/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/overview.html
@@ -4,77 +4,93 @@
<span id="overview"></span><h1 id="technical-overview"><span id="overview"></span>Technical Overview</h1>
<div class="contents local" id="contents" style="display: none">
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#introduction" id="id2">Introduction</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#why-use-native-client" id="id3">Why use Native Client?</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#common-use-cases" id="id4">Common use cases</a></li>
-<li><p class="first"><a class="reference internal" href="#how-native-client-works" id="id5">How Native Client works</a></p>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#why-use-native-client" id="id9">Why use Native Client?</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#benefits-of-native-client" id="id10">Benefits of Native Client</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#common-use-cases" id="id11">Common use cases</a></li>
+<li><p class="first"><a class="reference internal" href="#how-native-client-works" id="id12">How Native Client works</a></p>
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#security" id="id6">Security</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#portability" id="id7">Portability</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#toolchains" id="id8">Toolchains</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#toolchains" id="id13">Toolchains</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#security" id="id14">Security</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#portability" id="id15">Portability</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
-<li><p class="first"><a class="reference internal" href="#native-client-in-a-web-application" id="id9">Native Client in a web application</a></p>
+<li><p class="first"><a class="reference internal" href="#structure-of-a-web-application" id="id16">Structure of a web application</a></p>
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#pepper-plugin-api" id="id10">Pepper Plugin API</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#pepper-plug-in-api" id="id17">Pepper plug-in API</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#versioning" id="id11">Versioning</a></li>
-<li><a class="reference internal" href="#where-to-start" id="id12">Where to start</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#versioning" id="id18">Versioning</a></li>
+<li><a class="reference internal" href="#where-to-start" id="id19">Where to start</a></li>
</ul>
-</div><h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
-<p><strong>Native Client</strong> (NaCl) is an open-source technology for running native
+</div><p><strong>Native Client</strong> (NaCl) is an open-source technology for running native
compiled code in the browser, with the goal of maintaining the portability
and safety that users expect from web applications. Native Client expands web
-programming beyond JavaScript, enabling developers to enhance their web
-applications using their preferred language. This document describes some of
-the key benefits and common use cases of Native Client.</p>
+programming beyond JavaScript, enabling you to enhance your web applications
+using your preferred language. This document describes some of the key benefits
+and common use cases of Native Client.</p>
<p>Google has implemented the open-source <a class="reference external" href="http://www.chromium.org/nativeclient">Native Client project</a> in the Chrome browser on Windows, Mac,
-Linux, and Chrome OS. The <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/sdk/download.html"><em>Native Client Software Development Kit (SDK)</em></a>, itself an open-source project, lets developers create web
-applications that use NaCl and run in Chrome across multiple platforms.</p>
-<p>A web application that uses Native Client generally consists of a combination of
-JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and a NaCl module that is written in a language supported
-by the SDK. The NaCl SDK currently supports C and C++; as compilers for
-additional languages are developed, the SDK will be updated to support those
-languages as well.</p>
-<img alt="/native-client/images/web-app-with-nacl.png" src="/native-client/images/web-app-with-nacl.png" />
-<h2 id="why-use-native-client">Why use Native Client?</h2>
+Linux, and Chrome OS. The <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/sdk/download.html"><em>Native Client Software Development Kit (SDK)</em></a>, itself an open-source project, lets you create web applications
+that use NaCl and run in Chrome across multiple platforms.</p>
+<p>A Native Client web application consists of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and a NaCl
+module written in a language supported by the SDK. The NaCl SDK currently
+supports C and C++; as compilers for additional languages are developed, the SDK
+will be updated.</p>
+<div class="figure">
+<img alt="A web application with and without Native Client" src="/native-client/images/web-app-with-nacl.png" />
+<p class="caption">A web application with and without Native Client</p>
+</div>
+<p>Native Client comes in two flavors: traditional (NaCl) and portable (PNaCl).
+Traditional, which must be distributed through the Chrome Web Store lets you
+target a specific hardware platform. Portable can run on the open web. A
+bitcode file that can be loaded from any web server is downloaded to a client
+machine and converted to hardware-specific code before any execution. For
+details, see <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/nacl-and-pnacl.html"><em>NaCl and PNaCl</em></a>.</p>
+<h2 id="why-use-native-client"><span id="id1"></span>Why use Native Client?</h2>
<p>Native Client open-source technology is designed to run compiled code
-securely inside a browser at near-native speeds. Native Client puts web
-applications on the same playing field as desktop software&#8212;it provides the
+securely inside a browser at near-native speeds. Native Client gives web
+applications some advantages of desktop software. Specifically, it provides the
means to fully harness the client&#8217;s computational resources for applications
-such as 3D games, multimedia editors, CAD modeling,
-client-side data analytics, and interactive simulations.
