Stream Rust Reference Documentation

Stream

Current Version: 11.6.1

Chilkat.Stream

Read, write, pipe, monitor, and control byte or text streams.

Chilkat.Stream is a general-purpose streaming object for moving data between sources and sinks without requiring the entire payload to be handled at once. A stream can read from files, byte arrays, strings, or other sources; write to files, memory, BinData, StringBuilder, or other sinks; handle binary and text data; apply character-set rules for strings; process file parts; track bytes sent and received; and support timeouts, polling, aborts, async task integration, and end-of-stream handling.

File and memory sources

Stream from a source file, byte array, string, or selected file part without manually loading or copying all data first.

File and object sinks

Write streamed data to a sink file, append to an existing file, or output to BinData, StringBuilder, bytes, or strings.

Binary reads and writes

Read or write raw bytes, fixed byte counts, encoded byte strings, individual bytes, or BinData content.

Text streaming

Read and write strings using StringCharset, optionally use a BOM, and read text until CRLF or a matching delimiter.

Timeouts and polling

Control read and write wait behavior, poll for immediately available data, and inspect read or write failure reasons.

Progress and lifecycle

Track bytes sent and received, detect end-of-stream or write-closed state, reset streams, close writing, and abort long-running operations.

Common pattern: Configure the stream's source and sink, set the character set or chunk size if needed, then read or write using the method that matches the data type: bytes, encoded bytes, strings, BinData, or StringBuilder. Check EndOfStream, ReadFailReason, WriteFailReason, NumReceived, NumSent, and LastErrorText to understand stream progress and failures.
Timeout note: For ReadTimeoutMs, a value of 0 means a polling read, not an infinite timeout. For WriteTimeoutMs, 0 means return immediately if the stream cannot be written to right away.

Object Creation

// Cargo.toml:
//     [dependencies]
//     chilkat = "11.6"

use chilkat::Stream;

// Once per process, before any other Chilkat call:
chilkat::unlock_bundle("Anything for 30-day trial")?;  // shorthand for Global::new().unlock_bundle(..)

let stream = Stream::new();
// ... the native object is freed when `stream` goes out of scope.
pub fn new() -> Stream

Creates the underlying native Chilkat object (Stream also implements Default). Every method takes &self, so the object never needs to be declared mut. A Stream is Send but not Sync: it may be moved to another thread, but a reference to it cannot be shared between threads at the same time.

impl Drop for Stream

The native object is freed when the Stream is dropped — when it goes out of scope, or explicitly with drop(stream). There is no Dispose method to call.

Errors

Methods that can fail return chilkat::Result<T>, which is Result<T, chilkat::Error>: a method whose only outcome is success or failure returns Result<()>, a method producing a string or an object returns Result<String> or Result<Stream>. The error carries the object's LastErrorText at the time of the failure (Error::last_error_text), the class and method names, and implements std::error::Error, so ? works in any function returning chilkat::Result or a Box<dyn Error>. Properties never fail, and methods that answer a question (has_..., is_..., ...) return a plain bool.

match stream.some_method(...) {
    Ok(value) => println!("{value:?}"),
    Err(e) => eprintln!("{}", e.last_error_text()),
}

Properties

AbortCurrent
// read/write
pub fn abort_current(&self) -> bool
pub fn set_abort_current(&self, value: bool)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

When set to true, causes the currently running method to abort. Methods that always finish quickly (i.e.have no length file operations or network communications) are not affected. If no method is running, then this property is automatically reset to false when the next method is called. When the abort occurs, this property is reset to false. Both synchronous and asynchronous method calls can be aborted. (A synchronous method call could be aborted by setting this property from a separate thread.)

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CanRead
// read-only
pub fn can_read(&self) -> bool
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

true if the stream supports reading. Otherwise false.

Note: A stream that supports reading, which has already reached the end-of-stream, will still have a CanRead value of true. This property indicates the stream's inherent ability, and not whether or not the stream can be read at a particular moment in time.

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CanWrite
// read-only
pub fn can_write(&self) -> bool
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

true if the stream supports writing. Otherwise false.

Note: A stream that supports writing, which has already been closed for write, will still have a CanWrite value of true. This property indicates the stream's inherent ability, and not whether or not the stream can be written at a particular moment in time.

