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# CIPlugIn

The mechanism for loading image units in macOS.

```
class CIPlugIn
```

## Overview

An image unit is an image processing bundle that contains one or more Core Image filters. Th`e.plugin` extension indicates one or more filters packaged as an image unit.

> Note:
> Starting in macOS 10.15, loading executable CIFilter plugins is deprecated.

## Topics

### Loading Plug-ins

[`loadNonExecutablePlugIns()`](/documentation/CoreImage/CIPlugIn/loadNonExecutablePlugIns())

Scans directories for plugins.

[`loadNonExecutablePlugIn(_:)`](/documentation/CoreImage/CIPlugIn/loadNonExecutablePlugIn(_:))

Loads a non-executable plug-in specified by its URL.

### Deprecated

[`loadAllPlugIns()`](/documentation/CoreImage/CIPlugIn/loadAllPlugIns())

Scans directories for files that have the `.plugin` extension and then loads the image units.

[`load(_:allowExecutableCode:)`](/documentation/CoreImage/CIPlugIn/load(_:allowExecutableCode:))

Loads filters from an image unit that have the appropriate executable status.

[`loadPlugIn:allowNonExecutable:`](/documentation/CoreImage/CIPlugIn/loadPlugIn:allowNonExecutable:)

Loads filters from an image unit that have the appropriate executable status.


---

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