deprecating std.stream, std.cstream, std.socketstream

[Walter Bright]

On 5/14/2012 8:02 AM, Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
> I keep trying to avoid talking about this, because I'm writing a replacement
> library for std.stream, and I don't want to step on any toes while it's still
> not accepted.
>
> But I have to say, ranges are *not* a good interface for generic data providers.
> They are *very* good for structured data providers.
>
> In other words, a stream of bytes, not a good range (who wants to get one byte
> at a time?). A stream of UTF text broken into lines, a very good range.
>
> I have no problem with getting rid of std.stream. I've never actually used it.
> Still, we absolutely need a non-range based low-level streaming interface to
> data. If nothing else, we need something we can build ranges upon, and I think
> my replacement does a very good job of that.

I'll say in advance without seeing your design that it'll be a tough sell if it 
is not range based.

I've been doing some range based work on the side. I'm convinced there is 
enormous potential there, despite numerous shortcomings with them I ran across 
in Phobos. Those shortcomings can be fixed, they are not fatal.

The ability to do things like:

  void main() {
   stdin.byChunk(1024).
      map!(a => a.idup). // one of those shortcomings
      joiner().
      stripComments().
      copy(stdout.lockingTextWriter());
  }

is just kick ass.