[jlouis]

This isn't entirely true, see file:pread/2 for how to do it with a file. We lack a binary:pread/2 though :)

[nivertech]

thanks for pointing it out, looks like it will not work with sockets though.

Also spec says that it will return list of either strings or binaries, not exactly iolist.

[masklinn]

> Also spec says that it will return list of either strings or binaries, not exactly iolist.

It's a proper subset of iolists, since it reads from flat data (a file) there isn't much sense in its adding arbitrary amounts of nesting to it.