class Vec
{  protected   float[]  vec;
   const char[4]  sig   =  "nVec";

// constructors

   this(int len, float val)
   {  initRand();
      vec.length  =  len;
      for   (int i = 0; i < vec.length;   i++)  vec[i]   =  val;
   }

// a lot of stuff was removed here


  /**
   *  Export the object to a seekable stream.  The format is only
   *  intended for computers, but it should be lossless.
   *  The returned value is the stream address of the start of the object.
   */
   ulong write(Stream s)
      in
      {  assert (s.isOpen());
         assert (s.writeable);
         assert (s.seekable);
      }
      body
      {  ulong oStart   =  s.position;
         s.write(cast(uint)0);
         s.write(char4ToUint(sig));
         s.write(cast(uint)(this.vec.length));
         foreach(float f;  this.vec)   s.write(f);
         s.write(eor);
         ulong oEnd  =  s.position;
         s.position(oStart);
         s.write(cast(uint)(oEnd - oStart) );
         s.position(oEnd);
         return   oStart;
      }

  /**
   *  Import the object from a seekable stream.  The format is only
   *  intended for computers, but it should be lossless.
   */
   static   Vec   get(Stream s)
      in
      {  assert (s.isOpen());
         assert (s.readable);
         assert (s.seekable);
      }
      body
      {  ulong oStart   =  s.position;
         Vec   v  =  new   Vec();
         uint  len, vlen, veor, tmpSig2;
         char[]   sig2;
         s.read(len);
         s.read(tmpSig2);
         sig2  =  uintToChar4(tmpSig2);
         if (sig != sig2)
         {  s.position(oStart);
            writefln("original signature = <", sig, ">");
            writefln("read in signature  = <", sig2, ">");
            throw new   Exception ("Vec:get: Signature mismatch");
         }
         s.read(cast(uint)(vlen));
         v.length =  vlen;
         for(int i = 0; i < vlen;   i++)  s.read(v.vec[i]);
         s.read(veor);
         if (eor != veor)
         {  s.position(oStart);
            throw new   Exception ("Vec:get: eor not detected when expected");
         }
         ulong oEnd  =  s.position;
         if (len != cast(uint)(oEnd - oStart) )
         {  s.position(oStart);
            writefln("length calculated = %d", len);
            writefln("length read       = %d", cast(uint)(oEnd - oStart));
            throw new   Exception
                  ("Vec:get: length calculated does not match length read");
         }
         return   v;
      }  // get

}