ShortBuffer (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: java.nio.ShortBuffer class
Date: 2026-06-25

compact1, compact2, compact3
java.nio

## Class ShortBuffer

- java.lang.Object
- - java.nio.Buffer
  - - java.nio.ShortBuffer

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    Comparable<ShortBuffer>

      public abstract class ShortBuffer
      extends Buffer
      implements Comparable<ShortBuffer>

  A short buffer.

  This class defines four categories of operations upon short buffers:

  - Absolute and relative `get` and `put` methods that read and write single shorts;

  - Relative `bulk get` methods that transfer contiguous sequences of shorts from this buffer into an array; and

  - Relative `bulk put` methods that transfer contiguous sequences of shorts from a short array or some other short buffer into this buffer; and

  - Methods for `compacting`, `duplicating`, and `slicing` a short buffer.

  Short buffers can be created either by `allocation`, which allocates space for the buffer's content, by `wrapping` an existing short array into a buffer, or by creating a view of an existing byte buffer.

  Like a byte buffer, a short buffer is either direct or non-direct. A short buffer created via the `wrap` methods of this class will be non-direct. A short buffer created as a view of a byte buffer will be direct if, and only if, the byte buffer itself is direct. Whether or not a short buffer is direct may be determined by invoking the `isDirect` method.

  Methods in this class that do not otherwise have a value to return are specified to return the buffer upon which they are invoked. This allows method invocations to be chained.

  Since:
    1.4

- - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `static ShortBuffer` | `allocate(int capacity)` Allocates a new short buffer.
    `short[]` | `array()` Returns the short array that backs this buffer (optional operation).
    `int` | `arrayOffset()` Returns the offset within this buffer's backing array of the first element of the buffer (optional operation).
    `abstract ShortBuffer` | `asReadOnlyBuffer()` Creates a new, read-only short buffer that shares this buffer's content.
    `abstract ShortBuffer` | `compact()` Compacts this buffer (optional operation).
    `int` | `compareTo(ShortBuffer that)` Compares this buffer to another.
    `abstract ShortBuffer` | `duplicate()` Creates a new short buffer that shares this buffer's content.
    `boolean` | `equals(Object ob)` Tells whether or not this buffer is equal to another object.
    `abstract short` | `get()` Relative get method.
    `abstract short` | `get(int index)` Absolute get method.
    `ShortBuffer` | `get(short[] dst)` Relative bulk get method.
    `ShortBuffer` | `get(short[] dst, int offset, int length)` Relative bulk get method.
    `boolean` | `hasArray()` Tells whether or not this buffer is backed by an accessible short array.
    `int` | `hashCode()` Returns the current hash code of this buffer.
    `abstract boolean` | `isDirect()` Tells whether or not this short buffer is direct.
    `abstract ByteOrder` | `order()` Retrieves this buffer's byte order.
    `abstract ShortBuffer` | `put(int index, short s)` Absolute put method (optional operation).
    `abstract ShortBuffer` | `put(short s)` Relative put method (optional operation).
    `ShortBuffer` | `put(short[] src)` Relative bulk put method (optional operation).
    `ShortBuffer` | `put(short[] src, int offset, int length)` Relative bulk put method (optional operation).
    `ShortBuffer` | `put(ShortBuffer src)` Relative bulk put method (optional operation).
    `abstract ShortBuffer` | `slice()` Creates a new short buffer whose content is a shared subsequence of this buffer's content.
    `String` | `toString()` Returns a string summarizing the state of this buffer.
    `static ShortBuffer` | `wrap(short[] array)` Wraps a short array into a buffer.
    `static ShortBuffer` | `wrap(short[] array, int offset, int length)` Wraps a short array into a buffer.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.nio.Buffer

      `capacity, clear, flip, hasRemaining, isReadOnly, limit, limit, mark, position, position, remaining, reset, rewind`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Method Detail

    - #### allocate

          public static ShortBuffer allocate(int capacity)

      Allocates a new short buffer.

      The new buffer's position will be zero, its limit will be its capacity, its mark will be undefined, and each of its elements will be initialized to zero. It will have a `backing array`, and its `array offset` will be zero.

      Parameters:
        `capacity` - The new buffer's capacity, in shorts
      Returns:
        The new short buffer
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - If the `capacity` is a negative integer

    - #### wrap

          public static ShortBuffer wrap(short[] array,
                                         int offset,
                                         int length)

      Wraps a short array into a buffer.

