STREAM(3) Library Functions Manual STREAM(3)
NAME
stream - a structure for communications
SYNOPSIS
bind streamdevice dir
dir/data
dir/ctl
DESCRIPTION
A stream is not a device per se. However, many devices use the streams package in the kernel to implement communications channels. The
properties described here are common to all such channels.
All streams are represented by two standard files, ctl and data, plus any others the particular device wants to add. Reading and writing
the data file receives and sends data on the channel. If the channel is message oriented, each write will represent a message and each
read will return at most one message. If the buffer given in a read is smaller than the message, subsequent reads will return the remain-
der of the message.
Writing textual command strings to the ctl file performs control operations on the stream. The strings need not be null-terminated. Each
device may add to the control operations. The common control operations are:
hangup Hang up this stream. Any subsequent writes will return an error. The first subsequent read will return 0. All following
ones will return an error.
push name Push the module name onto the top of the stream.
pop Pop the top module off the stream
Reading the ctl file returns a textual identifier for the stream. This is used by multiplexed devices and its use is described with the
particular device.
SEE ALSO
pipe(3), dk(3), cons(3), async(3), fcall(3), ip(3), reboot(3)
SOURCE
/sys/src/9/port/st*.c
STREAM(3)
