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What does "buffer" mean in programming?

buffer is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

A region of memory used to temporarily hold data while it is being transferred or processed. Buffers smooth out differences in speed between a producer and consumer — for example, buffering video data while it streams from the network.

Example

"The file upload failed because the input buffer was too small to hold the entire chunk."

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