A simple refcounted data type representing an immutable sequence of zero or more bytes from an unspecified origin.

The purpose of a #GBytes is to keep the memory region that it holds alive for as long as anyone holds a reference to the bytes. When the last reference count is dropped, the memory is released. Multiple unrelated callers can use byte data in the #GBytes without coordinating their activities, resting assured that the byte data will not change or move while they hold a reference.

A #GBytes can come from many different origins that may have different procedures for freeing the memory region. Examples are memory from g_malloc(), from memory slices, from a #GMappedFile or memory from other allocators.

GHashTable. Use g_bytes_equal() and g_bytes_hash() as parameters to g_hash_table_new() or g_hash_table_new_full(). GTree by passing the g_bytes_compare() function to g_tree_new().

The data pointed to by this bytes must not be modified. For a mutable array of bytes see #GByteArray. Use g_bytes_unref_to_array() to create a mutable array for a GBytes from a mutable #GByteArray, use the g_byte_array_free_to_bytes() function.