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# MTLBinaryArchive

A container for pipeline state descriptors and their associated compiled shader code.

```
protocol MTLBinaryArchive : NSObjectProtocol
```

## Topics

### Identifying the archive

[`device`](/documentation/Metal/MTLBinaryArchive/device)

The Metal device object that created the binary archive.

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

A string that identifies the library.

### Adding pipeline descriptors

[`addComputePipelineFunctions(descriptor:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLBinaryArchive/addComputePipelineFunctions(descriptor:))

Adds a description of a compute pipeline to the archive.

[`addRenderPipelineFunctions(descriptor:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLBinaryArchive/addRenderPipelineFunctions(descriptor:))

Adds a description of a render pipeline to the archive.

[`addTileRenderPipelineFunctions(descriptor:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLBinaryArchive/addTileRenderPipelineFunctions(descriptor:))

Adds a description of a tile renderer pipeline to the archive.

[`addFunction(descriptor:library:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLBinaryArchive/addFunction(descriptor:library:))

Adds a description of a function to the archive.

### Serializing archives

[`serialize(to:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLBinaryArchive/serialize(to:))

Writes the contents of the archive to a file.


---

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