# DivBuf
A library providing recursively divisible buffer objects.
[](https://travis-ci.org/asomers/divbuf)
The `divbuf` crate provides a buffer structure `DivBufShared` that can be
efficiently and safely divided into multiple smaller buffers. Each child buffer
can be further divided, recursively. A primitive form of range-locking is
available: there is no way to create overlapping mutable child buffers.
This crate is similar to [`bytes`](https://crates.io/crates/bytes), but with a
few key differences:
- `bytes` is a COW crate. Data will be shared between multiple objects as
much as possible, but sometimes the data will be copied to new storage.
`divbuf`, onthe other hand, will _never_ copy data unless explicitly
requested.
- A `BytesMut` object always has the sole ability to access its own data.
Once a `BytesMut` object is created, there is no other way to modify or
even read its data that doesn't involve that object. A `DivBufMut`, on
the other hand, shares its data with its parent `DivBufShared`. After
that `DivBufMut` has been dropped, another can be created from the
parent.
- `bytes` contains numerous optimizations for dealing with small arrays,
such as inline storage. However, some of those optimizations result in
data copying, which is anathema to `divbuf`. `divbuf` therefore does not
include them, and is optimized for working with large arrays.
# License
`divbuf` is distributed under the MIT license. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for
details.