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AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter

Free

Streamline your PyTorch macro conversions with ease.

by pytorch102.3k stars on pytorch/pytorch
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Updated Aug 10, 2026
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What AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter does

The AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter skill is designed for developers working with PyTorch's C++ codebase, specifically those who need to update legacy AT_DISPATCH macros to the new AT_DISPATCH_V2 format. This skill is particularly useful when porting ATen kernels, CUDA kernels, and native operator implementations that utilize the old dispatch macros. By automating the conversion process, this skill helps ensure that your code adheres to the latest API standards, improving compatibility and maintainability.

When using this skill, developers can expect a straightforward transformation process. The skill provides clear instructions on how to replace the old macro patterns with the new format, including specific examples of common AT_DISPATCH patterns. It details the necessary changes, such as reordering arguments, wrapping lambdas, and including the appropriate headers, which helps to minimize errors during the conversion.

This tool is essential for any developer actively maintaining or upgrading PyTorch code. It is particularly beneficial when working with files located in the aten/src/ATen/native/ directory, where legacy dispatch macros are prevalent. By leveraging this skill, developers can save time and reduce the risk of introducing bugs during the transition to the new dispatch API.

Overall, the AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter skill is a valuable resource for developers looking to modernize their PyTorch code and ensure it remains compatible with ongoing updates to the framework.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to update AT_DISPATCH macros in your PyTorch C++ code to the AT_DISPATCH_V2 format, especially during codebase upgrades or maintenance.

When not to use it

This skill is not suitable for projects that do not use PyTorch or for developers who are not working with C++ code. It also won't assist with other aspects of PyTorch beyond macro conversion.

What you can build with it

Updating Legacy Code

When maintaining an older PyTorch codebase, this skill helps convert outdated AT_DISPATCH macros to comply with the latest API.

Porting ATen Kernels

If you're porting ATen kernels to use the new dispatch API, this skill streamlines the conversion process.

Working with CUDA Kernels

For developers implementing CUDA kernels in PyTorch, this skill ensures that dispatch macros are correctly updated to the new format.

How to install AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add pytorch/pytorch/at-dispatch-v2 --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

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Inside SKILL.md

Written by pytorch

AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter

This skill helps convert PyTorch's legacy AT_DISPATCH macros to the new AT_DISPATCH_V2 format, as defined in aten/src/ATen/Dispatch_v2.h.

When to use this skill

Use this skill when:

  • Converting AT_DISPATCH_* macros to AT_DISPATCH_V2
  • Porting ATen kernels to use the new dispatch API
  • Working with files in aten/src/ATen/native/ that use dispatch macros
  • User mentions "AT_DISPATCH", "dispatch v2", "Dispatch_v2.h", or macro conversion

Quick reference

Old format:

AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND3(kBFloat16, kHalf, kBool, dtype, "kernel_name", [&]() {
  // lambda body
});

New format:

AT_DISPATCH_V2(dtype, "kernel_name", AT_WRAP([&]() {
  // lambda body
}), AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES), kBFloat16, kHalf, kBool);

Key transformations

  1. Reorder arguments: scalar_type and name come first, then lambda, then types
  2. Wrap the lambda: Use AT_WRAP(lambda) to handle internal commas
  3. Expand type groups: Use AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES) instead of implicit expansion
  4. List individual types: Add extra types (kHalf, kBFloat16, etc.) after expanded groups
  5. Add include: #include <ATen/Dispatch_v2.h> near other Dispatch includes

Instructions

Step 1: Add the Dispatch_v2.h include

Add the v2 header near the existing #include <ATen/Dispatch.h>:

#include <ATen/Dispatch.h>
#include <ATen/Dispatch_v2.h>

Keep the old Dispatch.h include for now (other code may still need it).

