---
title: binaryArchives
framework: metal
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: metal/mtlcomputepipelinedescriptor/binaryarchives
---

# binaryArchives

The binary archives that contain any precompiled shader functions to link.

## Declaration

```swift
var binaryArchives: [any MTLBinaryArchive]? { get set }
```

## Discussion

Discussion The default value is nil. When you create a Metal library, Metal compiles shader functions into an intermediate representation. When you create the pipeline state object, the GPU compiles this intermediate code. By providing a set of binary archives, when Metal creates the pipeline state object, it first checks the archives to see if there’s already a compiled function. If so, Metal uses it instead.

## See Also

### Loading binary archives

- [supportAddingBinaryFunctions](metal/mtlcomputepipelinedescriptor/supportaddingbinaryfunctions.md)