public member function
<istream> <iostream>

std::istream::readsome

streamsize readsome (char* s, streamsize n);
Read data available in buffer
Extracts up to n characters from the stream and stores them in the array pointed by s, stopping as soon as the internal buffer kept by the associated stream buffer object (if any) runs out of characters, even if the end-of-file has not yet been reached.

The function is meant to be used to read data from certain types of asynchronous sources that may eventually wait for more characters, since it stops extracting characters as soon as the internal buffer is exhausted, avoiding potential delays.

Note that this function relies on internals of the particular stream buffer object associated to the stream whose behavior is mostly implementation-defined for standard classes.

Internally, the function accesses the input sequence by first constructing a sentry object (with noskipws set to true). Then (if good), it checks how many characters are currently available at the associated stream buffer object by calling its member function in_avail and extracts up to that many characters by calling sbumpc (or sgetc). Finally, it destroys the sentry object before returning.

The number of characters successfully read and stored by this function can be accessed by calling member gcount.

Parameters

s
Pointer to an array where the extracted characters are stored.
n
Maximum number of characters to extract.
streamsize is a signed integral type.

Return Value

The number of characters stored.
streamsize is a signed integral type.

Errors are signaled by modifying the internal state flags:
flagerror
eofbitThe input sequence has no characters available (as reported by rdbuf()->in_avail() returning -1).
failbitThe construction of sentry failed (such as when the stream state was not good before the call).
badbitError on stream (such as when this function catches an exception thrown by an internal operation).
When set, the integrity of the stream may have been affected.
Multiple flags may be set by a single operation.

If the operation sets an internal state flag that was registered with member exceptions, the function throws an exception of member type failure.

Data races

Modifies the elements in the array pointed by s and the stream object.
Concurrent access to the same stream object may cause data races, except for the standard stream object cin when this is synchronized with stdio (in this case, no data races are initiated, although no guarantees are given on the order in which extracted characters are attributed to threads).

Exception safety

Basic guarantee: if an exception is thrown, the object is in a valid state.
It throws an exception of member type failure if the resulting error state flag is not goodbit and member exceptions was set to throw for that state.
Any exception thrown by an internal operation is caught and handled by the function, setting badbit. If badbit was set on the last call to exceptions, the function rethrows the caught exception.

See also

<istream>