Step 2: Identify the old dispatch pattern

Common patterns to convert:

  • AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND{2,3,4}(type1, type2, ..., scalar_type, name, lambda)
  • AT_DISPATCH_FLOATING_TYPES_AND{2,3}(type1, type2, ..., scalar_type, name, lambda)
  • AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEX_AND{2,3}(type1, ..., scalar_type, name, lambda)
  • AT_DISPATCH_FLOATING_AND_COMPLEX_TYPES_AND{2,3}(type1, ..., scalar_type, name, lambda)

Step 3: Map the old macro to type groups

Identify which type group macro corresponds to the base types:

Old macro baseAT_DISPATCH_V2 type group
ALL_TYPESAT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES)
FLOATING_TYPESAT_EXPAND(AT_FLOATING_TYPES)
INTEGRAL_TYPESAT_EXPAND(AT_INTEGRAL_TYPES)
COMPLEX_TYPESAT_EXPAND(AT_COMPLEX_TYPES)
ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEXAT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEX)

For combined patterns, use multiple AT_EXPAND() entries:

// Old: AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEX_AND2(...)
// New: AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES), AT_EXPAND(AT_COMPLEX_TYPES), type1, type2

Step 4: Extract the individual types

From AT_DISPATCH_*_AND2(type1, type2, ...) or AT_DISPATCH_*_AND3(type1, type2, type3, ...), extract the individual types (type1, type2, etc.).

These become the trailing arguments after the type group:

AT_DISPATCH_V2(..., AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES), kBFloat16, kHalf, kBool)
                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                             Individual types from AND3

Step 5: Transform to AT_DISPATCH_V2

Apply the transformation:

Pattern:

AT_DISPATCH_V2(
  scalar_type,           // 1st: The dtype expression
  "name",                // 2nd: The debug string
  AT_WRAP(lambda),       // 3rd: The lambda wrapped in AT_WRAP
  type_groups,           // 4th+: Type groups with AT_EXPAND()
  individual_types       // Last: Individual types
)

Example transformation:

// BEFORE
AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND3(
    kBFloat16, kHalf, kBool,
    iter.dtype(),
    "min_values_cuda",
    [&]() {
      min_values_kernel_cuda_impl<scalar_t>(iter);
    }
);

// AFTER
AT_DISPATCH_V2(
    iter.dtype(),
    "min_values_cuda",
    AT_WRAP([&]() {
      min_values_kernel_cuda_impl<scalar_t>(iter);
    }),
    AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES),
    kBFloat16, kHalf, kBool
);

Step 6: Handle multi-line lambdas

For lambdas with internal commas or complex expressions, AT_WRAP is essential:

AT_DISPATCH_V2(
    dtype,
    "complex_kernel",
    AT_WRAP([&]() {
      gpu_reduce_kernel<scalar_t, scalar_t>(
        iter,
        MinOps<scalar_t>{},
        thrust::pair<scalar_t, int64_t>(upper_bound(), 0)  // Commas inside!
      );
    }),
    AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES)
);

Step 7: Verify the conversion

Check that:

  • AT_WRAP() wraps the entire lambda
  • Type groups use AT_EXPAND()
  • Individual types don't have AT_EXPAND() (just kBFloat16, not AT_EXPAND(kBFloat16))
  • Argument order is: scalar_type, name, lambda, types
  • Include added: #include <ATen/Dispatch_v2.h>

Type group reference

Available type group macros (use with AT_EXPAND()):

AT_INTEGRAL_TYPES      // kByte, kChar, kInt, kLong, kShort
AT_FLOATING_TYPES      // kDouble, kFloat
AT_COMPLEX_TYPES       // kComplexDouble, kComplexFloat
AT_QINT_TYPES         // kQInt8, kQUInt8, kQInt32
AT_ALL_TYPES          // INTEGRAL_TYPES + FLOATING_TYPES
AT_ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEX  // ALL_TYPES + COMPLEX_TYPES
AT_INTEGRAL_TYPES_V2  // INTEGRAL_TYPES + unsigned types
AT_BAREBONES_UNSIGNED_TYPES  // kUInt16, kUInt32, kUInt64
AT_FLOAT8_TYPES       // Float8 variants

