Bytearrays

Bytearrays are mutable sequences of bytes used to store binary data. Each element is an integer in the range 0 to 255, and the container provides a contiguous memory buffer suitable for low-level data manipulation. In Python and many other environments, a bytearray is a dedicated type that supports in-place modification.

Creation and mutation: A bytearray can be created from an iterable of integers, from an existing bytes object, or by decoding encoded text. Once created, elements can be read or assigned by index, and the structure can be grown or shortened by operations such as append, extend, insert, pop, or clear.

Common operations and conversions: Bytearrays support slicing, length queries, and iteration. They can be converted to an immutable bytes object, and they integrate with standard IO routines and network sockets. Encoding a string to bytes and decoding back is a frequent workflow when working with text data that will be transmitted or stored in binary form.

Interoperability and memory considerations: Bytearrays expose the underlying buffer for zero-copy access via views like memoryview, enabling efficient manipulation without duplicating data. They are typically preferred over immutable bytes when in-place modification is required; however, immutable bytes can be more predictable and cache-friendly for read-only data.

Context and use cases: Across programming languages, byte arrays serve a similar role—buffering file and network data, composing binary protocols, and handling media or encrypted payloads. In Python, the bytearray type balances mutability and performance alongside bytes and memoryview for flexible binary data handling.