      The new buffer will be backed by the given short array; that is, modifications to the buffer will cause the array to be modified and vice versa. The new buffer's capacity will be `array.length`, its position will be `offset`, its limit will be `offset + length`, and its mark will be undefined. Its `backing array` will be the given array, and its `array offset` will be zero.

      Parameters:
        `array` - The array that will back the new buffer
        `offset` - The offset of the subarray to be used; must be non-negative and no larger than `array.length`. The new buffer's position will be set to this value.
        `length` - The length of the subarray to be used; must be non-negative and no larger than `array.length - offset`. The new buffer's limit will be set to `offset + length`.
      Returns:
        The new short buffer
      Throws:
        `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - If the preconditions on the `offset` and `length` parameters do not hold

    - #### wrap

          public static ShortBuffer wrap(short[] array)

      Wraps a short array into a buffer.

      The new buffer will be backed by the given short array; that is, modifications to the buffer will cause the array to be modified and vice versa. The new buffer's capacity and limit will be `array.length`, its position will be zero, and its mark will be undefined. Its `backing array` will be the given array, and its `array offset>` will be zero.

      Parameters:
        `array` - The array that will back this buffer
      Returns:
        The new short buffer

    - #### slice

          public abstract ShortBuffer slice()

      Creates a new short buffer whose content is a shared subsequence of this buffer's content.

      The content of the new buffer will start at this buffer's current position. Changes to this buffer's content will be visible in the new buffer, and vice versa; the two buffers' position, limit, and mark values will be independent.

      The new buffer's position will be zero, its capacity and its limit will be the number of shorts remaining in this buffer, and its mark will be undefined. The new buffer will be direct if, and only if, this buffer is direct, and it will be read-only if, and only if, this buffer is read-only.

      Returns:
        The new short buffer

    - #### duplicate

          public abstract ShortBuffer duplicate()

      Creates a new short buffer that shares this buffer's content.

      The content of the new buffer will be that of this buffer. Changes to this buffer's content will be visible in the new buffer, and vice versa; the two buffers' position, limit, and mark values will be independent.

      The new buffer's capacity, limit, position, and mark values will be identical to those of this buffer. The new buffer will be direct if, and only if, this buffer is direct, and it will be read-only if, and only if, this buffer is read-only.

      Returns:
        The new short buffer

    - #### asReadOnlyBuffer

          public abstract ShortBuffer asReadOnlyBuffer()

      Creates a new, read-only short buffer that shares this buffer's content.

      The content of the new buffer will be that of this buffer. Changes to this buffer's content will be visible in the new buffer; the new buffer itself, however, will be read-only and will not allow the shared content to be modified. The two buffers' position, limit, and mark values will be independent.

      The new buffer's capacity, limit, position, and mark values will be identical to those of this buffer.

      If this buffer is itself read-only then this method behaves in exactly the same way as the `duplicate` method.

      Returns:
        The new, read-only short buffer

    - #### get

          public abstract short get()

      Relative get method. Reads the short at this buffer's current position, and then increments the position.
      Returns:
        The short at the buffer's current position
      Throws:
        `BufferUnderflowException` - If the buffer's current position is not smaller than its limit

    - #### put

          public abstract ShortBuffer put(short s)

      Relative put method (optional operation).

      Writes the given short into this buffer at the current position, and then increments the position.

      Parameters:
        `s` - The short to be written
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `BufferOverflowException` - If this buffer's current position is not smaller than its limit
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is read-only

    - #### get

          public abstract short get(int index)

      Absolute get method. Reads the short at the given index.
      Parameters:
        `index` - The index from which the short will be read
      Returns:
        The short at the given index
      Throws:
        `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - If `index` is negative or not smaller than the buffer's limit

    - #### put

          public abstract ShortBuffer put(int index,
                                          short s)

      Absolute put method (optional operation).

      Writes the given short into this buffer at the given index.

      Parameters:
        `index` - The index at which the short will be written
        `s` - The short value to be written
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - If `index` is negative or not smaller than the buffer's limit
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is read-only

    - #### get

          public ShortBuffer get(short[] dst,
                                 int offset,
                                 int length)

      Relative bulk get method.

