+ /**
+ * Read chars from a stream and stores them into a caller
+ * supplied buffer. It starts storing the data at index <code>offset</code>
+ * into the buffer and attempts to read <code>len</code> chars. This method
+ * can return before reading the number of chars requested. The actual
+ * number of chars read is returned as an int. A -1 is returned to indicate
+ * the end of the stream.
+ * <p>
+ * This method will block until some data can be read.
+ * <p>
+ * This method operates by calling the single char <code>read()</code> method
+ * in a loop until the desired number of chars are read. The read loop
+ * stops short if the end of the stream is encountered or if an IOException
+ * is encountered on any read operation except the first. If the first
+ * attempt to read a chars fails, the IOException is allowed to propagate
+ * upward. And subsequent IOException is caught and treated identically
+ * to an end of stream condition. Subclasses can (and should if possible)
+ * override this method to provide a more efficient implementation.
+ *
+ * @param buf The array into which the chars read should be stored
+ * @param offset The offset into the array to start storing chars
+ * @param len The requested number of chars to read
+ *
+ * @return The actual number of chars read, or -1 if end of stream.
+ *
+ * @exception IOException If an error occurs.
+ */
+ public abstract int read(char buf[], int offset, int count)