IOChannel

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 [struct@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 [ctor@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 [ctor@GLib.IOChannel.new_file].

Once a `GIOChannel` has been created, it can be used in a generic manner with the functions [method@GLib.IOChannel.read_chars], [ method@GLib.IOChannel.write_chars], [method@GLib.IOChannel.seek_position], and [method@GLib.IOChannel.shutdown].

To add a `GIOChannel` to the main event loop, use [func@GLib.io_add_watch] or [func@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. [method@GLib.IOChannel.ref] and [method@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 [ctor@GLib.IOChannel.new_file].) Using [func@GLib.io_add_watch] or [ func@GLib.io_add_watch_full] increments a channel’s reference count.

The new functions [method@GLib.IOChannel.read_chars], [method@GLib.IOChannel.read_line], [method@GLib.IOChannel.read_line_string], [ method@GLib.IOChannel.read_to_end], [method@GLib.IOChannel.write_chars], [method@GLib.IOChannel.seek_position], and [ method@GLib.IOChannel.flush] should not be mixed with the deprecated functions [method@GLib.IOChannel.read], [method@GLib.IOChannel.write] , and [method@GLib.IOChannel.seek] on the same channel.