-Native Client also aims to give C and C++ (and eventually other languages) the
-same level of portability and safety that JavaScript provides on the web today.</p>
-<p>Important benefits of Native Client include:</p>
+such as:</p>
+<ul class="small-gap">
+<li>3D games</li>
+<li>multimedia editors</li>
+<li>CAD modeling</li>
+<li>client-side data analytics</li>
+<li>interactive simulations.</li>
+</ul>
+<p>Native Client gives C and C++ (and other languages targeting it) the same level
+of portability and safety as JavaScript.</p>
+<h2 id="benefits-of-native-client"><span id="id2"></span>Benefits of Native Client</h2>
+<p>Benefits of Native Client include:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
<li><strong>Graphics, audio, and much more:</strong> Running native code modules that render 2D
and 3D graphics, play audio, respond to mouse and keyboard events, run on
-multiple threads, and access memory directly&#8212;all without requiring
-the user to install a plugin.</li>
-<li><strong>Portability:</strong> Writing your applications once and running them on operating
-systems (Windows, Linux, Mac, and Chrome OS) and CPU architectures (x86 and
-ARM).</li>
+multiple threads, and access memory directly&#8212;all without requiring the user
+to install a plug-in.</li>
+<li><strong>Portability:</strong> Writing your applications once and running them on multiple
+operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac, and Chrome OS) and CPU architectures
+(x86 and ARM).</li>
<li><strong>Easy migration path to the web:</strong> Leveraging years of work in existing
-desktop applications. Native Client makes the transition from the desktop to a
-web application significantly easier because it supports C and C++.</li>
+desktop applications. Native Client makes the transition from the desktop to
+a web application significantly easier because it supports C and C++.</li>
<li><strong>Security:</strong> Protecting the user&#8217;s system from malicious or buggy
applications through Native Client&#8217;s double sandbox model. This model offers
-the safety of traditional web applications without sacrificing performance and
-without requiring users to install a plugin.</li>
-<li><strong>Performance:</strong> Running at speeds comparable to desktop applications (within
-5-15% of native speed). Native Client also allows applications to harness all
-available CPU cores via a threading API; this enables demanding applications
-such as console-quality games to run inside the browser.</li>
+the safety of traditional web applications without sacrificing performance
+and without requiring users to install a plug-in.</li>
+<li><strong>Performance:</strong> Running at speeds within 5% to 15% of a native desktop
+application. Native Client also allows applications to harness all available
+CPU cores via a threading API. This enables demanding applications such as
+console-quality games to run inside the browser.</li>
</ul>
-<h2 id="common-use-cases">Common use cases</h2>
+<h2 id="common-use-cases"><span id="id3"></span>Common use cases</h2>
<p>Typical use cases for Native Client include the following:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><strong>Existing software components:</strong> With support for C and C++, Native
-Client lets you to reuse existing software modules in web applications. You
-don&#8217;t need to rewrite and debug code that already works.</li>
+<li><strong>Existing software components:</strong> Native Client lets you repurpose existing
+C and C++ software in web applications. You don&#8217;t need to rewrite and debug
+code that already works. It also lets your application take advantage of
+things the browser does well such as handling user interaction and processing
+events. You can also take advantage of the latest developments in HTML5.</li>
<li><strong>Legacy desktop applications:</strong> Native Client provides a smooth migration
path from desktop applications to the web. You can port and recompile existing
code for the computation engine of your application directly to Native Client,
@@ -82,9 +98,9 @@ and need rebuild only the user interface and event handling portions for the
browser.</li>
<li><strong>Heavy computation in enterprise applications:</strong> Native Client can handle the
number crunching required by large-scale enterprise applications. To ensure
-protection of user data, Native Client enables you to build complex
-cryptographic algorithms directly into the browser so that unencrypted data
-never goes out over the network.</li>
+protection of user data, Native Client lets you run complex cryptographic
+algorithms directly in the browser so that unencrypted data never goes out
+over the network.</li>
<li><strong>Multimedia applications:</strong> Codecs for processing sounds, images, and movies
can be added to the browser in a Native Client module.</li>
<li><strong>Games:</strong> Native Client lets web applications run at close to native
@@ -94,51 +110,64 @@ shaders. Native Client is a natural fit for running a physics engine or
artificial intelligence module that powers a sophisticated web game.
Native Client also enables applications to run unchanged across
many platforms.</li>
-<li><strong>Any application that requires acceleration</strong>: Native Client fits seamlessly
-into web applications&#8212;it&#8217;s up to you to decide to what extent to use it.
+<li><strong>Any application that requires acceleration:</strong> Native Client fits seamlessly
+into web applications. It&#8217;s up to you to decide to what extent to use it.
Use of Native Client covers the full spectrum from complete applications to
small optimized routines that accelerate vital parts of web applications.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="how-native-client-works"><span id="link-how-nacl-works"></span>How Native Client works</h2>
-<p>Native Client is an umbrella name for a set of related software components that
-provide a way to develop C/C++ applications and run them securely on the web.</p>
-<p>At a high level, Native Client consists of:</p>
+<p>Native Client is an umbrella name for a set of related software components for
+developing C/C++ applications and running them securely on the web. At a high
+level, Native Client consists of:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><strong>Toolchains</strong>: Collections of development tools (compilers, linkers, etc.)
-that transform C/C++ code to Native Client modules.</li>
-<li><strong>Runtime components</strong>: components embedded in the browser or other
-host platforms that allow execution of Native Client modules
-securely and efficiently.</li>
+<li><strong>Toolchains:</strong> collections of development tools (compilers, linkers, etc.)
+that transform C/C++ code to Portable Native Client modules or Native Client
+modules.</li>
+<li><strong>Runtime components:</strong> components embedded in the browser or other host
+platforms that allow execution of Native Client modules securely and
+efficiently.</li>
</ul>
<p>The following diagram shows how these components interact:</p>
-<img alt="/native-client/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png" src="/native-client/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png" />
-<p>The left side of the diagram shows how to use Portable Native Client
-(PNaCl, pronounced &#8220;pinnacle&#8221;). Developers use the PNaCl toolchain
-to produce a single, portable (<strong>pexe</strong>) module. At runtime, a translator
-built into the browser translates the pexe into native code for the
-relevant client architecture. Translation occurs before any code is executed.</p>
-<p>The right side of the diagram shows how to use (non-portable) Native Client.
