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Author Topic: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?  (Read 1081 times)

jamie

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Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« on: December 02, 2023, 10:04:52 pm »
To be more specific, is there a readymade class/object that can index non- uniformed sizes of data pointing at a stream?
 
Before I go on a tangent and write my own, I like to first explore what is out there in the libs that comes with the compiler of Lazarus.

  Basically, I supply a stream, be it a file stream or memory stream but stream it is.

  I add nodes for example that has chunks of data, each having its own header attached to the chunk. This data could be anything, but it will go to a stream and the object/Class will generate an index to where these items start in the stream.

 After looking around at some readymade items, I see that I can use a Tlist for example, to store the offset pointers to a stream. would be nice if there was a readymade class that did all of that so I wouldn't have to make it myself, you know reinvent the wheel!


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jamie

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2023, 03:37:13 am »
I came up with a test app using a generic embedded within a class.
This basically create a table of my Record that contains the data per chunk of data in the stream.
The actual use case will be a little different of course.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]
  1. unit Unit1;
  2.  
  3. {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
  4. {$modeSwitch AdvancedRecords}
  5. interface
  6.  
  7. uses
  8.   Classes, SysUtils, Forms, Controls, Graphics, Dialogs, StdCtrls,fgl;
  9.  
  10. type
  11.  TMyStreamBlob = Class
  12.    Type
  13.      TField = Record
  14.        fDate:TDateTime;
  15.        fSize:Integer;
  16.        fIndex:Integer;//Position of Stream;
  17.        //Some other stuff etc.
  18.      class operator =(A,B:TField):Boolean;
  19.       End;
  20.   TIndex = Specialize TFpgList<TField>;
  21.   Private
  22.     fStream:TStream;
  23.     fownStream:Boolean;
  24.    fIndex :TIndex;
  25.   public
  26.    Function AddBlob(APointer:Pointer;ASize:Integer):Integer;
  27.    constructor Create(AStream:Tstream;aOwnit:Boolean=false);Virtual;
  28.    destructor  Destroy;override;
  29.  end;
  30.  
  31.   { TForm1 }
  32.  
  33.   TForm1 = class(TForm)
  34.     Button1: TButton;
  35.     procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
  36.   private
  37.  
  38.   public
  39.  
  40.   end;
  41.  
  42. var
  43.   Form1: TForm1;
  44.  
  45. implementation
  46.  
  47. {$R *.lfm}
  48.  
  49. { TForm1 }
  50.  
  51. procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject); //Test  it.
  52. Const ABlobField:String='Test';
  53. Var
  54.   Blobs:TMyStreamBlob;
  55. begin
  56.   Blobs := TMyStreamBlob.Create(TMemoryStream.Create, True);
  57.   Blobs.AddBlob(@ABlobField,Length(AblobField));//add a blob;
  58.   Caption :=Blobs.fIndex.Count.Tostring+' records,'+Blobs.fStream.Size.Tostring+' Bytes';// test data.
  59.   Caption := Caption+' At '+DateTimeTostr(Blobs.Findex.Items[0].fDate);
  60.   Blobs.Free;
  61. end;
  62. Function TmyStreamBlob.AddBlob(APointer:Pointer;ASize:Integer):Integer;
  63. Var
  64.   A:TField;
  65. begin
  66.   A.fDate := Now;
  67.   A.fSize := ASize;
  68.   A.fIndex := fStream.Position;
  69.   fstream.WriteBuffer(aPointer^,ASize);
  70.   fIndex.Add(A);//Add after incase of stream error.
  71. end;
  72. Destructor TMyStreamBlob.Destroy;
  73. Begin
  74.   if fOwnStream Then FreeAndNil(fStream);
  75.   fIndex.Free;
  76.   inherited;
  77. end;
  78.  
  79. Constructor TMySTreamBlob.Create(AStream:TStream;AOwnit:Boolean=false);
  80. Begin
  81.  fIndex := Tindex.Create;
  82.  FStream := AStream;  fOwnStream := AOWnit;
  83. End;
  84. class operator TMyStreamBlob.Tfield.=(A,B:TField):Boolean;
  85. Begin
  86.    Result := CompareMem(@A,@B,SizeOf(TField));
  87. End;
  88. end.
  89.  

Ill attach the project, too.
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jamie

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2023, 03:44:14 am »
I wanted to ask, maybe a fpc DEV.

I tried to put a reference to the stream within the Constructor.Create, It allow this but when I went to actually call the constructor It would not allow it..

 Constructor Create(Var AStream:TStream);

Later on

  MyBlob := TBlobStream.Create(AStreamElsewhwere);

Would not allow it.

 Clamed to be a type error.

This would be nice because I have a OWNED default in there where I can free the stream inside the blob code and set the stream to NIL at the same time. This way if an attempt with a FREE is executed on that same stream it will just ignore it.

This is in FPC 3.0.4 if that makes any difference.
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af0815

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2023, 08:52:42 am »
XML or JSON for this ?! Because it sounds for me Like serialsation of data/components.
regards
Andreas

WooBean

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2023, 10:08:58 am »
To be more specific, is there a readymade class/object that can index non- uniformed sizes of data pointing at a stream?
 ...

IMO, you are describing a pair of existing  classes (as old as object Pascal is) - TStream and TList. Just use them both.
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cdbc

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2023, 10:24:58 am »
Hi
Would it help to take a look at, how TDbf handles ftMemo fields internally?!?Regards Benny
If it ain't broke, don't fix it ;)
PCLinuxOS(rolling release) 64bit -> KDE5 -> FPC 3.2.2 -> Lazarus 2.2.6 up until Jan 2024 from then on it's: KDE5/QT5 -> FPC 3.3.1 -> Lazarus 3.0

jamie

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2023, 04:03:29 pm »
The TEST string was just a data source for the test app.

data will come from various sources like Images, byte blobs. They cannot be stored in text format due to speed and space.

$MS has a component int their .NET framework that is basically a buffered stream of data that is indexed and can be compressed on the fly along with using file caching or memory.

 Their class has a Lock on it so that it can't be used to build descendant classes, but it's designed to allow any form of data.

 The idea is to have a class much like a TImageList but this list will accept any form of data so it's going to be a TBlobList for example.

 I want to be able to actually use the streaming abilities of for example, PNG, JPG, BMP or just plain bytes or from some custom formats and on top of that, I was using a the zstream to compress it as an option.



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jamie

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Re: Is there an indexable stream object with random block sizes?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2023, 04:16:54 pm »
While I am here.

Any thoughts on the issue that I can't pass a Stream into the constructor.create as a VAR reference so I can gain direct access to the source of the stream within the class?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]
  1. Constructor Create(Var AStream:TStream; Owned:Boolean = false);
  2. Begin
  3.  fInternalStream := AStream;
  4.  // Later in the destructor I can do a FreeAndNil and it should result in the source stream getting freeAndNil
  5. End;
  6.  

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