:right-sidebar: True

IOChannel
===================================================================

.. currentmodule:: gi.repository.GLib





.. class:: IOChannel(*args, **kwargs)
   :no-contents-entry:






The ``GIOChannel`` data type aims to provide a portable method for
using file descriptors, pipes, and sockets, and integrating them
into the main event loop (see :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.MainContext`\). Currently,
full support is available on UNIX platforms; support for Windows
is only partially complete.

To create a new ``GIOChannel`` on UNIX systems use
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.unix_new`\. This works for plain file descriptors,
pipes and sockets. Alternatively, a channel can be created for a
file in a system independent manner using :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.new_file`\.

Once a ``GIOChannel`` has been created, it can be used in a generic
manner with the functions :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read_chars`\,
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.write_chars`\, :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.seek_position`\,
and :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.shutdown`\.

To add a ``GIOChannel`` to the main event loop, use :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.io_add_watch` or
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.io_add_watch_full`\. Here you specify which events you are
interested in on the ``GIOChannel``\, and provide a function to be called
whenever these events occur.

``GIOChannel`` instances are created with an initial reference count of 1.
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.ref` and :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.unref` can be used to
increment or decrement the reference count respectively. When the
reference count falls to 0, the ``GIOChannel`` is freed. (Though it
isn’t closed automatically, unless it was created using
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.new_file`\.) Using :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.io_add_watch` or
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.io_add_watch_full` increments a channel’s reference count.

The new functions :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read_chars`\,
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read_line`\, :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read_line_string`\,
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read_to_end`\, :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.write_chars`\,
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.seek_position`\, and :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.flush`
should not be mixed with the deprecated functions
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read`\, :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.write`\, and
:obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.seek` on the same channel.




Methods
-------

.. rst-class:: interim-class

.. class:: IOChannel
   :no-index:


   .. method:: add_watch(condition, callback, *user_data, priority=0)

      






      :param condition: 

      :param callback: 

      :param user_data: 

      :param priority: 




   .. method:: read(max_count=-1)

      Reads data from a :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel`\.





      .. deprecated:: 2.2

         Use :func:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.read_chars` instead.



      :param max_count: 




   .. method:: readline(size_hint=-1)

      






      :param size_hint: 




   .. method:: readlines(size_hint=-1)

      






      :param size_hint: 




   .. method:: seek(offset, whence=0)

      Sets the current position in the :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel`\, similar to the standard
      library function fseek().





      .. deprecated:: 2.2

         Use :func:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.seek_position` instead.



      :param offset: an offset, in bytes, which is added to the position specified
                  by ``type``

      :param whence: 




   .. method:: write(buf, buflen=-1)

      Writes data to a :obj:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel`\.





      .. deprecated:: 2.2

         Use :func:`~gi.repository.GLib.IOChannel.write_chars` instead.



      :param buf: the buffer containing the data to write

      :param buflen: 




   .. method:: writelines(lines)

      






      :param lines: