Streaming library

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

On 10/13/10 13:45 CDT, Daniel Gibson wrote:
> Andrei Alexandrescu schrieb:
>> On 10/11/2010 07:49 PM, Daniel Gibson wrote:
>>> Andrei Alexandrescu schrieb:
>>>> Agreed. Maybe this is a good time to sart making a requirements list
>>>> for streams. What are the essential features/feature groups?
>>>>
>>>> Andrei
>>>
>>> Maybe something like the following (I hope it's not too extensive):
>>>
>>> * Input- Output- and InputAndOutput- Streams
>>> - having InputStream and OutputStream as an interface like in the old
>>> design may be a good idea
>>> - implementing the standard operations that are mostly independent from
>>> the data source/sink
>>> like read/write for basic types, strings, ... in mixin templates is
>>> probably elegant to create
>>> streams that are both Input and Output (one mixin that implements most
>>> of InputStream and
>>> one that implements most of OutputStream)
>>
>> So far so good. I will point out, however, that the classic read/write
>> routines are not all that good. For example if you want to implement a
>> line-buffered stream on top of a block-buffered stream you'll be
>> forced to write inefficient code.
>
> So what's a possible alternative to the classic read/write routines?

It's something that ten people implement in eleven ways. Some starters:

1. Get one byte at a time. This may be inefficient.

2. Define this:

size_t append(ref ubyte[] buffer);

Such an interface allows the stream to append data to a user-maintained 
buffer. Then the user manages terminators etc.

3. Define this:

size_t getDelim(ref ubyte[] buffer, in ubyte[] terminator);

> No. I just wanted to point out that it must be possible (and should be
> easy) to wrap streams.

And efficient too! That means no buffering friction :o).

>> Agreed. Question: is there a file system that offers resettable but
>> not seekable files? I'm thinking of collapsing the two together.
>
> As mentioned before in other branches of this thread: Probably no file
> system, but maybe archive files (zip, ...)

I wonder to what extent resetting is really closing and reopening the 
file/connection.


Andrei