# Buffers

Buffers are structures used to pass data between elements. All streams of data are chopped up into chunks which are stored in buffers. Buffers can be of any size, and also contain metadata indicating the type of data contained in them. Buffers can be allocated by various different schemes, and may either be passed on by elements or unreferenced (and the memory used by the buffer freed).

## Anatomy of a buffer

## Refcounts and mutability

## Metadata