Different family class used for input and output when working with sockets

Question

I have seen more or less everywhere the following code to open a socket and to receive input and send output through it:
Socket server = new Socket("anyservername", 25):
OutputStream out = server.getOutputStream();
PrintWriter pout = new PrintWriter (out, true);
pout.println("Hello");
InputStream in = server.getInputStream();
BufferedReader bin = new BufferedReader (new InputStreamReader(in));
String response = bin.readLine();
What I do not understand is:
Why the BufferedReader needs InputStreamReader as an argument whereas printwriter does not want the OutputStreamReader as an argument but it is OK with just the OutPutStream?
I would tend to believe that they should be more or less at the same level and use the same arguments?.
In that sense if I use BufferWriter instead of PrintWriter I bet It should be OK the following code?:
OutputStream out = server.getOutputStream();
BufferedWriter bout = new BufferedWriter (out);
String myOut = bout.writeLine();
Cheers
Umbi
Edited by: Imbu on Jun 2, 2008 2:40 PM

Answer 1

1. Does it even compile?
2. While there is a fair amount of symmetry between reader and writer classes, don't assume it's exhaustive. Your best friend is the API:
[http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/]
3. Those were just examples. Code it the way you feel is best. I would specify charsets to make sure the encodings were platform independent. Networking and all that, don't you know...