[Ericsson AB]

ftp

MODULE

ftp

MODULE SUMMARY

A File Transfer Protocol client

DESCRIPTION

The ftp module implements a client for file transfer according to a subset of the File Transfer Protocol (see RFC 959). Starting from inets version 4.4.1 the ftp client will always try to use passive ftp mode and only resort to active ftp mode if this fails. There is a mode option for open/[1,2,3] where this default behavior may be changed. Also the mode option replaces the API function force_active/1 that now has become deprecated. (force_active/1 is removed from the documentation but is still available in the code for now.)

For a simple example of an ftp session see Inets User's Guide.

In addition to the ordinary functions for receiving and sending files (see recv/2, recv/3, send/2 and send/3) there are functions for receiving remote files as binaries (see recv_bin/2) and for sending binaries to to be stored as remote files (see send_bin/3).

There is also a set of functions for sending and receiving contiguous parts of a file to be stored in a remote file (for send see send_chunk_start/2, send_chunk/2 and send_chunk_end/1 and for receive see recv_chunk_start/2 and recv_chunk/).

The particular return values of the functions below depend very much on the implementation of the FTP server at the remote host. In particular the results from ls and nlist varies. Often real errors are not reported as errors by ls, even if for instance a file or directory does not exist. nlist is usually more strict, but some implementations have the peculiar behaviour of responding with an error, if the request is a listing of the contents of directory which exists but is empty.

COMMON DATA TYPES

Here follows type definitions that are used by more than one function in the FTP client API.

 pid() - identifier of an ftp connection.
 string() = list of ASCII characters
 shortage_reason() = etnospc | epnospc 
 restriction_reason() = epath | efnamena | elogin | enotbinary
     - note not all restrictions may always relevant to all functions
    
 common_reason() = econn | eclosed | term() - some kind of
                 explanation of what went wrong

EXPORTS

account(Pid, Account) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Account = string()
Reason = eacct | common_reason()

If an account is needed for an operation set the account with this operation.

append(Pid, LocalFile [, RemoteFile]) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
LocalFile = RemoteFile = string()
Reason = epath | elogin | etnospc | epnospc | efnamena | common_reason

Transfers the file LocalFile to the remote server. If RemoteFile is specified, the name of the remote file that the file will be appended to is set to RemoteFile; otherwise the name is set to LocalFile If the file does not exists the file will be created.

append_bin(Pid, Bin, RemoteFile) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Bin = binary()()
RemoteFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason()| shortage_reason() | common_reason()

Transfers the binary Bin to the remote server and append it to the file RemoteFile. If the file does not exists it will be created.

append_chunk(Pid, Bin) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Bin = binary()
Reason = echunk | restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Transfer the chunk Bin to the remote server, which append it into the file specified in the call to append_chunk_start/2.

Note that for some errors, e.g. file system full, it is neccessery to to call append_chunk_end to get the proper reason.

append_chunk_start(Pid, File) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
File = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Start the transfer of chunks for appending to the file File at the remote server. If the file does not exists it will be created.

append_chunk_end(Pid) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Reason = echunk | restriction_reason() | shortage_reason()

Stops transfer of chunks for appending to the remote server. The file at the remote server, specified in the call to append_chunk_start/2 is closed by the server.

cd(Pid, Dir) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Dir = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Changes the working directory at the remote server to Dir.

close(Pid) -> ok

Types:

Pid = pid()

Ends the ftp session.

delete(Pid, File) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
File = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Deletes the file File at the remote server.

formaterror(Tag) -> string()

Types:

Tag = {error, atom()} | atom()

Given an error return value {error, AtomReason}, this function returns a readable string describing the error.

lcd(Pid, Dir) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Dir = string()
Reason = restriction_reason()

Changes the working directory to Dir for the local client.

lpwd(Pid) -> {ok, Dir}

Types:

Pid = pid()

Returns the current working directory at the local client.

