``'filemode|[compression]'``. :func:`tarfile.open` will return a :class:`TarFile`
object that processes its data as a stream of blocks. No random seeking will
be done on the file. If given, *fileobj* may be any object that has a
- :meth:`~io.TextIOBase.read` or :meth:`~io.TextIOBase.write` method (depending on the *mode*). *bufsize*
- specifies the blocksize and defaults to ``20 * 512`` bytes. Use this variant
- in combination with e.g. ``sys.stdin``, a socket :term:`file object` or a tape
- device. However, such a :class:`TarFile` object is limited in that it does
+ :meth:`~io.RawIOBase.read` or :meth:`~io.RawIOBase.write` method
+ (depending on the *mode*) that works with bytes.
+ *bufsize* specifies the blocksize and defaults to ``20 * 512`` bytes.
+ Use this variant in combination with e.g. ``sys.stdin.buffer``, a socket
+ :term:`file object` or a tape device.
+ However, such a :class:`TarFile` object is limited in that it does
not allow random access, see :ref:`tar-examples`. The currently
possible modes:
class _Stream:
"""Class that serves as an adapter between TarFile and
a stream-like object. The stream-like object only
- needs to have a read() or write() method and is accessed
- blockwise. Use of gzip or bzip2 compression is possible.
- A stream-like object could be for example: sys.stdin,
- sys.stdout, a socket, a tape device etc.
+ needs to have a read() or write() method that works with bytes,
+ and the method is accessed blockwise.
+ Use of gzip or bzip2 compression is possible.
+ A stream-like object could be for example: sys.stdin.buffer,
+ sys.stdout.buffer, a socket, a tape device etc.
_Stream is intended to be used only internally.
"""