Should we use Buffer or TypedArrays when working with binary?

[larsqa]

Prior to the introduction of TypedArray in ECMAScript 2015 (ES6), the JavaScript language had no mechanism for reading or manipulating streams of binary data. The Buffer class was introduced as part of the Node.js API to make it possible to interact with octet streams in the context of things like TCP streams and file system operations.

However, after typed arrays were introduced with ES6 (in 2015) standard, the Node.js Buffer was re-implemented to extend from Uint8Array for better compatibility and performance. This made Buffer a kind of typed array.

Several online sources, including StackOverflow answers, mention that Buffer has a bigger API and better performance, compared to ES6 TypedArrays.

It's obvious that Buffer has a larger API, where Buffer seems to have approximately 62 methods , while TypedArray have only approximately 34 .

However, I'm unable to find anything trustworthy regarding performance? Previous documentation version mentioned that Buffer.slices is more efficient than TypedArray.slices, but that statement has since been removed in recent versions.

Furthermore, the Node.JS docs recommend using TypedArray's like Uint8Array with .slices() since the Buffer's implementation can have unexpected behaviour.

So, is Buffer mainly a good choice because of it's larger API, or, are there still some performance related features around it?

[bnoordhuis]

Depends on what you're doing. Uint8Array is fine for simple byte manipulations but you probably can't beat buffer.includes() with your lovingly open-coded version except for trivial searches.

[SaiKumar2121]

In Node.js, the choice between Buffer and TypedArrays depends on your needs. Buffer has a bigger API and was re-implemented for compatibility and performance. Performance may vary, so benchmark your specific use case. If you want a larger API and are comfortable with potential quirks, go with Buffer. If you prefer a standardized and predictable API, use TypedArrays like Uint8Array, following Node.js documentation recommendations.