Streams
In
C, the term stream means any source of input or any destination for
output. Many small programs, like the ones in previous chapters, obtain all
their input from one stream (usually associated with the keyboard) and write
all their output to another stream (usually associated with the screen).
Larger
programs may need additional streams. These streams often represent files
stored on various media (such as hard drives. CDs, DVDs, and flash memory), but
they could just as easily be associated with devices that don't store files:
network ports, printers, and the like. We'll concentrate on files, since
they're common and easy to understand. (I may even occasionally use the term
file when I should say stream.) Keep in mind, however, that many of
the functions in work equally well with all streams, not just
the ones that represent files.
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