ls(Pid [, Dir]) -> {ok, Listing} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Dir = string()
Listing = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Returns a listing of the contents of the remote current directory (ls/1) or the specified directory (ls/2). The format of Listing is operating system dependent (on UNIX it is typically produced from the output of the ls -l shell command).

mkdir(Pid, Dir) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Dir = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Creates the directory Dir at the remote server.

nlist(Pid [, Dir]) -> {ok, Listing} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Dir = string()
Listing = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Returns a listing of the contents of the remote current directory (nlist/1) or the specified directory (nlist/2). The format of Listing is a stream of file names, where each name is separated by <CRLF> or <NL>. Contrary to the ls function, the purpose of nlist is to make it possible for a program to automatically process file name information.

open(Host [, Port] [, Flags]) -> {ok, Pid} | {error, Reason}
open({option_list, Option_list}) -> {ok, Pid} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Host = string() | ip_address()
ip_address() = {byte(), byte(), byte(), byte()} {byte(), byte(), byte(), byte(), byte(), byte(), byte(), byte()}
byte() = 0 | 1 | ... | 255
Port = integer()
Flags = [Flag]
Flag = verbose | debug | ip_v6_disabled
Pid = pid()
Reason = ehost
Option_list = [Options]
Options = {host, Host} | {port, Port} | {mode, Mode} | {flags, Flags} | {timeout, Timeout} | {progress, ProgressOption}
Mode = active | passive
Timeout = integer()
ProgressOption = ignore | {CBModule, CBFunction, InitProgress}
CallBackModule = atom()
CallBackFunction = atom()
InitProgress = term()

Opens a session with the ftp server at Host. The argument Host is either the name of the host, its IP address in dotted decimal notation (e.g. "150.236.14.136"), or a tuple of arity 4 (ipv4) or 8 (ipv6) (ex: {150, 236, 14, 136}).

If Port is supplied, a connection is attempted using this port number instead of the default (21).

Default value for Mode is passive.

If the atom verbose is included in Flags, response messages from the remote server will be written to standard output.

The progress option is intended to be used by applications that want create some type of progress report such as a progress bar in a GUI. The default value for the progress option is ignore e.i. the option is not used. When the progress option is specified the following will happen when ftp:send/[3,4] or ftp:recv/[3,4] are called.

The callback function should be defined as

CBModule:CBFunction(UserProgressTerm, File, Size) -> UserProgressTerm
CBModule = CBFunction = atom()
UserProgressTerm = term()
File = string()
Size = {transfer_size, integer()} | {file_size, integer()} | {file_size, unknown}

Alas for remote files it is not possible for ftp to determine the file size in a platform independent way. In this case the size will be unknown and it is left to the application to find out the size.

Note!

The callback is made by a middleman process, hence the file transfer will not be affected by the code in the progress callback function. If the callback should crash this will be detected by the ftp connection process that will print an info-report and then go one as if the progress option was set to ignore.

The file transfer type is set to the default of the FTP server when the session is opened. This is usually ASCCI-mode.

The current local working directory (cf. lpwd/1) is set to the value reported by file:get_cwd/1. the wanted local directory.

The timeout value is default set to 60000 milliseconds.

The return value Pid is used as a reference to the newly created ftp client in all other functions, and they should be called by the process that created the connection. The ftp client process monitors the process that created it and will terminate if that process terminates.

pwd(Pid) -> {ok, Dir} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Returns the current working directory at the remote server.

recv(Pid, RemoteFile [, LocalFile]) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
RemoteFile = LocalFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason() | file_write_error_reason()
file_write_error_reason() = see file:write/2

Transfer the file RemoteFile from the remote server to the the file system of the local client. If LocalFile is specified, the local file will be LocalFile; otherwise it will be RemoteFile.

