readline reads the next line from a Ruby input stream, such as a File or socket. Unlike gets, it raises EOFError instead of returning nil when no line remains. section 12.2.2 section 14.5.3
Reading until a client disconnects
A chat server can place c.readline inside a loop. Each received line is broadcast; when the client disconnects, EOFError transfers control to rescue, where the connection is closed and removed. section 14.5.3
Choose related operations according to how the input stream should behave:
- Use gets when end-of-file should produce nil rather than an exception. section 12.2.2
- Use readlines to collect the entire file as an array of lines, or each and each_line to process lines incrementally. section 12.2.2
- Use rewind to move the stream position back to the beginning before reading again. section 12.2.2
>> f.read
=> " def initialize(venue, date)\n @venue = venue\n
@date = date\n end\n\n
etc.
>> f.gets
=> nil
>> f.readline
end of file reached (EOFError)
Observe gets returning nil and readline raising EOFError after the stream has reached its end. section 12.2.2
