Adding custom functions to a shader graph
At a glance
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Run your own graph functions on the GPU by building the function programmatically. |
| App architecture | A Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegate → ViewController → MetalPerformanceShadersGraph / Metal APIs. |
| Main patterns | View-controller organization, Delegate or data-source callbacks |
| Project style | 5 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries. |
| Execution model | No structured execution marker indexed; callback threading requires source review. |
| State/event model | No structured observation or publisher-scheduling marker indexed. |
| Key frameworks/packages | Foundation, MetalPerformanceShadersGraph, UIKit, Metal, MetalPerformanceShaders; these are source dependencies, not architecture labels. |
Project structure
Source bundle/
├── mpsgraph-custom-compute-function/
│ └── main.swift
├── mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/
│ ├── AppDelegate.swift
│ ├── SceneDelegate.swift
│ ├── ViewController.swift
│ ├── Base.lproj/
│ │ ├── LaunchScreen.storyboard
│ │ └── Main.storyboard
│ └── Info.plist
├── Common/
│ └── MyMPSGraph.swift
├── Configuration/
│ └── SampleCode.xcconfig
└── mpsgraph-custom-compute-function.xcodeproj/
├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
└── project.pbxproj
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 6 project/configuration file(s) and 4 source declaration(s).
Overall architecture
flowchart LR
N1["AppDelegate"]
N2["ViewController"]
N3["MetalPerformanceShadersGraph / Metal APIs"]
N1 --> N2
N2 --> N3
Reference code
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift:10 — architecture anchor
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
return true
}
// MARK: UISceneSession Lifecycle
func application(_ application: UIApplication,
configurationForConnecting connectingSceneSession: UISceneSession,
options: UIScene.ConnectionOptions) -> UISceneConfiguration {
return UISceneConfiguration(name: "Default Configuration", sessionRole: connectingSceneSession.role)
}
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didDiscardSceneSessions sceneSessions: Set<UISceneSession>) {
}
}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 Metal Performance Shaders Graph.
Ownership and state
classDiagram
main *-- MyMPSGraph : graph
main *-- MTLCreateSystemDefaultDevice : device
main *-- MPSNDArray : inputData
main *-- MPSGraphTensorData : inputs
Ownership evidence
mpsgraph-custom-compute-function/main.swift:15 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor
let graph = MyMPSGraph()| Owner | Object or state | Relationship | Mutation authority |
|---|---|---|---|
main |
MyMPSGraph (graph) |
creates and retains | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
main |
MTLCreateSystemDefaultDevice (device) |
creates and retains | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
main |
MPSNDArray (inputData) |
creates and retains | Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable |
main |
MPSGraphTensorData (inputs) |
creates and retains | 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.
Concurrency, scheduling, and thread safety
Evidence limit: actor isolation, async/await, or Task creation does not by itself prove background-thread execution; Sendable conformance alone does not prove thread-safe mutation.
No source-visible execution, scheduling, or synchronization boundary was found in the indexed source.
@MainActor/MainActor.run, DispatchQueue.main, and RunLoop.main are reported as distinct isolation, queue, and event-loop mechanisms. A plain Task is kept separate from Task.detached; neither is labeled as a background thread.
State propagation, frameworks, and dependencies
Evidence limit: an import proves a source-level compilation dependency at the cited line; it does not prove runtime use, architectural adoption, or whether a Swift package is a direct application dependency.
| Category | Mechanism or module | Verified role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source import | Foundation |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | Common/MyMPSGraph.swift:8 |
| Source import | MetalPerformanceShadersGraph |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | Common/MyMPSGraph.swift:9 |
| Source import | UIKit |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift:8 |
| Source import | Metal |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/ViewController.swift:10 |
| Source import | MetalPerformanceShaders |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/ViewController.swift:11 |
receive(on:) describes downstream delivery scheduling, while subscribe(on:) describes upstream subscription/request/cancel scheduling. An import Combine alone establishes neither behavior nor a Store, reducer, Redux, or other application architecture.
Class and protocol design
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift:11 — representative type boundary
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
// ...
return true
// ...
}| Type | Responsibility | Depends on or conforms to |
|---|---|---|
AppDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate |
SceneDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIWindowSceneDelegate |
ViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
MyMPSGraph |
Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle | MPSGraph |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
AppDelegate (mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift:11) |
implicit internal |
No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module. | Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface. |
SceneDelegate (mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/SceneDelegate.swift:10) |
implicit internal |
No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module. | Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface. |
ViewController (mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/ViewController.swift:14) |
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
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift:11 — representative boundary
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
// ...
return true
// ...
}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 |
|---|---|---|
| View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | ViewController |
The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit. |
| Receives callback-driven events | AppDelegate, SceneDelegate |
The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit. |
Design patterns
| Pattern | Source evidence | Purpose or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| View-controller organization | mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/ViewController.swift:14 |
A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present. |
| Delegate or data-source callbacks | mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift:11 |
Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner. |
Naming conventions
- Types: Controller: ViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate, SceneDelegate.
- Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
- Methods:
application,scene,sceneDidDisconnect,sceneDidBecomeActive,sceneWillResignActive,sceneWillEnterForeground,sceneDidEnterBackground,viewDidLoad. - Files:
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift,mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/SceneDelegate.swift,mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/ViewController.swift,Common/MyMPSGraph.swift.
Architecture takeaways
AppDelegateis the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.- Framework work reaches MetalPerformanceShadersGraph, UIKit, Metal, MetalPerformanceShaders 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 |
|---|---|
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/AppDelegate.swift |
Cited implementation, AppDelegate, UIKit |
mpsgraph-custom-compute-function/main.swift |
Cited implementation, Feature implementation |
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/SceneDelegate.swift |
SceneDelegate |
mpsgraph-custom-compute-app/ViewController.swift |
ViewController, Metal, MetalPerformanceShaders |
Common/MyMPSGraph.swift |
Foundation, MetalPerformanceShadersGraph, MyMPSGraph |