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# MTLArrayType

A description of an array.

```
class MTLArrayType
```

## Overview

An [`MTLArrayType`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType) instance provides details about an array parameter. Don’t create [`MTLArrayType`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType) instances directly; other reflection instances contain properties to determine if a parameter is an array and to obtain the [`MTLArrayType`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType) instance that describes the array.

## Topics

### Describing the array elements

[`arrayLength`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/arrayLength)

The number of elements in the array.

[`elementType`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/elementType)

The data type of the array’s elements.

[`stride`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/stride)

The stride between array elements, in bytes.

[`argumentIndexStride`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/argumentIndexStride)

The stride, in bytes, between argument indices.

### Obtaining details for complex array elements

[`element()`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/element())

Provides a description of the underlying type when an array holds other arrays as its elements.

[`elementStructType()`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/elementStructType())

Provides a description of the underlying struct type when an array holds structs as its elements.

[`elementPointerType()`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/elementPointerType())

Provides a description of the underlying pointer type when an array holds pointers as its elements.

[`elementTextureReferenceType()`](/documentation/Metal/MTLArrayType/elementTextureReferenceType())

Provides a description of the underlying texture type when an array holds textures as its elements.


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