Sisääntuloulostulo

Sisääntuloulostulo, commonly referred to as I/O, is a fundamental concept in computing that describes the communication between a computer system and the outside world. This outside world can encompass a wide range of devices and entities, including hardware peripherals, storage devices, networks, and even human users. I/O operations are the means by which a computer receives data (input) and sends data out (output).

Input operations involve the computer receiving data from an external source. This could be as simple as reading data from a keyboard when a user types, a mouse click being registered, or data being received from a network connection. Other examples include reading data from a hard drive, a scanner capturing an image, or a microphone recording audio.

Output operations, conversely, involve the computer sending data to an external destination. This includes displaying information on a monitor, printing a document, sending data over a network, writing data to a storage device, or producing sound through speakers.

The management of I/O operations is a crucial task handled by the operating system. It provides mechanisms for applications to interact with I/O devices without needing to understand the intricate details of their hardware. This abstraction simplifies programming and allows for more efficient resource management. Different types of I/O exist, such as character I/O (handling individual characters) and block I/O (handling larger blocks of data), each suited for different applications and devices. Efficient I/O is vital for overall system performance.