Sample CodemacOSReviewed 2026-07-21View on Apple Developer

Integrating vImage pixel buffers into a Core Image workflow

At a glance

Item	Summary
Purpose	Share image data between Core Video pixel buffers and vImage buffers to integrate vImage operations into a Core Image workflow.
App architecture	A Swift sample with the source-visible chain `ContrastStretchApp` → `ContentView` → `Accelerate APIs`.
Main patterns	SwiftUI environment injection, Publisher-backed observable state
Project style	4 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries.

Project structure

Source bundle/
├── ContrastStretch/
│   ├── ContrastStretchApp.swift
│   ├── ContentView.swift
│   ├── ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernel.swift
│   ├── ContrastStretcher.swift
│   └── ContrastStretch.entitlements
├── CVPixelBufferConversionSample.xcodeproj/
│   ├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
│   └── project.pbxproj
└── Configuration/
    └── SampleCode.xcconfig

Structure observations

Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
Primary languages: Swift.
The verified tree contains 4 project/configuration file(s) and 5 source declaration(s).

Overall architecture

flowchart LR
    N1["ContrastStretchApp"]
    N2["ContentView"]
    N3["Accelerate APIs"]
    N1 --> N2
    N2 --> N3

Reference code

ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift:10 — architecture anchor

@main
struct ContrastStretchApp: App {
    // ...
}

Interpretation

The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into Accelerate.

Ownership and state

classDiagram
    ContrastStretchApp *-- ContrastStretcher : contrastStretcher
    ContentView o-- ContrastStretcher : contrastStretcher
    ContrastStretcher *-- CIContext : context
    ContrastStretcher o-- CIImage : ciImage

Ownership evidence

ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift:13 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor

@main
struct ContrastStretchApp: App {
    // ...
    @StateObject private var contrastStretcher = ContrastStretcher()
    // ...
}

Owner	Object or state	Relationship	Mutation authority
`ContrastStretchApp`	`ContrastStretcher` (`contrastStretcher`)	owns wrapper-managed state	Owning lexical scope
`ContentView`	`ContrastStretcher` (`contrastStretcher`)	receives environment-provided state	The environment provider is authoritative
`ContrastStretcher`	`CIContext` (`context`)	creates and retains	Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable
`ContrastStretcher`	`CIImage` (`ciImage`)	stores or receives	Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable

Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.

Class and protocol design

ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift:11 — representative type boundary

struct ContrastStretchApp: App {
    // ...
}

Type	Responsibility	Depends on or conforms to
`ContrastStretchApp`	Application entry and top-level composition	`App`
`ContentView`	User-interface presentation and input forwarding	`View`
`ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernel`	Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle	`CIImageProcessorKernel`
`ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernelError`	Represents feature failure conditions	`Error`
`ContrastStretcher`	Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle	`ObservableObject`

No local protocol conformance is claimed as protocol-oriented design; external framework conformances are listed only as dependencies.

Access control

Symbol	Access	Verified effect	Likely rationale
`contrastStretcher` (`ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift:13`)	`private`	Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift.	Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
`ContentView` (`ContrastStretch/ContentView.swift:8`)	`implicit internal`	No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module.	Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface.

Reference code

ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift:13 — representative boundary

@main
struct ContrastStretchApp: App {
    // ...
    @StateObject private var contrastStretcher = ContrastStretcher()
    // ...
}

Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.

Logic ownership and placement

Logic	Owning type or file	Placement rationale
Application entry and top-level composition	`ContrastStretchApp`	The source’s `App` suffix makes this role explicit.
User-interface presentation and input forwarding	`ContentView`	The source’s `View` suffix makes this role explicit.

Design patterns

Pattern	Source evidence	Purpose or tradeoff
SwiftUI environment injection	`ContrastStretch/ContentView.swift:12`	The environment supplies state or a capability without threading it through every initializer.
Publisher-backed observable state	`ContrastStretch/ContrastStretcher.swift:22`	Published properties notify observers while mutation remains with the state object.

Naming conventions

Types: App: ContrastStretchApp; View: ContentView.
Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
Methods: formatForInput, process, applyEndsInContrastStretch.
Files: ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift, ContrastStretch/ContentView.swift, ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernel.swift, ContrastStretch/ContrastStretcher.swift.

Architecture takeaways

ContrastStretchApp is the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.
Framework work reaches Accelerate, SwiftUI, Cocoa, CoreImage through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
The source does not justify labeling the design protocol-oriented.

Source map

Source file	Relevant symbols
`ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchApp.swift`	`ContrastStretchApp`
`ContrastStretch/ContentView.swift`	`ContentView`
`ContrastStretch/ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernel.swift`	`ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernel`, `ContrastStretchImageProcessorKernelError`
`ContrastStretch/ContrastStretcher.swift`	`ContrastStretcher`

Official Apple documentation