      This method transfers shorts from this buffer into the given destination array. If there are fewer shorts remaining in the buffer than are required to satisfy the request, that is, if `length` `>` `remaining()`, then no shorts are transferred and a `BufferUnderflowException` is thrown.

      Otherwise, this method copies `length` shorts from this buffer into the given array, starting at the current position of this buffer and at the given offset in the array. The position of this buffer is then incremented by `length`.

      In other words, an invocation of this method of the form `src.get(dst, off, len)` has exactly the same effect as the loop

               for (int i = off; i < off + len; i++)
                   dst[i] = src.get():

      except that it first checks that there are sufficient shorts in this buffer and it is potentially much more efficient.
      Parameters:
        `dst` - The array into which shorts are to be written
        `offset` - The offset within the array of the first short to be written; must be non-negative and no larger than `dst.length`
        `length` - The maximum number of shorts to be written to the given array; must be non-negative and no larger than `dst.length - offset`
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `BufferUnderflowException` - If there are fewer than `length` shorts remaining in this buffer
        `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - If the preconditions on the `offset` and `length` parameters do not hold

    - #### get

          public ShortBuffer get(short[] dst)

      Relative bulk get method.

      This method transfers shorts from this buffer into the given destination array. An invocation of this method of the form `src.get(a)` behaves in exactly the same way as the invocation

               src.get(a, 0, a.length)

      Parameters:
        `dst` - The destination array
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `BufferUnderflowException` - If there are fewer than `length` shorts remaining in this buffer

    - #### put

          public ShortBuffer put(ShortBuffer src)

      Relative bulk put method (optional operation).

      This method transfers the shorts remaining in the given source buffer into this buffer. If there are more shorts remaining in the source buffer than in this buffer, that is, if `src.remaining()` `>` `remaining()`, then no shorts are transferred and a `BufferOverflowException` is thrown.

      Otherwise, this method copies n = `src.remaining()` shorts from the given buffer into this buffer, starting at each buffer's current position. The positions of both buffers are then incremented by n.

      In other words, an invocation of this method of the form `dst.put(src)` has exactly the same effect as the loop

               while (src.hasRemaining())
                   dst.put(src.get());

      except that it first checks that there is sufficient space in this buffer and it is potentially much more efficient.
      Parameters:
        `src` - The source buffer from which shorts are to be read; must not be this buffer
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `BufferOverflowException` - If there is insufficient space in this buffer for the remaining shorts in the source buffer
        `IllegalArgumentException` - If the source buffer is this buffer
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is read-only

    - #### put

          public ShortBuffer put(short[] src,
                                 int offset,
                                 int length)

      Relative bulk put method (optional operation).

      This method transfers shorts into this buffer from the given source array. If there are more shorts to be copied from the array than remain in this buffer, that is, if `length` `>` `remaining()`, then no shorts are transferred and a `BufferOverflowException` is thrown.

      Otherwise, this method copies `length` shorts from the given array into this buffer, starting at the given offset in the array and at the current position of this buffer. The position of this buffer is then incremented by `length`.

      In other words, an invocation of this method of the form `dst.put(src, off, len)` has exactly the same effect as the loop

               for (int i = off; i < off + len; i++)
                   dst.put(a[i]);

      except that it first checks that there is sufficient space in this buffer and it is potentially much more efficient.
      Parameters:
        `src` - The array from which shorts are to be read
        `offset` - The offset within the array of the first short to be read; must be non-negative and no larger than `array.length`
        `length` - The number of shorts to be read from the given array; must be non-negative and no larger than `array.length - offset`
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `BufferOverflowException` - If there is insufficient space in this buffer
        `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - If the preconditions on the `offset` and `length` parameters do not hold
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is read-only

    - #### put

          public final ShortBuffer put(short[] src)

      Relative bulk put method (optional operation).

      This method transfers the entire content of the given source short array into this buffer. An invocation of this method of the form `dst.put(a)` behaves in exactly the same way as the invocation

               dst.put(a, 0, a.length)

      Parameters:
        `src` - The source array
      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `BufferOverflowException` - If there is insufficient space in this buffer
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is read-only

    - #### hasArray

          public final boolean hasArray()

      Tells whether or not this buffer is backed by an accessible short array.

      If this method returns `true` then the `array` and `arrayOffset` methods may safely be invoked.