-Developers use a nacl-gcc based toolchain to produce multiple
-architecture-dependent (<strong>nexe</strong>) modules, which are packaged into an
-application. At runtime, the browser decides which nexe to load based
-on the architecture of the client machine.</p>
-<h3 id="security">Security</h3>
+<div class="figure">
+<img alt="The Native Client toolchains and their outputs" src="/native-client/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png" />
+<p class="caption">The Native Client toolchains and their outputs</p>
+</div>
+<h3 id="toolchains"><span id="id4"></span>Toolchains</h3>
+<p>A Native Client toolchain consists of a compiler, a linker, an assembler and
+other tools that are used to convert C/C++ source code into a module that is
+loadable by a browser.</p>
+<p>The Native Client SDK provides two toolchains:</p>
+<ul class="small-gap">
+<li>The left side of the diagram shows <strong>Portable Native Client</strong> (PNaCl,
+pronounced &#8220;pinnacle&#8221;). An LLVM based toolchain produces a single, portable
+(<strong>pexe</strong>) module. At runtime an ahead-of-time (AOT) translator, built into
+the browser, translates the pexe into native code for the relevant client
+architecture.</li>
+<li>The right side of the diagram shows <strong>(non-portable) Native Client</strong>. A GCC
+based toolchain produces multiple architecture-dependent (<strong>nexe</strong>) modules,
+which are packaged into an application. At runtime the browser determines
+which nexe to load based on the architecture of the client machine.</li>
+</ul>
+<p>The PNaCl toolchain is recommended for most applications. The NaCl-GCC
+toolchain should only be used for applications that won&#8217;t be distributed on the
+open web.</p>
+<h3 id="security"><span id="id5"></span>Security</h3>
<p>Since Native Client permits the execution of native code on client machines,
special security measures have to be implemented:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
<li>The NaCl sandbox ensures that code accesses system resources only through
-safe, whitelisted APIs, and operates within its limits without attempting to
+safe, whitelisted APIs, and operates within its limits without attempting to
interfere with other code running either within the browser or outside it.</li>
-<li>The NaCl validator statically analyzes code prior to running it
-to make sure it only uses code and data patterns that are permitted and safe.</li>
+<li>The NaCl validator statically analyzes code before running it to make sure it
+only uses code and data patterns that are permitted and safe.</li>
</ul>
-<p>The above security measures are in addition to the existing sandbox in the
-Chrome browser&#8212;the Native Client module always executes in a process with
+<p>These security measures are in addition to the existing sandbox in the
+Chrome browser. The Native Client module always executes in a process with
restricted permissions. The only interaction between this process and the
-outside world is through sanctioned browser interfaces. Because of the
+outside world is through defined browser interfaces. Because of the
combination of the NaCl sandbox and the Chrome sandbox, we say that
-Native Client employs a double sandbox design.</p>
-<h3 id="portability">Portability</h3>
+Native Client employs a <strong>double sandbox</strong> design.</p>
+<h3 id="portability"><span id="id6"></span>Portability</h3>
<p>Portable Native Client (PNaCl, prounounced &#8220;pinnacle&#8221;) employs state-of-the-art
compiler technology to compile C/C++ source code to a portable bitcode
executable (<strong>pexe</strong>). PNaCl bitcode is an OS- and architecture-independent
@@ -146,53 +175,49 @@ format that can be freely distributed on the web and <a class="reference interna
applications</em></a>.</p>
<p>The PNaCl translator is a component embedded in the Chrome browser; its task is
to run pexe modules. Internally, the translator compiles a pexe to a nexe
-(a native executable for the client platform&#8217;s architecture), and then executes
-the nexe within the Native Client sandbox as described above. It also uses
-intelligent caching to avoid re-compiling the pexe if it was previously compiled
-on the client&#8217;s browser.</p>
+(described above), and then executes the nexe within the Native Client sandbox
+as described above. The translator uses intelligent caching to avoid
+re-compiling the pexe if it was previously compiled on the client&#8217;s browser.</p>
<p>Native Client also supports the execution of nexe modules directly in the
-browser. However, since nexes contain architecture-specific machine code,
-they are not allowed to be distributed on the open web&#8212;they can only be
-used as part of applications and extensions that are installed from the
-Chrome Web Store.</p>
+browser. However, since nexes contain architecture-specific machine code, they
+are not allowed to be distributed on the open web. They can only be used as part
+of applications and extensions that are installed from the Chrome Web Store.</p>
<p>For more details on the difference between NaCl and PNaCl, see
<a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/nacl-and-pnacl.html"><em>NaCl and PNaCl</em></a>.</p>
-<h3 id="toolchains"><span id="id1"></span>Toolchains</h3>
-<p>A toolchain is a set of tools used to create an application from a set of
-source files. In the case of Native Client, a toolchain consists of a compiler,
-linker, assembler and other tools that are used to convert an
-application written in C/C++ into a module that is loadable by the browser.</p>
-<p>The Native Client SDK provides two toolchains:</p>
-<ul class="small-gap">
-<li>a <strong>PNaCl toolchain</strong> for generating portable NaCl modules (pexe files)</li>
-<li>a <strong>gcc-based toolchain (nacl-gcc)</strong> for generating non-portable NaCl modules
-(nexe files)</li>
-</ul>
-<p>The PNaCl toolchain is recommended for most applications. The nacl-gcc
-toolchain should only be used for applications that will not be distributed
-on the open web.</p>
-<h2 id="native-client-in-a-web-application"><span id="link-nacl-in-web-apps"></span>Native Client in a web application</h2>
+<h2 id="structure-of-a-web-application"><span id="link-nacl-in-web-apps"></span>Structure of a web application</h2>
<p id="application-files">A Native Client application consists of a set of files:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
-<li><strong>HTML</strong>, <strong>CSS</strong>, and <strong>JavaScript</strong> files, as in any modern web
-application. The JavaScript code is responsible for communicating with the
-NaCl module.</li>
-<li>A <strong>pexe</strong> (portable NaCl) file. This module uses the <a class="reference internal" href="#link-pepper"><em>Pepper</em></a> API, which provides the bridge to JavaScript and
-browser resources.</li>
-<li>A Native Client <strong>manifest</strong> file that specifies the pexe to load, along with
-some loading options. This manifest file is embedded into the HTML page
-through an <code>&lt;embed&gt;</code> tag, as shown in the figure below.</li>
+<li><p class="first"><strong>HTML and CSS:</strong> The HTML file tells the browser where to find the manifest
+(nmf file) through the embed tag.</p>
+<pre class="prettyprint">
+&lt;embed name=&quot;mygame&quot; src=&quot;mygame.nmf&quot; type=&quot;application/x-pnacl&quot; /&gt;
+</pre>
+</li>
+<li><p class="first"><strong>Manifest:</strong> The manifest identifies the module to load and specifies
+options. For example, &#8220;mygame.nmf&#8221; might look like this:</p>
+<pre class="prettyprint">
+{...
+ ...
