Understanding Virtual Streams
A virtual stream is a data sink or source. Virtual streams are extensions of the C++ stream abstraction, an abstract interface that hides the details of data transmission.
Rogue Wave’s Essential Tools Module includes several virtual streams classes, each suited for a different task:
Use these classes for transmitting data between different operating systems.
Use these classes for single-platform binary formatting.
Use these classes for endian byte ordering.
Use these classes for Sun Microsystem’s XDR formatting.
Standard C++ Library streambufs are the source and sink of bytes for a virtual stream. When an application uses an RWPortalStreambuf, the virtual stream uses a Networking package communications channel as the source or sink of bytes. By using a virtual output stream on one end of a connection and a virtual input stream on the other end of the connection, you can transmit objects across the communications channel.
All virtual streams use operators << and >> to read and write data to and from streams. For more information about virtual streams, see the Essential Tools Module User’s Guide.