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DataAvailable
// read-only
pub fn data_available(&self) -> bool
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

true if it is known for sure that data is ready and waiting to be read. false if it is not known for sure (it may be that data is immediately available, but reading the stream with a ReadTimeoutMs of 0, which is to poll the stream, is the way to find out).

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DebugLogFilePath
// read/write
pub fn debug_log_file_path(&self) -> String
pub fn set_debug_log_file_path(&self, value: &str)

If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.

Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.

Possible causes of hangs include:

  • A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
  • A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
  • An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.

More Information and Examples
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DefaultChunkSize
// read/write
pub fn default_chunk_size(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_default_chunk_size(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The default internal chunk size for reading or writing. The default value is 65536. If this property is set to 0, it will cause the default chunk size (65536) to be used. Note: The chunk size can have significant performance impact. If performance is an issue, be sure to experiment with different chunk sizes.

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EndOfStream
// read-only
pub fn end_of_stream(&self) -> bool
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

true if the end-of-stream has already been reached. When the stream has already ended, all calls to Read* methods will return false with the ReadFailReason set to 3 (already at end-of-stream).

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HeartbeatMs
// read/write
pub fn heartbeat_ms(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_heartbeat_ms(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.97

The interval in milliseconds between each AbortCheck event callback, which enables an application to abort certain method calls before they complete. By default, HeartbeatMs is set to 0, meaning no AbortCheck event callbacks will trigger.

More Information and Examples
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IsWriteClosed
// read-only
pub fn is_write_closed(&self) -> bool
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

true if the stream is closed for writing. Once closed, no more data may be written to the stream.

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LastErrorHtml
// read-only
pub fn last_error_html(&self) -> String

Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorText
// read-only
pub fn last_error_text(&self) -> String

Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorXml
// read-only
pub fn last_error_xml(&self) -> String

Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastMethodSuccess
// read/write
pub fn last_method_success(&self) -> bool
pub fn set_last_method_success(&self, value: bool)

Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: true means success, false means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.

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Length
// read/write
pub fn length(&self) -> i64
pub fn set_length(&self, value: i64)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The length (in bytes) of the stream's source. If unknown, then this property will have a value of -1. This property may be set by the application if it knows in advance the length of the stream.

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Length32
// read/write
pub fn length32(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_length32(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

The length (in bytes) of the stream's source. If unknown, then this property will have a value of -1. This property may be set by the application if it knows in advance the length of the stream.

Setting this property also sets the Length property (which is a 64-bit integer).

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NumReceived
// read-only
pub fn num_received(&self) -> i64
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The number of bytes received by the stream.

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NumSent
// read-only
pub fn num_sent(&self) -> i64
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The number of bytes sent by the stream.

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ReadFailReason
// read-only
pub fn read_fail_reason(&self) -> i32
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

This property is automatically set when a Read* method is called. It indicates the reason for failure. Possible values are:

    0>
  1. No failure (success)
  2. Timeout, or no data is immediately available for a polling read.
  3. Aborted by an application callback.
  4. Already at end-of-stream.
  5. Fatal stream error.
  6. Out-of-memory error (this is very unlikely).

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ReadTimeoutMs
// read/write
pub fn read_timeout_ms(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_read_timeout_ms(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The maximum number of seconds to wait while reading. The default value is 30 seconds (i.e. 30000ms). A value of 0 indicates a poll. (A polling read is to return with a timeout if no data is immediately available.)

Important: For most Chilkat timeout related properties, a value of 0 indicates an infinite timeout. For this property, a value of 0 indicates a poll. If setting a timeout related property (or method argument) to zero, be sure to understand if 0 means wait forever or poll.

The timeout value is not a total timeout. It is the maximum time to wait while no additional data is forthcoming.

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SinkFile
// read/write
pub fn sink_file(&self) -> String
pub fn set_sink_file(&self, value: &str)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Sets the sink to the path of a file. The file does not need to exist at the time of setting this property. The sink file will be automatically opened on demand, when the stream is first written.

Note: This property takes priority over other potential sinks. Make sure this property is set to an empty string if the stream's sink is to be something else.