+ &quot;url&quot;: &quot;mygame.pexe&quot;,
+}
+</pre>
+</li>
+<li><strong>pexe (portable NaCl file):</strong> A compiled Native Client module. It uses the
+<a class="reference internal" href="#link-pepper"><em>Pepper API</em></a>, which provides a bridge to JavaScript and
+other browser resources.</li>
</ul>
-<img alt="/native-client/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png" src="/native-client/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png" />
+<div class="figure">
+<img alt="Structure of a web application" src="/native-client/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png" />
+<p class="caption">Structure of a web application</p>
+</div>
<p>For more details, see <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/devguide/coding/application-structure.html"><em>Application Structure</em></a>.</p>
-<h3 id="pepper-plugin-api"><span id="link-pepper"></span>Pepper Plugin API</h3>
-<p>The Pepper Plugin API (PPAPI), called <strong>Pepper</strong> for convenience, is an
-open-source, cross-platform C/C++ API for web browser plugins. From the point
-of view of Native Client, Pepper allows a C/C++ module to communicate with
-the hosting browser and get access to system-level functions in a safe and
-portable way. One of the security constraints in Native Client is that modules
-cannot make any OS-level calls directly. Pepper provides analogous APIs that
-modules can target instead.</p>
+<h3 id="pepper-plug-in-api"><span id="link-pepper"></span>Pepper plug-in API</h3>
+<p>The Pepper plug-in API (PPAPI), called <strong>Pepper</strong> for convenience, is an
+open-source, cross-platform C/C++ API for web browser plug-ins. Pepper allows a
+C/C++ module to communicate with the hosting browser and to access system-level
+functions in a safe and portable way. One of the security constraints in Native
+Client is that modules cannot make OS-level calls. Pepper provides analogous
+APIs that modules can use instead.</p>
<p>You can use the Pepper APIs to gain access to the full array of browser
capabilities, including:</p>
<ul class="small-gap">
@@ -201,22 +226,22 @@ capabilities, including:</p>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/devguide/coding/audio.html"><em>Playing audio</em></a>.</li>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/devguide/coding/3D-graphics.html"><em>Rendering 3D graphics</em></a>.</li>
</ul>
-<p>Pepper includes both a C API and a C++ API. The C++ API is a set of bindings
-written on top of the C API. For additional information about Pepper, see
-<a class="reference external" href="http://code.google.com/p/ppapi/wiki/Concepts">Pepper Concepts</a>.</p>
-<h2 id="versioning">Versioning</h2>
+<p>Pepper includes both a <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/c-api.html"><em>C API</em></a> and a <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/cpp-api.html"><em>C++ API</em></a>.
+The C++ API is a set of bindings written on top of the C API. For additional
+information about Pepper, see <a class="reference external" href="http://code.google.com/p/ppapi/wiki/Concepts">Pepper Concepts</a>.</p>
+<h2 id="versioning"><span id="id7"></span>Versioning</h2>
<p>Chrome is released on a six week cycle, and developer versions of Chrome are
pushed to the public beta channel three weeks before each release. As with any
software, each release of Chrome may include changes to Native Client and the
Pepper interfaces that may require modification to existing applications.
However, modules compiled for one version of Pepper/Chrome should work with
subsequent versions of Pepper/Chrome. The SDK includes multiple versions of the
-Pepper APIs to help developers make adjustments to API changes and take
+Pepper APIs to help you make adjustments to API changes and take
advantage of new features: <a class="reference external" href="/native-client/pepper_stable">stable</a>, <a class="reference external" href="/native-client/pepper_beta">beta</a> and <a class="reference external" href="/native-client/pepper_dev">dev</a>.</p>
-<h2 id="where-to-start">Where to start</h2>
+<h2 id="where-to-start"><span id="id8"></span>Where to start</h2>
<p>The <a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/quick-start.html"><em>Quick Start</em></a> document provides links to downloads and
-documentation that should help you get started with developing and distributing
-Native Client applications.</p>
+documentation to help you get started with developing and distributing Native
+Client applications.</p>
</section>
{{/partials.standard_nacl_article}}
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/sitemap.html b/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/sitemap.html
index 2e8d27b..b47fd60 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/sitemap.html
+++ b/native_client_sdk/doc_generated/sitemap.html
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
<div class="toctree-wrapper compound">
<ul class="small-gap">
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html">Technical Overview</a><ul class="small-gap">
-<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#introduction">Introduction</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#why-use-native-client">Why use Native Client?</a></li>
+<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#benefits-of-native-client">Benefits of Native Client</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#common-use-cases">Common use cases</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#how-native-client-works">How Native Client works</a></li>
-<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#native-client-in-a-web-application">Native Client in a web application</a></li>
+<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#structure-of-a-web-application">Structure of a web application</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#versioning">Versioning</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="/native-client/overview.html#where-to-start">Where to start</a></li>
</ul>
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png
index 1ffed33..44c8b1d 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png
+++ b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png
Binary files differ
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png
index 338be19..da9cd7e 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png
+++ b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png
Binary files differ
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/web-app-with-nacl.png b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/web-app-with-nacl.png
index 46d5ca6..7661fc3 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/web-app-with-nacl.png
+++ b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/images/web-app-with-nacl.png
Binary files differ
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/nacl-and-pnacl.rst b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/nacl-and-pnacl.rst
index 7eb07fb..b83f0a5 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/nacl-and-pnacl.rst
+++ b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/nacl-and-pnacl.rst
@@ -12,103 +12,102 @@ This document describes the differences between **Native Client** and
:backlinks: none
:depth: 2
+.. _native-client-nacl:
+
Native Client (NaCl)
====================
Native Client enables the execution of native code securely inside web
applications through the use of advanced `Software Fault Isolation (SFI)
-techniques <http://research.google.com/pubs/pub35649.html>`_. Since its launch in
-2011, Native Client has provided developers with the ability to harness a
-client machine's computational power to a much fuller extent than traditional
-web technologies, by running compiled C and C++ code at near-native speeds and
-taking advantage of multiple cores with shared memory.
