The ArrayBuffer object is used to represent a generic, fixed-length raw

binary data buffer. You cannot directly manipulate the contents of

an ArrayBuffer; instead, you create one of the typed array objects or
a DataView object which represents the buffer in a specific format, and
use that to read and write the contents of the buffer.
Syntax
new ArrayBuffer(length)

Parameters
length
The size, in bytes, of the array buffer to create.

Return value
A new ArrayBuffer object of the specified size. Its contents are initialized
to 0.

Exceptions
A RangeError is thrown if the length is larger
than Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER (>= 2 ** 53) or negative.
Description
The ArrayBuffer constructor creates a new ArrayBuffer of the given
length in bytes.

Getting an array buffer from existing data

From a Base64 string
From a local file

Properties
ArrayBuffer.length
The ArrayBuffer constructor's length property whose value is 1.
get ArrayBuffer[@@species]
The constructor function that is used to create derived objects.

ArrayBuffer.prototype
Allows the addition of properties to all ArrayBuffer objects.
Methods
ArrayBuffer.isView(arg)
Returns true if arg is one of the ArrayBuffer views, such as typed
array objects or a DataView. Returns false otherwise.
ArrayBuffer.transfer(oldBuffer [, newByteLength])
Returns a new ArrayBuffer whose contents are taken from the oldBuffer's data and then
is either truncated or zero-extended by newByteLength.
Instances
All ArrayBuffer instances inherit from ArrayBuffer.prototype.

Properties
ArrayBuffer.prototype.constructor
Specifies the function that creates an object's prototype. The initial
value is the standard built-in ArrayBuffer constructor.
ArrayBuffer.prototype.byteLength Read only
The size, in bytes, of the array. This is established when the array is
constructed and cannot be changed. Read only.

Methods
ArrayBuffer.prototype.slice()
Returns a new ArrayBuffer whose contents are a copy of
this ArrayBuffer's bytes from begin, inclusive, up to end, exclusive. If
either begin or end is negative, it refers to an index from the end of
the array, as opposed to from the beginning.
ArrayBuffer.slice()
Has the same functionality as ArrayBuffer.prototype.slice().
Example
In this example, we create a 8-byte buffer with a Int32Array view
referring to the buffer:
var buffer = new ArrayBuffer(8);
var view = new Int32Array(buffer);

Specifications
Specification Status Comment
Typed Array Specification Obsolete Superseded by ECMAScript 6.
ECMAScript 2015 (6th Edition, Standard Initial definition in an ECMA standard.
ECMA-262) Specified that new is required.
 The definition of 'ArrayBuffer' in that
specification.

ECMAScript Latest Draft

(ECMA-262) Living
The definition of 'ArrayBuffer' in that Standard
specification.

Browser compatibility
Desktop
Mobile
Feature Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support 7 Yes 4 10 11.6 5.1

ArrayBuffer() without new throw

? ? 44 ? ? ?
s
byteLength 7 Yes 4 10 11.6 5.1
isView Yes Yes 29 11 Yes Yes
prototype 7 Yes 4 10 11.6 5.1
slice Yes Yes 121 11 Yes 6
transfer No No No No No No
@@species ? ? 48 ? ? ?

1. The non-standard ArrayBuffer.slice() method has been removed in

Firefox 53 (but the standardized
version ArrayBuffer.prototype.slice() is kept.
Compatibility notes
Starting with ECMAScript 2015, ArrayBuffer constructors require to be
constructed with a new operator. Calling an ArrayBuffer constructor as a
function without new, will throw a TypeError from now on.
var dv = ArrayBuffer(10);
// TypeError: calling a builtin ArrayBuffer constructor
// without new is forbidden
var dv = new ArrayBuffer(10);