...

/**

  * Our base input/output stream classes.  These are is directly

  * inherited from iostreams, and includes any extra

  * functionality that we might need.

  *

I am sorry. I would like to apologize for the tone of that last mail. After it was sent I realized that it might sound terse or rude (extra tired since I've been up way too late this week). That tone was definitely not my intention.

I forgot to explicitly state it, but your questions were all very good ones, and I was trying to give you facts on the points you raised. Please keep asking such questions. At the very least this lets us see areas where we need to add comments and clarifications to the appropriate places in code and in documentation.

Thanks again for your attention.