If the file write failes (e.g. enospc), then the command is aborted and {error, file_write_error_reason()} is returned. The file is however not removed.

recv_bin(Pid, RemoteFile) -> {ok, Bin} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Bin = binary()
RemoteFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Transfers the file RemoteFile from the remote server and receives it as a binary.

recv_chunk_start(Pid, RemoteFile) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
RemoteFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Start transfer of the file RemoteFile from the remote server.

recv_chunk(Pid) -> ok | {ok, Bin} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Bin = binary()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Receive a chunk of the remote file (RemoteFile of recv_chunk_start). The return values has the following meaning:

rename(Pid, Old, New) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
CurrFile = NewFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Renames Old to New at the remote server.

rmdir(Pid, Dir) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Dir = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Removes directory Dir at the remote server.

send(Pid, LocalFile [, RemoteFile]) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
LocalFile = RemoteFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason() | shortage_reason()

Transfers the file LocalFile to the remote server. If RemoteFile is specified, the name of the remote file is set to RemoteFile; otherwise the name is set to LocalFile.

send_bin(Pid, Bin, RemoteFile) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Bin = binary()()
RemoteFile = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason() | shortage_reason()

Transfers the binary Bin into the file RemoteFile at the remote server.

send_chunk(Pid, Bin) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Bin = binary()
Reason = echunk | restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Transfer the chunk Bin to the remote server, which writes it into the file specified in the call to send_chunk_start/2.

Note that for some errors, e.g. file system full, it is neccessery to to call send_chunk_end to get the proper reason.

send_chunk_start(Pid, File) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
File = string()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Start transfer of chunks into the file File at the remote server.

send_chunk_end(Pid) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Reason = restriction_reason() | common_reason() | shortage_reason()

Stops transfer of chunks to the remote server. The file at the remote server, specified in the call to send_chunk_start/2 is closed by the server.

type(Pid, Type) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
Type = ascii | binary
Reason = etype | restriction_reason() | common_reason()

Sets the file transfer type to ascii or binary. When an ftp session is opened, the default transfer type of the server is used, most often ascii, which is the default according to RFC 959.

user(Pid, User, Password) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
User = Password = string()
Reason = euser | common_reason()

Performs login of User with Password.

user(Pid, User, Password,Account) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Pid = pid()
User = Password = string()
Reason = euser | common_reason()

Performs login of User with Passwordto the acccount specified by Account .

quote(Pid, Command) -> [FTPLine]

Types:

Pid = pid()
Command = string()
FTPLine = string() - Note the telnet end of line characters, from the ftp protocol definition, CRLF e.g. "\r\n" has been removed.

Sends an arbitrary FTP command and returns verbatimly a list of the lines sent back by the FTP server. This functions is intended to give an application accesses to FTP commands that are server specific or that may not be provided by this FTP client.

Note!

FTP commands that require a data connection can not be successfully issued with this function.

ERRORS

The possible error reasons and the corresponding diagnostic strings returned by formaterror/1 are as follows:

echunk
Synchronisation error during chunk sending.
A call has been made to send_chunk/2 or send_chunk_end/1, before a call to send_chunk_start/2; or a call has been made to another transfer function during chunk sending, i.e. before a call to send_chunk_end/1.
eclosed
The session has been closed.
econn
Connection to remote server prematurely closed.
ehost
Host not found, FTP server not found, or connection rejected by FTP server.
elogin
User not logged in.
enotbinary
Term is not a binary.
epath
No such file or directory, or directory already exists, or permission denied.
etype
No such type.
euser
User name or password not valid.
etnospc
Insufficient storage space in system [452].
epnospc
Exceeded storage allocation (for current directory or dataset) [552].
efnamena
File name not allowed [553].

SEE ALSO

file, filename, J. Postel and J. Reynolds: File Transfer Protocol (RFC 959).

AUTHORS

Peter Högfeldt - support@erlang.ericsson.se
Ingela Anderton Andin - support@erlang.ericsson.se

inets 4.7.5
Copyright © 1991-2006 Ericsson AB