I have updated the binary_iostreams library. Changes: - some small bugfixes - added classes binary_istringstream, binary_ostringstream and binary_stringstream - removed << and >> operators for string types * classes binary_istringstream, binary_ostringstream and binary_stringstream The classes binary_istringstream, binary_ostringstream and binary_stringstream allow to read/write to a string that serves as buffer for the binary data. (althought a streambuf that writes to std::vector<unsigned char> would be more suited). For example: binary_stringstream bostringstream; bostringstream << p[0] << p[1] << p[2]; const std::string& buffer = bostringstream.str(); // write buffer a binary_ostream std::copy(buffer.begin(), buffer.end(), binary_ostream_iterator<char>(ostream)); * << and >> operators for string types The stream classes now only support fundamental data types. I am not sure how and wether to handle strings. For example, a regular char* string can be output as a null terminated array of char's, or as a size and a non null-terminated array of char's. Although I prefer the first solution (more portable, no problems with the size of the size type in the second solution), I am not sure if the library should make such a decision. * compression I am also planning on adding a compressing_streambuf class, that can be used in both the IOStreams and the binary_iostreams library. * design I agree with a lot of the comments on design of I/O libraries in the previous posts. However, I do not have the time to design and implement an improved I/O system for C++, and until such a system exists, I am convinced that binary_iostreams should be as close as possible mimic the existing std IOStreams library. * Updated URL's: Direct link to a motivating example: http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~ares/binary_iostreams/test.cpp The library: http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~ares/binary_iostreams/binary_iostreams-0.11.ta... The documentation: http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/~ares/binary_iostreams/doc/ Best regards, -- Ares Lagae Computer Graphics Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven http://www.cs.kuleuven.be/~ares/