      Specified by:
        `hasArray` in class `Buffer`
      Returns:
        `true` if, and only if, this buffer is backed by an array and is not read-only

    - #### array

          public final short[] array()

      Returns the short array that backs this buffer (optional operation).

      Modifications to this buffer's content will cause the returned array's content to be modified, and vice versa.

      Invoke the `hasArray` method before invoking this method in order to ensure that this buffer has an accessible backing array.

      Specified by:
        `array` in class `Buffer`
      Returns:
        The array that backs this buffer
      Throws:
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is backed by an array but is read-only
        `UnsupportedOperationException` - If this buffer is not backed by an accessible array

    - #### arrayOffset

          public final int arrayOffset()

      Returns the offset within this buffer's backing array of the first element of the buffer (optional operation).

      If this buffer is backed by an array then buffer position p corresponds to array index p + `arrayOffset()`.

      Invoke the `hasArray` method before invoking this method in order to ensure that this buffer has an accessible backing array.

      Specified by:
        `arrayOffset` in class `Buffer`
      Returns:
        The offset within this buffer's array of the first element of the buffer
      Throws:
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is backed by an array but is read-only
        `UnsupportedOperationException` - If this buffer is not backed by an accessible array

    - #### compact

          public abstract ShortBuffer compact()

      Compacts this buffer (optional operation).

      The shorts between the buffer's current position and its limit, if any, are copied to the beginning of the buffer. That is, the short at index p = `position()` is copied to index zero, the short at index p + 1 is copied to index one, and so forth until the short at index `limit()` - 1 is copied to index n = `limit()` - `1` - p. The buffer's position is then set to n+1 and its limit is set to its capacity. The mark, if defined, is discarded.

      The buffer's position is set to the number of shorts copied, rather than to zero, so that an invocation of this method can be followed immediately by an invocation of another relative put method.

      Returns:
        This buffer
      Throws:
        `ReadOnlyBufferException` - If this buffer is read-only

    - #### isDirect

          public abstract boolean isDirect()

      Tells whether or not this short buffer is direct.
      Specified by:
        `isDirect` in class `Buffer`
      Returns:
        `true` if, and only if, this buffer is direct

    - #### toString

          public String toString()

      Returns a string summarizing the state of this buffer.
      Overrides:
        `toString` in class `Object`
      Returns:
        A summary string

    - #### hashCode

          public int hashCode()

      Returns the current hash code of this buffer.

      The hash code of a short buffer depends only upon its remaining elements; that is, upon the elements from `position()` up to, and including, the element at `limit()` - `1`.

      Because buffer hash codes are content-dependent, it is inadvisable to use buffers as keys in hash maps or similar data structures unless it is known that their contents will not change.

      Overrides:
        `hashCode` in class `Object`
      Returns:
        The current hash code of this buffer
      See Also:
        `Object.equals(java.lang.Object)`, `System.identityHashCode(java.lang.Object)`

    - #### equals

          public boolean equals(Object ob)

      Tells whether or not this buffer is equal to another object.

      Two short buffers are equal if, and only if,

      1. They have the same element type,

      2. They have the same number of remaining elements, and

      3. The two sequences of remaining elements, considered independently of their starting positions, are pointwise equal.

      A short buffer is not equal to any other type of object.

      Overrides:
        `equals` in class `Object`
      Parameters:
        `ob` - The object to which this buffer is to be compared
      Returns:
        `true` if, and only if, this buffer is equal to the given object
      See Also:
        `Object.hashCode()`, `HashMap`

    - #### compareTo

          public int compareTo(ShortBuffer that)

      Compares this buffer to another.

      Two short buffers are compared by comparing their sequences of remaining elements lexicographically, without regard to the starting position of each sequence within its corresponding buffer. Pairs of `short` elements are compared as if by invoking `Short.compare(short,short)`.

      A short buffer is not comparable to any other type of object.

      Specified by:
        `compareTo` in interface `Comparable<ShortBuffer>`
      Parameters:
        `that` - the object to be compared.
      Returns:
        A negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as this buffer is less than, equal to, or greater than the given buffer

    - #### order

          public abstract ByteOrder order()

      Retrieves this buffer's byte order.

      The byte order of a short buffer created by allocation or by wrapping an existing `short` array is the `native order` of the underlying hardware. The byte order of a short buffer created as a view of a byte buffer is that of the byte buffer at the moment that the view is created.

      Returns:
        This buffer's byte order

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