Tools.h++ Manual

21-196 104011 Tandem Computers Incorporated
21
RWvistream
RWvistream
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RWvios
Synopsis #include <rw/vstream.h>
Description Class RWvistream is an abstract base class. It provides an interface for
format-independent retrieval of primitives and arrays of primitives. Its
counterpart, RWvostream , provides a complementary interface for the storage
of these variables.
Because the interface of RWvistream and RWvostream is independent of
formatting, the user of these classes need not be concerned with how variables
will actually be stored or restored. That will be up to the derived class to
decide. It might be done using an operating-system independent ASCII format
(classes RWpistream and RWpostream ), a binary format (classes RWbistream
and RWbostream ), or the user could define his or her own format (e.g., an
interface to a network). Note that because it is an abstract base class, there is no
way to actually enforce these goals—the description here is merely the model
of how a class derived from RWvistream and RWvostream should act.
See class RWvostream for additional explanations and examples of format-
independent stream storage.