[throwaway27448]

> Arguably, the void* does that as well?

How do you figure? The type is a pointer to quite literally anything, including nothing (ie a pointer that cannot be dereferenced). If you're working with bytes, indicate this with the type.

[addaon]

> The type is a pointer to quite literally anything

No, it can only be a pointer to an object. It can't be a pointer to a function, for example.

[dpark]

All pointers in C/C++ can point to “nothing”. Swapping “void *” for “byte *” is basically an aesthetic choice.

[throwaway27448]

Right. So why not use a typed reference?

[dpark]

1. void * is a type

2. The functions in question here operate on raw memory. void * conveys the same information as byte *. It’s not untyped vs typed. It’s two different types that convey the same information but require slightly different mechanics to obtain.

3. The author explained his reasoning for preferring void * over byte * (or uint8_t *)

4. A reference also isn’t the same thing as a pointer in C++