Add support for MTLDevice.newLibraryWithData:error

[mariusdkm]

Would it be possible to get MTLDevice.newLibraryWithData:error implemented?
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metal/mtldevice/makelibrary(data:)?language=objc

It would be highly beneficial to implement MTLDevice.newLibraryWithData:error as it allows embedding compiled Metal library code directly into the binary. This eliminates the need to load shaders from separate files, saving time and improving performance.

I understand that this requires dispatch support—how complex would this be to implement?

Thank you for considering this feature!

[madsmtm]

Dispatch support is tracked in #77, and some work is going on in #681, but I've had to delay it 'till after the next release, so it'll probably be a while before we get that support.

In the meantime, you can do something like:

use dispatch2::dispatch_data_t;
use objc2::rc::Retained;
use objc2::msg_send_id;
use objc2_metal::{MTLDevice, MTLLibrary};
use objc2_foundation::NSError;

unsafe fn newLibraryWithData_error(
    device: &ProtocolObject<dyn MTLDevice>,
    data: dispatch_data_t,
) -> Result<Retained<ProtocolObject<dyn MTLLibrary>>, Retained<NSError>> {
    unsafe { msg_send_id![device, newLibraryWithData: data, error: _] }
}

[madsmtm]

(and then construct the dispatch_data_t manually using dispatch_data_create or similar)

[madsmtm]

MTLDevice::newLibraryWithData_error is exposed now in 91a74f3, will be released in the next version.

See also #710 for adding a nicer interface for constructing the dispatch_data_t.