-
-While Native Client provides operating system independence, it requires
-developers to generate architecture-specific executable
-(**nexe**) modules for each hardware platform. This is not only inconvenient
-for developers, but architecture-specific machine code is not portable and thus
-not well-suited for the open web. The traditional method of application
-distribution on the web is through a self-contained bundle of HTML, CSS,
-JavaScript, and other resources (images, etc.) that can be hosted on a server
-and run inside a web browser. With this type of distribution, a website
-created today should still work years later, on all platforms.
-Architecture-specific executables are clearly not a good fit for distribution
-on the web. As a consequence, Native Client has been restricted to
-applications and browser extensions that are installed through the
+techniques <http://research.google.com/pubs/pub35649.html>`_. Native Client
+allows you to harness a client machine's computational power to a fuller extent
+than traditional web technologies. It does this by running compiled C and C++
+code at near-native speeds, and exposing a CPU's full capabilities, including
+SIMD vectors and multiple-core processing with shared memory.
+
+While Native Client provides operating system independence, it requires you to
+generate architecture-specific executables (**nexe**) for each hardware
+platform. This is neither portable nor convenient, making it ill-suited for the
+open web.
+
+The traditional method of application distribution on the web is through self-
+contained bundles of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other resources (images, etc.)
+that can be hosted on a server and run inside a web browser. With this type of
+distribution, a website created today should still work years later, on all
+platforms. Architecture-specific executables are clearly not a good fit for
+distribution on the web. Consequently, Native Client has been until recently
+restricted to applications and browser extensions that are installed through the
Chrome Web Store.
+.. _portable-native-client-pnacl:
+
Portable Native Client (PNaCl)
==============================
PNaCl solves the portability problem by splitting the compilation process
into two parts:
-#. compiling the source code to a portable bitcode format, and
-#. translating the bitcode to a host-specific executable just before execution.
-
-PNaCl enables developers to distribute **portable executables** (**pexe**)
-modules that the hosting environment (in other words, the Chrome browser) can
-translate to native code before executing. This portability aligns Native Client
-with existing open web technologies such as JavaScript. A developer can
-distribute a **pexe** as part of an application (along with HTML, CSS, and
-JavaScript), and the user's machine is simply able to run it.
-
-With PNaCl, a developer generates a single **pexe** from source code,
-rather than multiple platform-specific nexes. The **pexe** provides both
-architecture- and OS-independence. Since the **pexe** uses an abstract,
-architecture-independent format, it does not suffer from the portability
-problem described above. Future versions of hosting environments should
-have no problem executing the **pexe**, even on new architectures.
-Moreover, if an existing architecture is subsequently enhanced, the
-**pexe** doesn't even have to be recompiled. In some cases the
-client-side translation will automatically be able to take advantage of
-the new capabilities. A **pexe** module can be part of any web
-application. It does not have to be distributed through the Chrome Web
-Store. In short, PNaCl combines the portability of existing web technologies
-with the performance and security benefits of Native Client.
+#. compiling the source code to a bitcode executable (pexe), and
+#. translating the bitcode to a host-specific executable as soon as the module
+ loads in the browser but before any code execution.
+
+This portability aligns Native Client with existing open web technologies such
+as JavaScript. You can distribute a pexe as part of an application (along with
+HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), and the user's machine is simply able to run it.
+
+With PNaCl, you'll generate a single pexe, rather than multiple platform-
+specific nexes. Since the pexe uses an abstract, architecture- and OS-
+independent format, it does not suffer from the portability problem described
+above. Although, PNaCl can be more efficient on some operating systems than on
+others. PNaCl boasts the same level of security as NaCl. Future versions of
+hosting environments should have no problem executing the pexe, even on new
+architectures. Moreover, if an existing architecture is enhanced, the pexe
+doesn't need to be recompiled. In some cases the client-side translation will
+automatically take advantage of new capabilities. A pexe can be part of any web
+application. It does not have to be distributed through the Chrome Web Store. In
+short, PNaCl combines the portability of existing web technologies with the
+performance and security benefits of Native Client.
PNaCl is a new technology, and as such it still has a few limitations
as compared to NaCl. These limitations are described below.
+.. _when-to-use-pnacl:
+
When to use PNaCl
=================
PNaCl is the preferred toolchain for Native Client, and the only way to deploy
-Native Client modules on the open web. Unless your project is subject to one
-of the narrow limitations described below
-(see :ref:`When to use NaCl<when-to-use-nacl>`), you should use PNaCl.
-
-Beginning with version 31, the Chrome browser supports translation of
-**pexe** modules and their use in web applications, without requiring
-any installation (either of a browser plugin or of the applications
-themselves). Native Client and PNaCl are open-source technologies, and
-our hope is that they will be added to other hosting platforms in the
-future.
-
-If controlled distribution through the Chrome Web Store is an important part
-of your product plan, the benefits of PNaCl are less critical for you. But
-you can still use the PNaCl toolchain and distribute your application
-through the Chrome Web Store, and thereby take advantage of the
-conveniences of PNaCl, such as not having to explicitly compile your application
-for all supported architectures.
+Native Client modules without the Google Web Store. Unless your project is
+subject to one of the narrow limitations described under ":ref:`When to use
+NaCl<when-to-use-nacl>`", you should use PNaCl.
+
+Since version 31, Chrome supports translation of pexe
+modules and their use in web applications without requiring installation either
+of a browser plug-in or of the applications themselves. Native Client and PNaCl
+are open-source technologies, and our hope is that they will be added to other
+hosting platforms in the future.
+
+If controlled distribution through the Chrome Web Store is an important part of
+your product plan, the benefits of PNaCl are less critical for you. But you can
+still use the PNaCl toolchain and distribute your application through the Chrome
+Web Store, and thereby take advantage of the conveniences of PNaCl, such as not
+having to explicitly compile your application for all supported architectures.