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SinkFileAppend
// read/write
pub fn sink_file_append(&self) -> bool
pub fn set_sink_file_append(&self, value: bool)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.83

If true, the stream appends to the SinkFile rather than truncating and re-writing the sink file. The default value is false.

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SourceFile
// read/write
pub fn source_file(&self) -> String
pub fn set_source_file(&self, value: &str)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Sets the source to the path of a file. The file does not need to exist at the time of setting this property. The source file will be automatically opened on demand, when the stream is first read.

Note: This property takes priority over other potential sources. Make sure this property is set to an empty string if the stream's source is to be something else.

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SourceFilePart
// read/write
pub fn source_file_part(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_source_file_part(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.59

If the source is a file, then this property can be used to stream one part of the file. The SourceFilePartSize property defines the size (in bytes) of each part. The SourceFilePart and SourceFilePartSize have default values of 0, which means the entire SourceFile is streamed.

This property is a 0-based index. For example, if the SourceFilePartSize is 1000, then part 0 is for bytes 0 to 999, part 1 is for bytes 1000 to 1999, etc.

More Information and Examples
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SourceFilePartSize
// read/write
pub fn source_file_part_size(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_source_file_part_size(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.59

If the source is a file, then this property, in conjunction with the SourceFilePart property, can be used to stream a single part of the file. This property defines the size (in bytes) of each part. The SourceFilePart and SourceFilePartSize have default values of 0, which means that by default, the entire SourceFile is streamed.

More Information and Examples
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StringBom
// read/write
pub fn string_bom(&self) -> bool
pub fn set_string_bom(&self, value: bool)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

If true, then include the BOM when creating a string source via SetSourceString where the charset is utf-8, utf-16, etc. (The term BOM stands for Byte Order Mark, also known as the preamble.) Also, if true, then include the BOM when writing a string via the WriteString method. The default value of this property is false.

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StringCharset
// read/write
pub fn string_charset(&self) -> String
pub fn set_string_charset(&self, value: &str)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Indicates the expected character encoding, such as utf-8, windows-1256, utf-16, etc. for methods that read text such as: ReadString, ReadToCRLF, ReadUntilMatch. Also controls the character encoding when writing strings with the WriteString method. The supported charsets are indicated at the link below.

The default value is utf-8.

More Information and Examples
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VerboseLogging
// read/write
pub fn verbose_logging(&self) -> bool
pub fn set_verbose_logging(&self, value: bool)

If set to true, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is false. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
// read-only
pub fn version(&self) -> String

Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0"

More Information and Examples
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WriteFailReason
// read-only
pub fn write_fail_reason(&self) -> i32
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

This property is automatically set when a Write* method is called. It indicates the reason for failure. Possible values are:

    0>
  1. No failure (success)
  2. Timeout, or unable to immediately write when the WriteTimeoutMs is 0.
  3. Aborted by an application callback.
  4. The stream has already ended.
  5. Fatal stream error.
  6. Out-of-memory error (this is very unlikely).

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WriteTimeoutMs
// read/write
pub fn write_timeout_ms(&self) -> i32
pub fn set_write_timeout_ms(&self, value: i32)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The maximum number of seconds to wait while writing. The default value is 30 seconds (i.e. 30000ms). A value of 0 indicates to return immediately if it is not possible to write to the sink immediately.

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Methods

ReadBd
pub fn read_bd(&self, bin_data: &BinData) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.67

Read as much data as is immediately available on the stream. If no data is immediately available, it waits up to ReadTimeoutMs milliseconds for data to arrive. The incoming data is appended to bin_data.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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ReadBytesENC
pub fn read_bytes_enc(&self, encoding: &str) -> Result<String>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The same as ReadBytes, except returns the received bytes in encoded string form. The encoding argument indicates the encoding, which can be base64, hex, or any of the multitude of encodings indicated in the link below.

Returns Err(chilkat::Error) on failure.

More Information and Examples
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ReadNBytesENC
pub fn read_n_bytes_enc(&self, num_bytes: i32, encoding: &str) -> Result<String>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

The same as ReadNBytes, except returns the received bytes in encoded string form. The encoding argument indicates the encoding, which can be base64, hex, or any of the multitude of encodings indicated in the link below.

Returns Err(chilkat::Error) on failure.

