<!--
{
  "availability" : [
    "iOS: 26.0.0 -",
    "iPadOS: 26.0.0 -",
    "macCatalyst: 26.0.0 -",
    "macOS: 26.0.0 -",
    "tvOS: 26.0.0 -",
    "visionOS: 26.0.0 -"
  ],
  "documentType" : "symbol",
  "framework" : "Metal",
  "identifier" : "/documentation/Metal/MTL4Archive",
  "metadataVersion" : "0.1.0",
  "role" : "Protocol",
  "symbol" : {
    "kind" : "Protocol",
    "modules" : [
      "Metal"
    ],
    "preciseIdentifier" : "c:objc(pl)MTL4Archive"
  },
  "title" : "MTL4Archive"
}
-->

# MTL4Archive

A read-only container that stores pipeline states from a shader compiler.

```
protocol MTL4Archive : NSObjectProtocol, Sendable
```

## Overview

The pipeline states can have intermediate representation (IR) binaries,
GPU- and system-specific binaries, or a combination.

## Topics

### Identifying the archive

[`label`](/documentation/Metal/MTL4Archive/label)

A label that you can associate with this archive.

### Creating compute pipeline states

[`newComputePipelineStateWithDescriptor:dynamicLinkingDescriptor:error:`](/documentation/Metal/MTL4Archive/newComputePipelineStateWithDescriptor:dynamicLinkingDescriptor:error:)

Creates a compute pipeline state from the archive with a compute descriptor and a dynamic linking descriptor.

[`newComputePipelineStateWithDescriptor:error:`](/documentation/Metal/MTL4Archive/newComputePipelineStateWithDescriptor:error:)

Creates a compute pipeline state from the archive with a descriptor.

### Creating render pipeline states

[`newRenderPipelineStateWithDescriptor:dynamicLinkingDescriptor:error:`](/documentation/Metal/MTL4Archive/newRenderPipelineStateWithDescriptor:dynamicLinkingDescriptor:error:)

Creates a render pipeline state from the archive with a render descriptor and a dynamic linking descriptor.

[`newRenderPipelineStateWithDescriptor:error:`](/documentation/Metal/MTL4Archive/newRenderPipelineStateWithDescriptor:error:)

Creates a render pipeline state from the archive with a descriptor.

### Creating binary functions


---

Copyright &copy; 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)