A keyboard buffer is a very small memory partition that is usually stored in computer memory in random access memory (RAM) and captures all keystrokes typed on a keyboard. Keystrokes are stored because there is a slight delay between the moment the key is pressed and the moment it is displayed on the screen. By capturing the keystroke, the processing is easier and more accurate for the computer. Contrary to what a user sees on the screen, not all keystrokes are captured, such as when a user presses the “Delete” key. The keyboard buffer can be manipulated to contain more information, and there are also malicious programs designed to spy on the data in the buffer.
Contrary to what a user sees on the screen, not all keystrokes are captured, such as when a user presses the “Delete” key.
The keyboard buffer takes up a very small amount of memory, as it only stores keystrokes for a fraction of a second. After a keystroke is processed, the buffer removes that memory of keystrokes. By doing this, the computer ensures that there are no inaccuracies in translating keystrokes to the computer screen, and also helps the processor process the data from the keyboard.
The keyboard buffer takes up a very small amount of memory, as it only stores keystrokes for a fraction of a second.
When someone clicks a keyboard button, that touch enters the keyboard buffer, but not all characters are captured. Keys that modify text, such as the “Delete” or “Spacebar” keys, do not enter the keyboard buffer. This is because these keys work to modify characters, while the buffer only contains human-readable characters. If one were to read the buffer memory, it would seem just as incomprehensible as it did at first because it would be a lot of jumbled characters with no spaces.
Although the keyboard buffer can be awesome, there are programs available that can steal data from the buffer. This often has a malicious purpose, such as corporate espionage, but is also used by concerned parents to see what their children are typing on the computer. These programs grab and copy the information from the buffer and store that data somewhere outside the buffer. Unlike buffering, which temporarily stores keystrokes, these programs will store the information until the user deletes it.
Sometimes, on older computers with little RAM or on computers that do a lot of typing, you may get an error that the keyboard buffer is full. In this case, the user must write slower, upgrade the RAM, or change the buffer limit. Although the solution is different for each operating system (OS), this is usually done by modifying the log data in the buffer.