.. _when-to-use-nacl:
When to use NaCl
================
-The limitations below apply to the current release of PNaCl. If any of
-these limitations are critical for your application, you should use
-non-portable NaCl:
-
-* PNaCl does not support architecture-specific
- instructions in an application (i.e., inline assembly), but tries to
- offer high-performance portable equivalents. One such example is
- PNaCl's :ref:`Portable SIMD Vectors <portable_simd_vectors>`.
-* PNaCl only supports static linking with the ``newlib``
- C standard library (the Native Client SDK provides a PNaCl port of
- ``newlib``). Dynamic linking and ``glibc`` are not yet supported.
- Work is under way to enable dynamic linking in future versions of PNaCl.
-* PNaCl does not support some GNU extensions
- like taking the address of a label for computed ``goto``, or nested
+Use NaCl if any of the following apply to your application:
+
+* Your application requires architecture-specific instructions such as, for
+ example, inline assembly. PNaCl tries to offer high-performance portable
+ equivalents. One such example is PNaCl's :ref:`Portable SIMD Vectors
+ <portable_simd_vectors>`.
+* Your application uses dynamic linking. PNaCl only supports static linking
+ with a PNaCl port of the ``newlib`` C standard library. Dynamic linking and
+ ``glibc`` are not yet supported in PNaCl. Work is under way to enable dynamic
+ linking in future versions of PNaCl.
+* Your application uses certain GNU extensions not supported by PNaCl's LLVM
+ toolchain, like taking the address of a label for computed ``goto``, or nested
functions.
diff --git a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/overview.rst b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/overview.rst
index ad5bd14..a98c491 100644
--- a/native_client_sdk/src/doc/overview.rst
+++ b/native_client_sdk/src/doc/overview.rst
@@ -9,71 +9,94 @@ Technical Overview
:backlinks: none
:depth: 2
-Introduction
-============
-
**Native Client** (NaCl) is an open-source technology for running native
compiled code in the browser, with the goal of maintaining the portability
and safety that users expect from web applications. Native Client expands web
-programming beyond JavaScript, enabling developers to enhance their web
-applications using their preferred language. This document describes some of
-the key benefits and common use cases of Native Client.
+programming beyond JavaScript, enabling you to enhance your web applications
+using your preferred language. This document describes some of the key benefits
+and common use cases of Native Client.
Google has implemented the open-source `Native Client project
<http://www.chromium.org/nativeclient>`_ in the Chrome browser on Windows, Mac,
Linux, and Chrome OS. The :doc:`Native Client Software Development Kit (SDK)
-<sdk/download>`, itself an open-source project, lets developers create web
-applications that use NaCl and run in Chrome across multiple platforms.
+<sdk/download>`, itself an open-source project, lets you create web applications
+that use NaCl and run in Chrome across multiple platforms.
+
+A Native Client web application consists of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and a NaCl
+module written in a language supported by the SDK. The NaCl SDK currently
+supports C and C++; as compilers for additional languages are developed, the SDK
+will be updated.
+
+.. figure:: /images/web-app-with-nacl.png
+ :alt: A web application with and without Native Client
+
+ A web application with and without Native Client
-A web application that uses Native Client generally consists of a combination of
-JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and a NaCl module that is written in a language supported
-by the SDK. The NaCl SDK currently supports C and C++; as compilers for
-additional languages are developed, the SDK will be updated to support those
-languages as well.
+Native Client comes in two flavors: traditional (NaCl) and portable (PNaCl).
+Traditional, which must be distributed through the Chrome Web Store lets you
+target a specific hardware platform. Portable can run on the open web. A
+bitcode file that can be loaded from any web server is downloaded to a client
+machine and converted to hardware-specific code before any execution. For
+details, see :doc:`NaCl and PNaCl </nacl-and-pnacl>`.
-.. image:: /images/web-app-with-nacl.png
+.. _why-use-native-client:
Why use Native Client?
======================
Native Client open-source technology is designed to run compiled code
-securely inside a browser at near-native speeds. Native Client puts web
-applications on the same playing field as desktop software---it provides the
+securely inside a browser at near-native speeds. Native Client gives web
+applications some advantages of desktop software. Specifically, it provides the
means to fully harness the client's computational resources for applications
-such as 3D games, multimedia editors, CAD modeling,
-client-side data analytics, and interactive simulations.
-Native Client also aims to give C and C++ (and eventually other languages) the
-same level of portability and safety that JavaScript provides on the web today.
+such as:
+
+- 3D games
+- multimedia editors
+- CAD modeling
+- client-side data analytics
+- interactive simulations.
+
+Native Client gives C and C++ (and other languages targeting it) the same level
+of portability and safety as JavaScript.
-Important benefits of Native Client include:
+.. _benefits-of-native-client:
+
+Benefits of Native Client
+=========================
+
+Benefits of Native Client include:
* **Graphics, audio, and much more:** Running native code modules that render 2D
and 3D graphics, play audio, respond to mouse and keyboard events, run on
- multiple threads, and access memory directly---all without requiring
- the user to install a plugin.
-* **Portability:** Writing your applications once and running them on operating
- systems (Windows, Linux, Mac, and Chrome OS) and CPU architectures (x86 and
- ARM).
+ multiple threads, and access memory directly---all without requiring the user
+ to install a plug-in.
+* **Portability:** Writing your applications once and running them on multiple
+ operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac, and Chrome OS) and CPU architectures
+ (x86 and ARM).
* **Easy migration path to the web:** Leveraging years of work in existing
- desktop applications. Native Client makes the transition from the desktop to a
- web application significantly easier because it supports C and C++.
+ desktop applications. Native Client makes the transition from the desktop to
+ a web application significantly easier because it supports C and C++.
* **Security:** Protecting the user's system from malicious or buggy
applications through Native Client's double sandbox model. This model offers
- the safety of traditional web applications without sacrificing performance and
- without requiring users to install a plugin.
-* **Performance:** Running at speeds comparable to desktop applications (within
- 5-15% of native speed). Native Client also allows applications to harness all
- available CPU cores via a threading API; this enables demanding applications
- such as console-quality games to run inside the browser.
-
+ the safety of traditional web applications without sacrificing performance
+ and without requiring users to install a plug-in.
