[Chapter 11] StringBufferInputStream
Author: Mark Grand and Jonathan Knudsen
Date: Fri Aug 8 16:42:12 1997

#

| Chapter 11 The java.io Package |

# StringBufferInputStream

## Name

StringBufferInputStream

## Synopsis

Class Name:

  `java.io.StringBufferInputStream`

Superclass:

  `java.io.InputStream`

Immediate Subclasses:

  None

Interfaces Implemented:

  None

Availability:

  Deprecated as of JDK 1.1

## Description

The `StringBufferInputStream` class represents a byte stream whose data source is a `String`. This class is similar to the `ByteArrayInputStream` class, which uses a `byte` array as its data source.

`StringBufferInputStream` is deprecated as of JDK 1.1 because it does not correctly convert characters to bytes. The `StringReader` class should now be used to create a character stream from a`String`.

## Class Summary

    public class java.io.StringBufferInputStream extends java.io.InputStream {
      // Variables
      protected String buffer;
      protected int count;
      protected int pos;
      // Constructor
      public StringBufferInputStream(String s);
      // Instance Methods
      public synchronized int available();
      public synchronized int read();
      public synchronized int read(byte[] b, int off, int len);
      public synchronized void reset();
      public synchronized long skip(long n);
    }

## Variables

### buffer

#### protected String buffer

Description

  The buffer that stores the data for the input stream.

### count

#### protected int count

Description

  The size of the buffer, or in other words, the length of the string.

### pos

#### protected int pos

Description

  The current stream position.

## Constructors

### StringBufferInputStream

#### public StringBufferInputStream(String s)

Parameters

  `s`

    The `String` to use.

Description

  This constructor creates a `StringBufferInputStream` that uses the given `String` as its data source. Note that the data is not copied, so changes made to the `String` affect the data that the `StringBufferInputStream` returns.

## Instance Methods

### available

#### public synchronized int available()

Returns

  The number of bytes remaining in the string.

Overrides

  `InputStream.available()`

Description

  This method returns the number of bytes that are left in the string. This is the length of the string, `count`, minus the current stream position, `pos`.

### read

#### public synchronized int read()

Returns

  The next byte of data or `-1` if the end of the string is encountered.

Overrides

  `InputStream.read()`

Description

  This method returns the next byte from the string. The method takes the next character from the string and returns the low eight bits of that character as a byte, which is not the correct way to convert characters into bytes. The method cannot block.

#### public synchronized int read(byte b[], int off, int len)

Parameters

  `b`

    An array of bytes to be filled from the stream.

  `off`

    An offset into the byte array.

  `len`

    The number of bytes to read.

Returns

  The actual number of bytes read or `-1` if the end of the string is encountered immediately.

Overrides

  `InputStream.read(byte[], int, int)`

Description

  This method copies bytes from the internal buffer into the given array `b`, starting at index `off` and continuing for `len` bytes. The method takes each character from the string and returns the low eight bits of that character as a byte, which is not the correct way to convert characters into bytes.

### reset

#### public synchronized void reset()

Overrides

  `InputStream.reset()`

Description

  This method sets the position of the `StringBufferInputStream` back to the beginning of the internal buffer.

### skip

#### public synchronized long skip(long n)

Parameters

  `n`

    The number of bytes to skip.

Returns

  The actual number of bytes skipped.

Overrides

  `InputStream.skip()`

Description

  This method skips `n` bytes of the string. If you try to skip past the end of the string, the stream is positioned at the end of the string.

## Inherited Methods

Method | Inherited From | Method | Inherited From
--- | --- | --- | ---
`clone()` | `Object` | `close()` | `InputStream`
`equals(Object)` | `Object` | `finalize()` | `Object`
`getClass()` | `Object` | `hashCode()` | `Object`
`mark(int)` | `InputStream` | `markSupported()` | `InputStream`
`notify()` | `Object` | `notifyAll()` | `Object`
`read(byte[])` | `InputStream` | `toString()` | `Object`
`wait()` | `Object` | `wait(long)` | `Object`
`wait(long, int)` | `Object` |  |

## See Also

`ByteArrayInputStream`, `InputStream`, `IOException`, `String`, `StringReader`

StreamTokenizer |  | StringReader