Common patterns

Pattern: AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND2

// Before
AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND2(kHalf, kBFloat16, dtype, "op", [&]() {
  kernel<scalar_t>(data);
});

// After
AT_DISPATCH_V2(dtype, "op", AT_WRAP([&]() {
  kernel<scalar_t>(data);
}), AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES), kHalf, kBFloat16);

Pattern: AT_DISPATCH_FLOATING_TYPES_AND3

// Before
AT_DISPATCH_FLOATING_TYPES_AND3(kHalf, kBFloat16, kFloat8_e4m3fn,
    tensor.scalar_type(), "float_op", [&] {
  process<scalar_t>(tensor);
});

// After
AT_DISPATCH_V2(tensor.scalar_type(), "float_op", AT_WRAP([&] {
  process<scalar_t>(tensor);
}), AT_EXPAND(AT_FLOATING_TYPES), kHalf, kBFloat16, kFloat8_e4m3fn);

Pattern: AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEX_AND2

// Before
AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND_COMPLEX_AND2(
    kComplexHalf, kHalf,
    self.scalar_type(),
    "complex_op",
    [&] {
      result = compute<scalar_t>(self);
    }
);

// After
AT_DISPATCH_V2(
    self.scalar_type(),
    "complex_op",
    AT_WRAP([&] {
      result = compute<scalar_t>(self);
    }),
    AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES),
    AT_EXPAND(AT_COMPLEX_TYPES),
    kComplexHalf,
    kHalf
);

Edge cases

Case 1: No extra types (rare)

// Before
AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES(dtype, "op", [&]() { kernel<scalar_t>(); });

// After
AT_DISPATCH_V2(dtype, "op", AT_WRAP([&]() {
  kernel<scalar_t>();
}), AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES));

Case 2: Many individual types (AND4, AND5, etc.)

// Before
AT_DISPATCH_FLOATING_TYPES_AND4(kHalf, kBFloat16, kFloat8_e4m3fn, kFloat8_e5m2,
    dtype, "float8_op", [&]() { kernel<scalar_t>(); });

// After
AT_DISPATCH_V2(dtype, "float8_op", AT_WRAP([&]() {
  kernel<scalar_t>();
}), AT_EXPAND(AT_FLOATING_TYPES), kHalf, kBFloat16, kFloat8_e4m3fn, kFloat8_e5m2);

Case 3: Lambda with no captures

// Before
AT_DISPATCH_ALL_TYPES_AND2(kHalf, kBool, dtype, "op", []() {
  static_kernel<scalar_t>();
});

// After
AT_DISPATCH_V2(dtype, "op", AT_WRAP([]() {
  static_kernel<scalar_t>();
}), AT_EXPAND(AT_ALL_TYPES), kHalf, kBool);

Benefits of AT_DISPATCH_V2

  1. No arity in macro name: Don't need different macros for AND2, AND3, AND4
  2. Composable type sets: Mix and match type groups with AT_EXPAND()
  3. Extensible: Easy to add more types without hitting macro limits
  4. Clearer: Type groups are explicit, not implicit in macro name

Important notes

  • Keep #include <ATen/Dispatch.h> - other code may need it
  • The AT_WRAP() is mandatory - prevents comma parsing issues in the lambda
  • Type groups need AT_EXPAND(), individual types don't
  • The v2 API is in aten/src/ATen/Dispatch_v2.h - refer to it for full docs
  • See the header file for the Python script to regenerate the macro implementation

Workflow

When asked to convert AT_DISPATCH macros:

  1. Read the file to identify all AT_DISPATCH uses
  2. Add #include <ATen/Dispatch_v2.h> if not present
  3. For each dispatch macro:
    • Identify the pattern and extract components
    • Map the base type group
    • Extract individual types
    • Construct the AT_DISPATCH_V2 call
    • Apply with Edit tool
  4. Show the user the complete converted file
  5. Explain what was changed

Do NOT compile or test the code - focus on accurate conversion only.

Frequently asked questions about AT_DISPATCH to AT_DISPATCH_V2 Converter

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