Describe the differences between using `Buffer.from()` and directly assigning a string to a buffer, specifically related to memory allocation and encoding.

Buffers in Node.js are used to represent binary data. There's no direct way to 'assign' a string *toa buffer; you must *createa buffer from a string using a specific method. `Buffer.from()` is the standard and recommended way to create a new Buffer instance from a string, array, or another buffer. It allocates a new buffer in memory and copies the data from the source into it. Importantly, `Buffer.from()` allows you to specify the encoding of the string (e.g., 'utf8', 'ascii', 'latin1', 'base64', 'hex'). If no encoding is specified, it defaults to 'utf8'. This ensures that the string is properly converted into its binary representation according to the chosen encoding. Directly attempting to assign a string to a buffer (which is not possible in standard Node.js) implies incorrect usage and will likely lead to errors or undefined behavior. The key differences are: 1. Memory Allocation: `Buffer.from()` allocates new memory for the buffer and copies the data. 2. Encoding Control: `Buffer.from()` provides explicit control over the encoding used to convert the string to binary data. Using `Buffer.from('hello', 'utf8')` creates a buffer containing the UTF-8 representation of 'hello'. Without specifying the encoding, the default UTF-8 encoding is used. There is no alternative, direct string assignment that would accomplish the same effect as `Buffer.from()` with its memory management and encoding options. Any attempt to treat a buffer as a simple string container will lead to incorrect data handling and potential security vulnerabilities because buffers require explicit encoding for proper string conversion and manipulation.