More Information and Examples
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ReadSb
pub fn read_sb(&self, sb: &StringBuilder) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.67

Read as much data as is immediately available on the stream. If no data is immediately available, it waits up to ReadTimeoutMs milliseconds for data to arrive. The data is appended to sb. The incoming bytes are interpreted according to the StringCharset property. For example, if utf-8 bytes are expected, then StringCharset should be set to utf-8 prior to calling ReadSb.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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ReadString
pub fn read_string(&self) -> Result<String>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Read as much data as is immediately available on the stream. If no data is immediately available, it waits up to ReadTimeoutMs milliseconds for data to arrive. The data is returned as a string. The incoming bytes are interpreted according to the StringCharset property. For example, if utf-8 bytes are expected, then StringCharset should be set to utf-8 prior to calling ReadString.

Returns Err(chilkat::Error) on failure.

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ReadToCRLF
pub fn read_to_crlf(&self) -> Result<String>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Reads the stream until a CRLF is received. If no data is immediately available, it waits up to ReadTimeoutMs milliseconds for data to arrive. The data is returned as a string. The incoming bytes are interpreted according to the StringCharset property. For example, if utf-8 bytes are expected, then StringCharset should be set to utf-8 prior to calling ReadString.

Note: If the end-of-stream is reached prior to receiving the CRLF, then the remaining data is returned, and the ReadFailReason property will be set to 3 (to indicate end-of-file). This is the only case where as string would be returned that does not end with CRLF.

Returns Err(chilkat::Error) on failure.

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ReadUntilMatch
pub fn read_until_match(&self, match_str: &str) -> Result<String>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Reads the stream until the string indicated by match_str is received. If no data is immediately available, it waits up to ReadTimeoutMs milliseconds for data to arrive. The data is returned as a string. The incoming bytes are interpreted according to the StringCharset property. For example, if utf-8 bytes are expected, then StringCharset should be set to utf-8 prior to calling ReadString.

Note: If the end-of-stream is reached prior to receiving the match string, then the remaining data is returned, and the ReadFailReason property will be set to 3 (to indicate end-of-file). This is the only case where as string would be returned that does not end with the desired match string.

Returns Err(chilkat::Error) on failure.

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Reset
pub fn reset(&self)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Resets the stream. If a source or sink is open, then it is closed. Properties such as EndOfStream and IsWriteClose are reset to default values.

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SetSourceString
pub fn set_source_string(&self, src_str: &str, charset: &str) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Sets the stream's source to the contents of src_str. The charset indicates the character encoding to be used for the byte representation of the src_str.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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WriteBd
pub fn write_bd(&self, bin_data: &BinData) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.67

Writes the contents of bin_data to the stream.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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WriteByte
pub fn write_byte(&self, byte_val: i32) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Writes a single byte to the stream. The byte_val must have a value from 0 to 255.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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WriteBytes2
pub fn write_bytes2(&self, byte_data: &[u8]) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.82

Writes binary bytes to a stream.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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WriteBytesENC
pub fn write_bytes_enc(&self, byte_data: &str, encoding: &str) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Writes binary bytes to a stream. The byte data is passed in encoded string form, where the encoding can be base64, hex, or any of the supported binary encodings listed at the link below.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

More Information and Examples
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WriteClose
pub fn write_close(&self) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Indicates that no more data will be written to the stream.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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WriteSb
pub fn write_sb(&self, sb: &StringBuilder) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.67

Writes the contents of sb to the stream. The actual bytes written are the byte representation of the string as indicated by the StringCharset property. For example, to write utf-8 bytes, first set StringCharset equal to utf-8 and then call WriteSb.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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WriteString
pub fn write_string(&self, str: &str) -> Result<()>
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Writes a string to a stream. The actual bytes written are the byte representation of the string as indicated by the StringCharset property. For example, to write utf-8 bytes, first set StringCharset equal to utf-8 and then call WriteString.

Returns Ok(()) for success, Err(chilkat::Error) for failure.

