file:read/2 on stdin?

[Bengt Kleberg]

greetings,

is there a way to use file:read/2 to read 1 character from stdin? i have 
tried file:read( standard_io, 1). i got {error, einval}.
i used the atom standard_io since the io module will allow it as a 
Io_Device. in this case, ie in another module, it did not work.


it has been most intelligently suggested to me that i should use 
file:read/2 to get faster line oriented io. (background: i asked about a 
faster alternative to io:fread/2 some time ago). this is faster for 
regular files. but in this case (see 
http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/bench/sumcol, ''About this test'' as 
to why i read from stdin) it have trouble using it.


suggestions anyone? it is ok to point me to where ericsson has the 
source code to the file module.


bengt