[Overview][Constants][Types][Classes][Procedures and functions][Variables] | Reference for unit 'Classes' (#fcl)

# TCustomMemoryStream

[Properties (by Name)] [Methods (by Name)] [Events (by Name)]

Abstract stream that stores its data in memory.

## Declaration

`type TCustomMemoryStream = class(TStream)`
`protected`
`procedure SetPointer();` |  | Sets the internal memory pointer and size of the memory block.
`public`
`function Read(); override;` |  | Reads Count bytes from the stream into buffer.
`function Seek(); override;` |  | Sets a new position in the stream.
`procedure SaveToStream();` |  | Writes the contents of the memory stream to another stream.
`procedure SaveToFile();` |  | Writes the contents of the stream to a file.
`property Memory: Pointer; [r]` |  | Pointer to the data kept in the memory stream.
`end;`

## Inheritance

`TCustomMemoryStream` |  | Abstract stream that stores its data in memory.
`TStream` |  | Base class for streams.
`TObject`

## Description

TCustomMemoryStream is the parent class for streams that stored their data in memory. It introduces all needed functions to handle reading from and navigating through the memory, and introduces a Memory property which points to the memory area where the stream data is kept.

The only thing which TCustomMemoryStream does not do is obtain memory to store data when writing data or the writing of data. This functionality is implemented in descendent streams such as TMemoryStream. The reason for this approach is that this way it is possible to create e.g. read-only descendents of TCustomMemoryStream that point to a fixed part in memory which can be read from, but not written to.

Remark: | Since TCustomMemoryStream is an abstract class, do not create instances of TMemoryStream directly. Instead, create instances of descendents such as TMemoryStream.

## See also

TMemoryStream |  | Standard implementation of a stream that stores its data in memory
TStream |  | Base class for streams.