# Decode streams into strings The Right Way(tm)
  
  ```javascript
  var fs   = require('fs')
  var zlib = require('zlib')
  var strs = require('stringstream')
  
  var utf8Stream = fs.createReadStream('massiveLogFile.gz')
    .pipe(zlib.createGunzip())
    .pipe(strs('utf8'))
  ```
  
  No need to deal with `setEncoding()` weirdness, just compose streams
  like they were supposed to be!
  
  Handles input and output encoding:
  
  ```javascript
  // Stream from utf8 to hex to base64... Why not, ay.
  var hex64Stream = fs.createReadStream('myFile')
    .pipe(strs('utf8', 'hex'))
    .pipe(strs('hex', 'base64'))
  ```
  
  Also deals with `base64` output correctly by aligning each emitted data
  chunk so that there are no dangling `=` characters:
  
  ```javascript
  var stream = fs.createReadStream('myFile').pipe(strs('base64'))
  
  var base64Str = ''
  
  stream.on('data', function(data) { base64Str += data })
  stream.on('end', function() {
    console.log('My base64 encoded file is: ' + base64Str) // Wouldn't work with setEncoding()
    console.log('Original file is: ' + new Buffer(base64Str, 'base64'))
  })
  ```