.TH stream "" "" Definition
.PC
.PP
The term
.B stream
is a metaphor for any entity that can be named and from which
bits can flow, such as a device or a file.
The name \*(QLstream\*(QR reflects the fact that the
C programming environment does not depend upon record descriptors and
other devices that predetermine what form data can assume;
instead,  data from whatever source are conceived as being
a flow of bytes whose significance is set entirely
by the program that reads them.
.PP
For example, whether 16 bits forms an \fBint\fR, two \fBchar\fRs,
and should be used as an absolute value or a bit map, is entirely
up to the program that receives it.
It is also irrelevant to the program that processes these 16 bits
whether they come from the keyboard, from a file on disk, or from
a peripheral device.
.PP
The
.B FILE
structure holds all of the information needed to manipulate a stream.
The STDIO functions can be used to open, close, or reopen a stream;
read data from it; or write data to it.
.SH "See Also"
.Xr "bit," bit
.Xr "byte," byte
.Xr "data formats," data_form
.Xr "file," file
.Xr "FILE," file.d
.Xr "Programming COHERENT," programmi
.Xr "stdio.h" stdio.h
