decompress stream using memorystream?!?!?

Question

User1080785583 posted

What is the purpose of using Stream and why is this an unsafe method?

/// <summary>
        /// WARNING! This is unsafe method. MemoryStream used inside. should not be used if possible.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="inputStream"></param>
        /// <returns></returns>
        public static byte[] Decompress(Stream inputStream)
        {
            using (inputStream)
            using (MemoryStream output = new MemoryStream())
            {
                Decompress(inputStream, output);
                return output.ToArray();
            }
        }

Answer 1

User753101303 posted

Hi,

A Stream is just an "abstraction" for a series of byte (and it could be a network, a file, a memory Stream etc... allowing to use them all the same way).

In my opinion, the comment is just wrong. This is not unsafe with the C# meaning see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t2yzs44b.aspx and not even otherwise. Likely some confusion (or was afraid about OutOfMemory exceptions etc...)

 

Answer 2

User-821857111 posted

why is this an unsafe method?

According to whom?

Answer 3

User1080785583 posted

I inherited some code and I am optimizing it and someone put in a startling comment...

Is  it bad practice to pass around a stream instead of something else??

Answer 4

User753101303 posted

No as I said the comment is IMO just wrong. Ignore it. Only the author could tell us why he wrote this....

Answer 5

User1080785583 posted

CloudBlockBlob blockBlob2 = container.GetBlockBlobReference(binaryStorageId);

using (var memoryStream = new MemoryStream())
{
blockBlob2.DownloadToStream(memoryStream);
//var text = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(memoryStream.ToArray());
//return text;
var base64string = Convert.ToBase64String(memoryStream.ToArray(), 0, memoryStream.ToArray().Length);
return base64string;
}

I am using another memory stream, can you tell me if this is bad practice to return inside of a using of memory stream?

Answer 6

User753101303 posted

It's best to start a new thread rather than to ask a new question in a thread which is already closed.

It's fine. The point is precisely to guarantee the Dispose call even if you have a return Inside the using block (behind the scene it is  a try/finally construct).