Stream

In .NET, a stream is an abstract representation of a sequence of bytes that can be read from or written to. Streams are used for many purposes, such as reading and writing files, working with network sockets, and performing other types of input and output operations.

The System.IO namespace provides a set of stream classes that can be used for working with different types of data, including:

  • FileStream: A stream for reading and writing files.
  • MemoryStream: A stream that stores data in memory, rather than in a file or on a network.
  • NetworkStream: A stream for working with network sockets.
  • CryptoStream: A stream that performs cryptographic transformations on data as it is read or written.

Streams in .NET can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous I/O operations. Synchronous I/O operations are blocking, meaning that the application waits for the operation to complete before proceeding to the next instruction. Asynchronous I/O operations, on the other hand, allow the application to continue executing while the I/O operation is in progress, improving overall application performance.

When working with streams, it is important to properly dispose of them when they are no longer needed, to prevent resource leaks and other issues. The using statement in C# is a common way to ensure that a stream is properly disposed of when it is no longer needed. 

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