Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes) (04/27/91)
Does the FTP definition include a C level protocol? I assume that
it does, but I'd like additional information. I need to build
a user-friendly file transfer front-end to part of an application,
but I would also like to make use of the underlying FTP protocol
to do the file transfer over TCP. How is the calling interface
FTP currently defined, and where can I read about this definition?
Thanks,
Will Estes Internet: Will@cup.portal.com
UUCP: apple!cup.portal.com!Willhenry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (04/28/91)
In article <41713@cup.portal.com> Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes) writes: >Does the FTP definition include a C level protocol? The FTP definition defines the bytes on the wire, not at the C or user level. Although it's a non-trivial protocol, there is nothing stopping you from implementing it however you wish. RFC959 is the basic defining document, although a look at RFC1123's FTP section is in order first. -- And the bean-counter replied, | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology "beans are more important". | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
romkey@ASYLUM.SF.CA.US (John Romkey) (04/29/91)
The FTP specification defines only the protocol. In general, Internet protocol specifications define the actual protocol, and sometimes list requirements of an API for the protocol, but don't actually specify the API. Most FTP implementations jumble together the actual protocol implementation, the API to FTP (if there's even one) and the interface to the OS. The only specific API for FTP that I know of is for an FTP library that I wrote for FTP Software a long time back. It's specified in the documentation for FTP (Software)'s dev kit, which includes the library. I think you can buy the dev kit manuals separately if you want. I know FTP Software considers the API to be non-proprietary. - john romkey Epilogue Technology USENET/UUCP/Internet: romkey@asylum.sf.ca.us voice/fax: 415 594-1141
bob@MORNINGSTAR.COM (Bob Sutterfield) (04/29/91)
From: Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes) Date: 26 Apr 91 22:30:29 GMT Does the FTP definition include a C level protocol? ... How is the calling interface FTP currently defined, The FTP protocol spec describes octets flying over a TCP connection, which is routed by IP. It doesn't care what language you use, nor specifically how you persuade the octets to fly. and where can I read about this definition? FTP is defined in RFC959. It is clarified and somewhat expanded in RFC1123 section 4, which also specifies a user interface but not a programmer's interface. Your operating system may provide library calls to manipulate TCP sockets, which may give you what you want. Look in the documentation provided by your software vendor.
dhansen@amiganet.chi.il.us (Dave Hansen) (05/05/91)
>The FTP specification defines only the protocol. In general, Internet >protocol specifications define the actual protocol, and sometimes list >requirements of an API for the protocol, but don't actually specify >the API. Most FTP implementations jumble together the actual protocol >implementation, the API to FTP (if there's even one) and the interface >to the OS. > >The only specific API for FTP that I know of is for an FTP library >that I wrote for FTP Software a long time back. It's specified in the >documentation for FTP (Software)'s dev kit, which includes the >library. I think you can buy the dev kit manuals separately if you >want. I know FTP Software considers the API to be non-proprietary. > - john romkey Epilogue Technology >USENET/UUCP/Internet: romkey@asylum.sf.ca.us voice/fax: 415 594-1141 For a simple user interface, the demand for API is not there. Unless you're host is non-multitasking, the easiest solution is to pipe <stdin and >stdout to FTP. The most challenging part of this is to get a password into the login, as many FTP's break out of stdin for the password prompt. Depending on the application, this may not be a big deal, after all, it's what security is all about. With my Encore (nee:Gould, nee: SEL) hosts, we developed such a pipe of FTP commands. The user gets one prompt, Password:, then the stdin pipe continues with the transfer list. Our Amiga workstations connected to these Encore hosts use the Rexx language to interface an Amiga screen editor with the ethernet FTP and send the user and password without this intervention. You can parse FTP's stdout for errors/success and translate into a user friendly message. voice: (708)691-4747 Internet:dhansen@amiganet.chi.il.us