System.IO Namespace

The System.IO namespaces contain types that support input and output, including the ability to read and write data to streams either synchronously or asynchronously, to compress data in streams, to create and use isolated stores, to map files to an application's logical address space, to store multiple data objects in a single container, to communicate using anonymous or named pipes, to implement custom logging, and to handle the flow of data to and from serial ports.

Classes

	Class	Description
	BinaryReader	Reads primitive data types as binary values in a specific encoding.
	BinaryWriter	Writes primitive types in binary to a stream and supports writing strings in a specific encoding.
	Directory	Exposes static methods for creating, moving, and enumerating through directories and subdirectories. This class cannot be inherited.
	DirectoryInfo	Exposes instance methods for creating, moving, and enumerating through directories and subdirectories. This class cannot be inherited.
	File	Provides static methods for the creation, copying, deletion, moving, and opening of files, and aids in the creation of FileStream objects.
	FileInfo	Provides properties and instance methods for the creation, copying, deletion, moving, and opening of files, and aids in the creation of FileStream objects. This class cannot be inherited.
	FileNotFoundException	The exception that is thrown when an attempt to access a file that does not exist on disk fails.
	FileStream	Exposes a Stream around a file, supporting both synchronous and asynchronous read and write operations.
	FileSystemInfo	Provides the base class for both FileInfo and DirectoryInfo objects.
	MemoryStream	Creates a stream whose backing store is memory.
	Path	Performs operations on String instances that contain file or directory path information. These operations are performed in a cross-platform manner.
	Stream	Provides a generic view of a sequence of bytes.
	StreamReader	Implements a TextReader that reads characters from a byte stream in a particular encoding.
	StreamWriter	Implements a TextWriter for writing characters to a stream in a particular encoding.
	StringReader	Implements a TextReader that reads from a string.
	StringWriter	Implements a TextWriter for writing information to a string. The information is stored in an underlying StringBuilder.
	TextReader	Represents a reader that can read a sequential series of characters.
	TextWriter	Represents a writer that can write a sequential series of characters. This class is abstract.