+* **Performance:** Running at speeds within 5% to 15% of a native desktop
+ application. Native Client also allows applications to harness all available
+ CPU cores via a threading API. This enables demanding applications such as
+ console-quality games to run inside the browser.
+
+.. _common-use-cases:
+
Common use cases
================
Typical use cases for Native Client include the following:
-* **Existing software components:** With support for C and C++, Native
- Client lets you to reuse existing software modules in web applications. You
- don't need to rewrite and debug code that already works.
+* **Existing software components:** Native Client lets you repurpose existing
+ C and C++ software in web applications. You don't need to rewrite and debug
+ code that already works. It also lets your application take advantage of
+ things the browser does well such as handling user interaction and processing
+ events. You can also take advantage of the latest developments in HTML5.
* **Legacy desktop applications:** Native Client provides a smooth migration
path from desktop applications to the web. You can port and recompile existing
code for the computation engine of your application directly to Native Client,
@@ -81,9 +104,9 @@ Typical use cases for Native Client include the following:
browser.
* **Heavy computation in enterprise applications:** Native Client can handle the
number crunching required by large-scale enterprise applications. To ensure
- protection of user data, Native Client enables you to build complex
- cryptographic algorithms directly into the browser so that unencrypted data
- never goes out over the network.
+ protection of user data, Native Client lets you run complex cryptographic
+ algorithms directly in the browser so that unencrypted data never goes out
+ over the network.
* **Multimedia applications:** Codecs for processing sounds, images, and movies
can be added to the browser in a Native Client module.
* **Games:** Native Client lets web applications run at close to native
@@ -93,8 +116,8 @@ Typical use cases for Native Client include the following:
artificial intelligence module that powers a sophisticated web game.
Native Client also enables applications to run unchanged across
many platforms.
-* **Any application that requires acceleration**: Native Client fits seamlessly
- into web applications---it's up to you to decide to what extent to use it.
+* **Any application that requires acceleration:** Native Client fits seamlessly
+ into web applications. It's up to you to decide to what extent to use it.
Use of Native Client covers the full spectrum from complete applications to
small optimized routines that accelerate vital parts of web applications.
@@ -103,32 +126,51 @@ Typical use cases for Native Client include the following:
How Native Client works
=======================
-Native Client is an umbrella name for a set of related software components that
-provide a way to develop C/C++ applications and run them securely on the web.
-
-At a high level, Native Client consists of:
+Native Client is an umbrella name for a set of related software components for
+developing C/C++ applications and running them securely on the web. At a high
+level, Native Client consists of:
-* **Toolchains**: Collections of development tools (compilers, linkers, etc.)
- that transform C/C++ code to Native Client modules.
-* **Runtime components**: components embedded in the browser or other
- host platforms that allow execution of Native Client modules
- securely and efficiently.
+* **Toolchains:** collections of development tools (compilers, linkers, etc.)
+ that transform C/C++ code to Portable Native Client modules or Native Client
+ modules.
+* **Runtime components:** components embedded in the browser or other host
+ platforms that allow execution of Native Client modules securely and
+ efficiently.
The following diagram shows how these components interact:
-.. image:: /images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png
+.. figure:: /images/nacl-pnacl-component-diagram.png
+ :alt: The Native Client toolchains and their outputs
+
+ The Native Client toolchains and their outputs
+
+.. _toolchains:
+
+Toolchains
+----------
+
+A Native Client toolchain consists of a compiler, a linker, an assembler and
+other tools that are used to convert C/C++ source code into a module that is
+loadable by a browser.
+
+The Native Client SDK provides two toolchains:
-The left side of the diagram shows how to use Portable Native Client
-(PNaCl, pronounced "pinnacle"). Developers use the PNaCl toolchain
-to produce a single, portable (**pexe**) module. At runtime, a translator
-built into the browser translates the pexe into native code for the
-relevant client architecture. Translation occurs before any code is executed.
+* The left side of the diagram shows **Portable Native Client** (PNaCl,
+ pronounced "pinnacle"). An LLVM based toolchain produces a single, portable
+ (**pexe**) module. At runtime an ahead-of-time (AOT) translator, built into
+ the browser, translates the pexe into native code for the relevant client
+ architecture.
-The right side of the diagram shows how to use (non-portable) Native Client.
-Developers use a nacl-gcc based toolchain to produce multiple
-architecture-dependent (**nexe**) modules, which are packaged into an
-application. At runtime, the browser decides which nexe to load based
-on the architecture of the client machine.
+* The right side of the diagram shows **(non-portable) Native Client**. A GCC
+ based toolchain produces multiple architecture-dependent (**nexe**) modules,
+ which are packaged into an application. At runtime the browser determines
+ which nexe to load based on the architecture of the client machine.
+
+The PNaCl toolchain is recommended for most applications. The NaCl-GCC
+toolchain should only be used for applications that won't be distributed on the
+open web.
+
+.. _security:
Security
--------
@@ -137,17 +179,19 @@ Since Native Client permits the execution of native code on client machines,
special security measures have to be implemented:
* The NaCl sandbox ensures that code accesses system resources only through
- safe, whitelisted APIs, and operates within its limits without attempting to
+ safe, whitelisted APIs, and operates within its limits without attempting to
interfere with other code running either within the browser or outside it.
-* The NaCl validator statically analyzes code prior to running it
- to make sure it only uses code and data patterns that are permitted and safe.
+* The NaCl validator statically analyzes code before running it to make sure it
+ only uses code and data patterns that are permitted and safe.
-The above security measures are in addition to the existing sandbox in the
-Chrome browser---the Native Client module always executes in a process with
+These security measures are in addition to the existing sandbox in the
+Chrome browser. The Native Client module always executes in a process with
restricted permissions. The only interaction between this process and the
-outside world is through sanctioned browser interfaces. Because of the
+outside world is through defined browser interfaces. Because of the
combination of the NaCl sandbox and the Chrome sandbox, we say that
-Native Client employs a double sandbox design.
+Native Client employs a **double sandbox** design.
