Introduction
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Metal Shading Language (MSL), a C++14 based language designed for graphics and compute programming on Apple's GPUs. MSL enables developers to leverage the full power of the GPU for tasks ranging from high-performance graphics rendering to parallel data processing.
The specification details the language's syntax, data types, operators, and memory management through address spaces. It also covers the Metal Standard Library, offering a rich set of functions for various computational needs, and discusses numerical compliance aspects crucial for accurate calculations.
MSL integrates seamlessly with the Metal framework, utilizing technologies like clang and LLVM for optimized compilation. This guide is essential for developers looking to create advanced graphical and computational applications on Apple platforms.
For more information on Metal, visit the official Apple Developer documentation: Apple Metal Documentation.