The Microsoft iostream Class Library

The iostream Class Library provided with the Microsoft C/C++ Compiler is based on the AT&T C++ version 2.1 specification and thus conforms to the descriptions in the more recent C++ textbooks. This library offers a complete input and output capability for binary and text data and can operate in buffered or unbuffered mode.

The iostream classes are most useful for formatted text output. You are probably familiar with the cout predefined output stream used mostly for debugging output. The iostream classes are compatible with the Microsoft Foundation Classes.

The Microsoft iostream Class Library documentation emphasizes the following points:

Using the formatted stream output features

Using stream member functions for file manipulation

Using the input stream extractors

Overloading << and >> operators for your own classes

Writing custom “manipulators” for special formatting

Deriving from the streambuf class for custom processing