5.8.2 Port input/output

The (rnrs io ports (6)) library defines an I/O layer for conventional, imperative buffered input and output. A port represents a buffered access object for a data sink or source or both simultaneously. The library allows ports to be created from arbitrary data sources and sinks.

The (rnrs io ports (6)) library distinguishes between input ports and output ports. An input port is a source for data, whereas an output port is a sink for data. A port may be both an input port and an output port; such a port typically provides simultaneous read and write access to a file or other data.

The (rnrs io ports (6)) library also distinguishes between binary ports, which are sources or sinks for uninterpreted bytes, and textual ports, which are sources or sinks for characters and strings.

This section uses input-port, output-port, binary-port, textual-port, binary-input-port, textual-input-port, binary-output-port, textual-output-port, and port as names for arguments that must be input ports (or combined input/output ports), output ports (or combined input/output ports), binary ports, textual ports, binary input ports, textual input ports, binary output ports, textual output ports, or any kind of port, respectively.