Byte Stream
A byte stream is a sequence of bytes used for input and output operations in computing, representing data as a continuous flow of 8-bit units. It is a fundamental abstraction in programming for handling data transmission, file I/O, and network communication, allowing developers to read from or write to sources like files, sockets, or memory buffers without concern for the underlying data structure. This concept is essential in many programming languages and systems for efficient and flexible data processing.
Developers should learn about byte streams to work with low-level data handling, such as when dealing with binary files, network protocols, or performance-critical applications where direct byte manipulation is required. It is particularly useful in scenarios like file I/O in languages like Java or C++, socket programming for network communication, and implementing custom data serialization or encryption algorithms.