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# combined-stream | |
A stream that emits multiple other streams one after another. | |
**NB** Currently `combined-stream` works with streams version 1 only. There is ongoing effort to switch this library to streams version 2. Any help is welcome. :) Meanwhile you can explore other libraries that provide streams2 support with more or less compatibility with `combined-stream`. | |
- [combined-stream2](https://www.npmjs.com/package/combined-stream2): A drop-in streams2-compatible replacement for the combined-stream module. | |
- [multistream](https://www.npmjs.com/package/multistream): A stream that emits multiple other streams one after another. | |
## Installation | |
``` bash | |
npm install combined-stream | |
``` | |
## Usage | |
Here is a simple example that shows how you can use combined-stream to combine | |
two files into one: | |
``` javascript | |
var CombinedStream = require('combined-stream'); | |
var fs = require('fs'); | |
var combinedStream = CombinedStream.create(); | |
combinedStream.append(fs.createReadStream('file1.txt')); | |
combinedStream.append(fs.createReadStream('file2.txt')); | |
combinedStream.pipe(fs.createWriteStream('combined.txt')); | |
``` | |
While the example above works great, it will pause all source streams until | |
they are needed. If you don't want that to happen, you can set `pauseStreams` | |
to `false`: | |
``` javascript | |
var CombinedStream = require('combined-stream'); | |
var fs = require('fs'); | |
var combinedStream = CombinedStream.create({pauseStreams: false}); | |
combinedStream.append(fs.createReadStream('file1.txt')); | |
combinedStream.append(fs.createReadStream('file2.txt')); | |
combinedStream.pipe(fs.createWriteStream('combined.txt')); | |
``` | |
However, what if you don't have all the source streams yet, or you don't want | |
to allocate the resources (file descriptors, memory, etc.) for them right away? | |
Well, in that case you can simply provide a callback that supplies the stream | |
by calling a `next()` function: | |
``` javascript | |
var CombinedStream = require('combined-stream'); | |
var fs = require('fs'); | |
var combinedStream = CombinedStream.create(); | |
combinedStream.append(function(next) { | |
next(fs.createReadStream('file1.txt')); | |
}); | |
combinedStream.append(function(next) { | |
next(fs.createReadStream('file2.txt')); | |
}); | |
combinedStream.pipe(fs.createWriteStream('combined.txt')); | |
``` | |
## API | |
### CombinedStream.create([options]) | |
Returns a new combined stream object. Available options are: | |
* `maxDataSize` | |
* `pauseStreams` | |
The effect of those options is described below. | |
### combinedStream.pauseStreams = `true` | |
Whether to apply back pressure to the underlaying streams. If set to `false`, | |
the underlaying streams will never be paused. If set to `true`, the | |
underlaying streams will be paused right after being appended, as well as when | |
`delayedStream.pipe()` wants to throttle. | |
### combinedStream.maxDataSize = `2 * 1024 * 1024` | |
The maximum amount of bytes (or characters) to buffer for all source streams. | |
If this value is exceeded, `combinedStream` emits an `'error'` event. | |
### combinedStream.dataSize = `0` | |
The amount of bytes (or characters) currently buffered by `combinedStream`. | |
### combinedStream.append(stream) | |
Appends the given `stream` to the combinedStream object. If `pauseStreams` is | |
set to `true, this stream will also be paused right away. | |
`streams` can also be a function that takes one parameter called `next`. `next` | |
is a function that must be invoked in order to provide the `next` stream, see | |
example above. | |
Regardless of how the `stream` is appended, combined-stream always attaches an | |
`'error'` listener to it, so you don't have to do that manually. | |
Special case: `stream` can also be a String or Buffer. | |
### combinedStream.write(data) | |
You should not call this, `combinedStream` takes care of piping the appended | |
streams into itself for you. | |
### combinedStream.resume() | |
Causes `combinedStream` to start drain the streams it manages. The function is | |
idempotent, and also emits a `'resume'` event each time which usually goes to | |
the stream that is currently being drained. | |
### combinedStream.pause(); | |
If `combinedStream.pauseStreams` is set to `false`, this does nothing. | |
Otherwise a `'pause'` event is emitted, this goes to the stream that is | |
currently being drained, so you can use it to apply back pressure. | |
### combinedStream.end(); | |
Sets `combinedStream.writable` to false, emits an `'end'` event, and removes | |
all streams from the queue. | |
### combinedStream.destroy(); | |
Same as `combinedStream.end()`, except it emits a `'close'` event instead of | |
`'end'`. | |
## License | |
combined-stream is licensed under the MIT license. | |