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# MTLAttribute

An object that describes an attribute defined in the stage-in argument for a shader.

```
class MTLAttribute
```

## Topics

### Reading an attribute’s properties

[`name`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAttribute/name)

The name of the attribute.

[`attributeIndex`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAttribute/attributeIndex)

The index of the attribute, as declared in Metal shader source code.

[`attributeType`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAttribute/attributeType)

The data type for the attribute, as declared in Metal shader source code.

[`isActive`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAttribute/isActive)

A Boolean value that indicates whether the attribute is active.

[`isPatchControlPointData`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAttribute/isPatchControlPointData)

A Boolean value that indicates whether the attribute represents control point data.

[`isPatchData`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAttribute/isPatchData)

A Boolean value that indicates whether the attribute represents tessellation patch data.


---

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