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Events

All Chilkat methods are synchronous: the call returns when the work is done. During a call, Stream raises three events so your application can show progress and offer a way out. Implement the chilkat::EventHandler trait (every method has a do-nothing default, so implement only the events you need) and install it with set_event_handler:

use chilkat::{Stream, EventHandler};

struct Progress;

impl EventHandler for Progress {
    fn percent_done(&mut self, pct: i32) -> bool {
        println!("{pct}%");
        false   // return true to abort the method in progress
    }
    fn progress_info(&mut self, name: &str, value: &str) {
        println!("{name}: {value}");
    }
}

let stream = Stream::new();
stream.set_event_handler(Progress);
stream.set_heartbeat_ms(250);   // raise abort_check 4 times per second during Chilkat calls

For a one-off handler the closure methods avoid writing a type; they may be combined, and each replaces the previously set closure for that one event (installing a closure removes a trait handler set earlier, and vice versa):

stream.on_percent_done(|pct| { println!("{pct}%"); false });
stream.on_progress_info(|name, value| println!("{name}: {value}"));
pub fn set_event_handler<H: EventHandler>(&self, handler: H)

Installs handler as the receiver of this object's events, replacing any handler or closures set earlier. The object owns the handler, which must be Send + 'static.

pub fn clear_event_handler(&self)

Removes the handler and any closures; events are no longer delivered.

AbortCheck fires at regular intervals controlled by the HeartbeatMs property (0, the default, disables it); PercentDone fires when an operation's completion percentage is known; ProgressInfo delivers named progress values. Returning true from abort_check or percent_done aborts the running method, which then returns Err.

Events fire on the thread that called the method, before that method returns. A panic inside a handler aborts the running method and is re-raised to the caller once the native library has returned, so it never unwinds through C frames. To abort a long operation from another thread, share an Arc<AtomicBool> with an abort_check handler, or set the object's AbortCurrent property to true.

AbortCheck
// EventHandler trait method; closure form: on_abort_check(FnMut() -> bool)
fn abort_check(&mut self) -> bool

Enables a method call to be aborted by triggering the AbortCheck event at intervals defined by the HeartbeatMs property. If HeartbeatMs is set to its default value of 0, no events will occur. For instance, set HeartbeatMs to 200 to trigger 5 AbortCheck events per second.

More Information and Examples

Example (closure form; the EventHandler trait method is equivalent):

stream.set_heartbeat_ms(250);   // call abort_check 4 times per second

let stop = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool::new(false));
let flag = stop.clone();
stream.on_abort_check(move || flag.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed));
// ... another thread may now abort the method in progress with stop.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed)
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PercentDone
// EventHandler trait method; closure form: on_percent_done(FnMut(i32) -> bool)
fn percent_done(&mut self, pct: i32) -> bool

This provides the percentage completion for any method involving network communications or time-consuming processing, assuming the progress can be measured as a percentage. This event is triggered only when it's possible and logical to express the operation's progress as a percentage. The pct_done argument will range from 1 to 100. For methods that finish quickly, the number of PercentDone callbacks may vary, but the final callback will have pct_done equal to 100. For longer operations, callbacks will not exceed one per percentage point (e.g., 1, 2, 3, ..., 98, 99, 100).

The PercentDone callback also acts as an AbortCheck event. For fast methods where PercentDone fires, an AbortCheck event may not trigger since the PercentDone callback already provides an opportunity to abort. For longer operations, where time between PercentDone callbacks is extended, AbortCheck callbacks enable more responsive operation termination.

To abort the operation, set the abort output argument to true. This will cause the method to terminate and return a failure status or corresponding failure value.

More Information and Examples

Example (closure form; the EventHandler trait method is equivalent):

stream.on_percent_done(|pct| {
    // pct ranges from 1 to 100.
    println!("Percent done: {pct}");
    false   // return true to abort the method in progress
});
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ProgressInfo
// EventHandler trait method; closure form: on_progress_info(FnMut(&str, &str))
fn progress_info(&mut self, name: &str, value: &str)

This event callback provides tag name/value pairs that detail what occurs during a method call. To discover existing tag names, create code to handle the event, emit the pairs, and review them. Most tag names are self-explanatory.

Note: Some Chilkat methods don't fire any ProgressInfo events.

More Information and Examples

Example (closure form; the EventHandler trait method is equivalent):

stream.on_progress_info(|name, value| println!("{name}: {value}"));
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