mmap vs. read

Mmap and read are both methods to access data from a file, but they work differently. Mmap creates a direct link between the file and the program's memory, allowing the program to access file data as if it were part of its own memory, making data retrieval very fast and efficient. Read, on the other hand, explicitly copies data from the file into the program’s memory buffer, which can be slower especially for large files. Mmap is more suitable for random access and large data, while read is simpler and often used for sequential data processing.