buffer

library0.2.1jsnpmunverified

The `buffer` package provides a robust and faithful polyfill for Node.js's `Buffer` API, allowing developers to manipulate binary data directly within web browsers. Currently at version 6.0.3, this library is actively maintained and aims for near 100% API compatibility with Node.js's native `Buffer` module, including its latest (unstable) API features, while acknowledging the underlying `Buffer` API itself is stable. It differentiates itself by leveraging modern JavaScript `Uint8Array` and `ArrayBuffer` for high performance and efficient memory use, resulting in an extremely small bundle size (6.75KB minified + gzipped). This approach ensures broad browser compatibility across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari 11+, iOS 11+, and Android. The package is a crucial component for enabling many Node.js modules to function seamlessly in browser environments, often used in conjunction with bundlers like Browserify which automatically substitute Node's core `buffer` module with this browser-compatible version, providing a consistent binary data handling experience.

http-networking serialization

npm install buffer

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · BUFFER

buffer

http-networkingjavascriptv0.2.1

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

Buffer

✓ import { Buffer } from 'buffer';

✗ const Buffer = require('buffer');

While CommonJS `require('buffer/')` is the explicit way to get the npm package, ESM environments should generally use named imports. However, be aware of bundler configurations as this package primarily polyfills the global `Buffer` in browser environments for CommonJS.

Buffer

✓ var Buffer = require('buffer/').Buffer;

✗ var Buffer = require('buffer');

For CommonJS environments, the trailing slash in `require('buffer/')` is critical. It signals to Node.js's module resolution (and many bundlers) to load the npm package named 'buffer' instead of Node.js's built-in core 'buffer' module. Omitting the slash will often result in the native Node.js Buffer being loaded, which may not be compatible with browser environments.

Buffer (Global)

✓ Buffer.from('hello');

When using bundlers like Browserify, this package is often configured to automatically replace Node.js's core 'buffer' module, making the `Buffer` global available without an explicit `require` or `import` statement in the browser context.

Buffer type

✓ import type { Buffer } from 'buffer';

For TypeScript, explicitly importing the `Buffer` type is recommended to ensure correct type checking, especially if you are relying on the global `Buffer` at runtime or if your bundler setup has specific aliasing.

This quickstart demonstrates common `Buffer` operations: creating from strings and arrays, allocating and writing data, concatenating buffers, and type checking, using the browser-compatible Node.js Buffer API.

import { Buffer } from 'buffer'; // Explicit import for clarity and bundler compatibility // Create a buffer from a string const buf1 = Buffer.from('hello world', 'utf8'); console.log('Buffer 1 (string):', buf1.toString()); // Create a buffer from an array of octets (byte values) const buf2 = Buffer.from([0x48, 0x65, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x6f]); // 'Hello' console.log('Buffer 2 (array):', buf2.toString('utf8')); // Allocate a buffer of 10 bytes and write into it const buf3 = Buffer.alloc(10); buf3.write('test', 0, 4); // Write 'test' at offset 0, up to 4 bytes console.log('Buffer 3 (written part):', buf3.toString('utf8', 0, 4)); console.log('Buffer 3 (full, remaining empty):', buf3.toString()); // Shows 'test\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000' // Concatenate multiple buffers const concatenatedBuffer = Buffer.concat([buf1, buf2]); console.log('Concatenated Buffer:', concatenatedBuffer.toString()); // Check if an object is an instance of Buffer console.log('Is buf1 an instance of Buffer?', Buffer.isBuffer(buf1)); console.log('Is a plain object an instance of Buffer?', Buffer.isBuffer({}));

Debug

Known issues

breakingThe package was previously published under the name `native-buffer-browserify`. Users upgrading from older setups or migrating projects must update their `package.json` and any direct `require` statements to use `buffer` instead.

fix

Run `npm uninstall native-buffer-browserify` and then `npm install buffer`. Update all import/require statements from `native-buffer-browserify` to `buffer`.

affects: <6.0.0

gotchaWhen explicitly requiring the `buffer` package in CommonJS environments (especially without a bundler like Browserify), using `require('buffer')` (without the trailing slash) may resolve to Node.js's built-in core `buffer` module instead of this npm package, leading to unexpected behavior in browser contexts or type inconsistencies.

fix

Always use `require('buffer/').Buffer` to explicitly reference the npm package's implementation, ensuring you get the browser-compatible polyfill.

affects: >=0.1.0

gotchaThis module aims to track the Buffer API in the latest (unstable) version of Node.js. While the Node.js Buffer API itself is considered stable, direct adherence to the 'unstable' branch implies potential for minor API changes or additions before they stabilize, though actual breaking changes are rare for Buffer.

fix

Monitor release notes for the `buffer` package and Node.js Buffer API documentation to stay informed of any changes, especially if pinning to specific Node.js versions.

affects: >=0.1.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ReferenceError: Buffer is not defined

The global `Buffer` object is not available in a browser environment by default, and the module was not explicitly imported or configured by a bundler.

fix

If using a bundler like Browserify, ensure it's properly configured to alias Node's `buffer` to this package. If not using a bundler or for explicit usage, import it: `var Buffer = require('buffer/').Buffer;` or `import { Buffer } from 'buffer';`.

TypeError: Buffer.from is not a function

The `Buffer` object in scope is either not the `buffer` npm package's implementation or is an incompatible version. This often happens if Node.js's core `buffer` module is inadvertently loaded in a browser context, or if there's a conflict with other polyfills.

fix

Ensure you are explicitly importing the `buffer` npm package using `require('buffer/').Buffer` (for CJS) or `import { Buffer } from 'buffer';` (for ESM) to guarantee you are using the browser-compatible polyfill.

Upgrade

Version history

0.2.1latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

21 hits · last 30 days

node

Amazon

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/feross/buffer ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/buffer ↗