ArrayBuffers in JavaScript

• ArrayBuffer: It's a chunk of memory you can't touch directly. It's for handling binary data efficiently in JavaScript.

• Why Use It?: Directly manipulating binary data skips the performance cost of converting data to/from strings. Essential for tasks like file processing and encryption where speed and memory efficiency matter.

• How to Use:

  1. Create an ArrayBuffer with a specified size.
  2. Create a "view" (like Uint8Array) to interact with the data. This view lets you read/write in a structured way.

• Example:

  // Allocates 16 bytes
  const buffer = new ArrayBuffer(16)
  
  // View as array of 8-bit unsigned integers
  const view = new Uint8Array(buffer)
  
  // Modify first byte
  view[0] = 255

• Key Takeaway: ArrayBuffers let you work with data at a lower level, closer to how the computer handles it, leading to better performance for certain tasks.