    // Copyright (C) 2003  Davis E. King (davis@dlib.net)
    // License: Boost Software License   See LICENSE.txt for the full license.
    #undef DLIB_SOCKSTREAMBUF_ABSTRACT_
    #ifdef DLIB_SOCKSTREAMBUF_ABSTRACT_

    #include <iosfwd>
    #include <streambuf>
    #include "../sockets/sockets_kernel_abstract.h"

    namespace dlib
    {

    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        class sockstreambuf : public std::streambuf
        {
            /*!
                WHAT THIS OBJECT REPRESENTS
                    This object represents a stream buffer capable of writing to and
                    reading from TCP connections.

                NOTE:
                    For a sockstreambuf EOF is when the connection has closed or otherwise
                    returned some kind of error.

                    Also note that any data written to the streambuf may be buffered
                    internally.  So if you need to ensure that data is actually sent then you
                    should flush the stream.

                    A read operation is guaranteed to block until the number of bytes
                    requested has arrived on the connection.  It will never keep blocking
                    once enough data has arrived.

                THREADING
                    generally speaking, this object has the same kind of threading
                    restrictions as a connection object.  those being:
                    - do not try to write to a sockstreambuf from more than one thread
                    - do not try to read from a sockstreambuf from more than one thread
                    - you may call shutdown() on the connection object and this will
                      cause any reading or writing calls to end.  To the sockstreambuf it
                      will appear the same as hitting EOF.  (note that EOF for a sockstreambuf
                      means that the connection has closed)
                    - it is safe to read from and write to the sockstreambuf at the same time
                    - it is not safe to try to putback a char and read from the stream from
                      different threads
            !*/
        public:
            sockstreambuf (
                connection* con
            );
            /*!
                requires
                    - con == a valid connection object
                ensures
                    - *this will read from and write to con
                    - #flushes_output_on_read() == false
                throws
                    - std::bad_alloc
            !*/

            sockstreambuf (
                const scoped_ptr<connection>& con
            );
            /*!
                requires
                    - con == a valid connection object
                ensures
                    - *this will read from and write to con
                    - #flushes_output_on_read() == false
                throws
                    - std::bad_alloc
            !*/

            ~sockstreambuf (
            );
            /*!
                requires
                    - get_connection() object has not been deleted
                ensures
                    - sockstream buffer is destructed but the connection object will
                      NOT be closed.
                    - Any buffered data is flushed to the connection.
            !*/

            connection* get_connection (
            );
            /*!
                ensures
                    - returns a pointer to the connection object which this buffer
                      reads from and writes to
            !*/

            void flush_output_on_read (
            );
            /*!
                ensures
                    - #flushes_output_on_read() == true
            !*/

            bool flushes_output_on_read (
            ) const;
            /*!
                ensures
                    - This function returns true if this object will flush its output buffer
                      to the network socket before performing any network read.
            !*/

            void do_not_flush_output_on_read (
            );
            /*!
                ensures
                    - #flushes_output_on_read() == false
            !*/

        };

    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    }

    #endif // DLIB_SOCKSTREAMBUF_ABSTRACT_