Buffered Streams

Buffered streams are a programming concept that improves I/O performance by temporarily storing data in a buffer (a memory region) before reading from or writing to an underlying stream, such as a file or network connection. This reduces the number of direct system calls, which are often slower, by handling data in larger, more efficient chunks. They are commonly implemented in various programming languages through classes or APIs that wrap raw streams.

Also known as: Buffered I/O, Buffered Input/Output, Buffered Reading/Writing, Buffered Data Streams, Buffer Stream

Why learn Buffered Streams?

Developers should use buffered streams when dealing with I/O operations that involve frequent small reads or writes, such as reading files line-by-line or sending data over networks, to enhance performance and reduce latency. They are essential in applications like log processing, data serialization, or web servers where efficient data handling is critical for scalability and responsiveness.

Learning Resources

• docs: Java Buffered Streams Tutorial
• docs: Python Buffered I/O Documentation
• docs: C# BufferedStream Class
• video: Buffered I/O Explained (Video)
• tutorial: GeeksforGeeks Article on Buffered Streams