Instruction Manual

Click on the banner to return to the user guide home page.
©Copyright 1996 Rogue Wave Software
Specializing Virtual Streams
The Rogue Wave classes include four types of classes that specialize RWvistream and
RWvostream. The first uses a portable ASCII formatting, the second and third a binary
formatting, and the fourth an XDR formatting (eXternal Data Representation, a Sun
Microsytems standard):
Input class Output class
Abstract base class RWvistream RWvostream
Portable ASCII RWpistream RWpostream
Binary RWbistream RWbostream
Endian RWeistream RWeostream
XDR RWXDRistream RWXDRostream
The portable ASCII versions store their inserted items in an ASCII format that escapes special
characters (such as tabs, newlines, etc.) in such a manner that they will be restored properly,
even under a different operating system. The binary versions do not reformat inserted items, but
store them instead in their native format. The endian versions allow for the space and time
efficiency of binary format, but can store or retrieve the information in big endian, little endian,
or native format. XDR versions send their items to an XDR stream, to be transmitted remotely
over a network.
None of these versions retain any state: they can be freely interchanged with regular streams,
including XDR. Using them does not lock you into doing all your file I/O with them. For more
information, see the respective entries in the Class Reference.