+
+.. _portability:
Portability
-----------
@@ -160,76 +204,67 @@ applications<link_nacl_in_web_apps>`.
The PNaCl translator is a component embedded in the Chrome browser; its task is
to run pexe modules. Internally, the translator compiles a pexe to a nexe
-(a native executable for the client platform's architecture), and then executes
-the nexe within the Native Client sandbox as described above. It also uses
-intelligent caching to avoid re-compiling the pexe if it was previously compiled
-on the client's browser.
+(described above), and then executes the nexe within the Native Client sandbox
+as described above. The translator uses intelligent caching to avoid
+re-compiling the pexe if it was previously compiled on the client's browser.
Native Client also supports the execution of nexe modules directly in the
-browser. However, since nexes contain architecture-specific machine code,
-they are not allowed to be distributed on the open web---they can only be
-used as part of applications and extensions that are installed from the
-Chrome Web Store.
+browser. However, since nexes contain architecture-specific machine code, they
+are not allowed to be distributed on the open web. They can only be used as part
+of applications and extensions that are installed from the Chrome Web Store.
For more details on the difference between NaCl and PNaCl, see
:doc:`NaCl and PNaCl <nacl-and-pnacl>`.
-.. _toolchains:
-
-Toolchains
-----------
-
-A toolchain is a set of tools used to create an application from a set of
-source files. In the case of Native Client, a toolchain consists of a compiler,
-linker, assembler and other tools that are used to convert an
-application written in C/C++ into a module that is loadable by the browser.
-
-The Native Client SDK provides two toolchains:
-
-* a **PNaCl toolchain** for generating portable NaCl modules (pexe files)
-* a **gcc-based toolchain (nacl-gcc)** for generating non-portable NaCl modules
- (nexe files)
-
-The PNaCl toolchain is recommended for most applications. The nacl-gcc
-toolchain should only be used for applications that will not be distributed
-on the open web.
-
.. _link_nacl_in_web_apps:
-Native Client in a web application
-==================================
+Structure of a web application
+==============================
.. _application_files:
A Native Client application consists of a set of files:
-* **HTML**, **CSS**, and **JavaScript** files, as in any modern web
- application. The JavaScript code is responsible for communicating with the
- NaCl module.
-* A **pexe** (portable NaCl) file. This module uses the :ref:`Pepper
- <link_pepper>` API, which provides the bridge to JavaScript and
- browser resources.
-* A Native Client **manifest** file that specifies the pexe to load, along with
- some loading options. This manifest file is embedded into the HTML page
- through an ``<embed>`` tag, as shown in the figure below.
-
-.. image:: /images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png
+* **HTML and CSS:** The HTML file tells the browser where to find the manifest
+ (nmf file) through the embed tag.
+
+ .. naclcode::
+
+ <embed name="mygame" src="mygame.nmf" type="application/x-pnacl" />
+
+* **Manifest:** The manifest identifies the module to load and specifies
+ options. For example, "mygame.nmf" might look like this:
+
+ .. naclcode::
+
+ {...
+ ...
+ "url": "mygame.pexe",
+ }
+
+* **pexe (portable NaCl file):** A compiled Native Client module. It uses the
+ :ref:`Pepper API <link_pepper>`, which provides a bridge to JavaScript and
+ other browser resources.
+
+.. figure:: /images/nacl-in-a-web-app.png
+ :alt: Structure of a web application
+
+ Structure of a web application
For more details, see :doc:`Application Structure
<devguide/coding/application-structure>`.
.. _link_pepper:
-Pepper Plugin API
------------------
+Pepper plug-in API
+------------------
-The Pepper Plugin API (PPAPI), called **Pepper** for convenience, is an
-open-source, cross-platform C/C++ API for web browser plugins. From the point
-of view of Native Client, Pepper allows a C/C++ module to communicate with
-the hosting browser and get access to system-level functions in a safe and
-portable way. One of the security constraints in Native Client is that modules
-cannot make any OS-level calls directly. Pepper provides analogous APIs that
-modules can target instead.
+The Pepper plug-in API (PPAPI), called **Pepper** for convenience, is an
+open-source, cross-platform C/C++ API for web browser plug-ins. Pepper allows a
+C/C++ module to communicate with the hosting browser and to access system-level
+functions in a safe and portable way. One of the security constraints in Native
+Client is that modules cannot make OS-level calls. Pepper provides analogous
+APIs that modules can use instead.
You can use the Pepper APIs to gain access to the full array of browser
capabilities, including:
@@ -240,9 +275,12 @@ capabilities, including:
* :doc:`Playing audio <devguide/coding/audio>`.
* :doc:`Rendering 3D graphics <devguide/coding/3D-graphics>`.
-Pepper includes both a C API and a C++ API. The C++ API is a set of bindings
-written on top of the C API. For additional information about Pepper, see
-`Pepper Concepts <http://code.google.com/p/ppapi/wiki/Concepts>`_.
+Pepper includes both a :doc:`C API </c-api>` and a :doc:`C++ API </cpp-api>`.
+The C++ API is a set of bindings written on top of the C API. For additional
+information about Pepper, see `Pepper Concepts
+<http://code.google.com/p/ppapi/wiki/Concepts>`_.
+
+.. _versioning:
Versioning
==========
@@ -253,13 +291,15 @@ software, each release of Chrome may include changes to Native Client and the
Pepper interfaces that may require modification to existing applications.
However, modules compiled for one version of Pepper/Chrome should work with
subsequent versions of Pepper/Chrome. The SDK includes multiple versions of the
-Pepper APIs to help developers make adjustments to API changes and take
+Pepper APIs to help you make adjustments to API changes and take
advantage of new features: `stable </native-client/pepper_stable>`_, `beta
</native-client/pepper_beta>`_ and `dev </native-client/pepper_dev>`_.
+.. _where-to-start:
+
Where to start
==============
The :doc:`Quick Start <quick-start>` document provides links to downloads and
-documentation that should help you get started with developing and distributing
-Native Client applications.
+documentation to help you get started with developing and distributing Native
+Client applications.