ftp problem - conversion file names

[lluisaunos]

Hello,

I have problems when I execute openvms ftp client to a ftp windows server, because it changes the filename.

The file I want to get from windows ftp server is named "file.seq.txt", and when a do a "ftp> get *", the file is downloaded with the name "file_seq.txt".

Anyone knows how to resolve it?

I have OpenVMS 7.3-2 and the ftp in windows is IIS, but it occurs with different versions.

thank you in advance,

Lluís Aunós

[Volker Halle · Accepted solution]

Lluís,

"file.seq.txt" is not a valid OpenVMS filename, unless your default directory is on an ODS-5 disk and you have extended file name parsing enabled. FTP is trying to create a valid OpenVMS filename by replacing the first '.' with an '_'.

Make sure (SHOW DEVICE/FULL SYS$DISK), that the default directory is set to an ODS-5 disk and try: SET PROC/PARSE=EXTENDED before invoking FTP. The OpenVMS filename might then become "file^.seq.txt"

Volker.

[H.Becker]

>>> the file is downloaded with the name "file_seq.txt".

It's not obvious whether this is ODS-2 or already ODS-5. If the filename really is in lowercase, it is already ODS-5, otherwise it would be "FILE_SEQ.TXT". But, maybe the poster only wanted to say that the first dot was converted to an underscore. But who knows what he wanted to say. If it is already ODS-5 then the FTP client converts. Then there should be some documentation on the FTP client what to set/enable to leave the dots in the filename.

>>> try: SET PROC/PARSE=EXTENDED

I don't think that this is required, but it doesn't hurt, either.

>>> filename might then become "file^.seq.txt"

 No. The filename will be "file.seq.txt" it might be displayed differently, with the escape character '^', but that is only for displaying the filename. In this case the '^' isn't even necessary to access the file. (But if you want to use the displayed filename with the escape character you need to have extended parsing enabled.) 

[lluisaunos]

Hi,

thank you for your replies.

That's all right, the problem is that the ftp destination disk is ODS-2. We'll search for a disk ODS-5 to be able to be destination of these files. On the other hand, I don't know if the extra character '^' is a inconvenient for our process, maybe we'll need to change de code of the script that does the ftp to delete this extra character, I think it will not be a problem.

Regards,

Lluís

[lluisaunos]

$ tcpip show version

  HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.4
  on a AlphaServer DS25 running OpenVMS V7.3-2


My script uses the ftp client to connect a Windows server, download files and delete from the source. Pseudo-code:

1) create temporary directory (vms)
    crea/dir 'tmp'
    cd 'tmp'
2) download files
    ftp 'windows server'
    ftp> get *
3) delete files from the windows server
    "prepare delete ftp commands listing 'tmp' dir"
    ftp 'windows server' with the delete commands before prepared

I've been testing a new tmp directory with a device ODS-5, and it is ok, but with the '^' character added. No problem, we have changed the <prepare delete ftp commands listing 'tmp' dir> code to clean any '^' and it is right for our purpose.

thank you,

Lluís

[H.Becker]

Which means you get the file names displayed by a DIR command, by the lexical function F$SEARCH or any other tool which displays the escape character. And you take that output to construct a script for deleting files on the remote side. As said before, the REAL file name on ODS-5 doesn't contain the escape character '^', but DIR and F$SEARCH show it. So you have to remove it when writing the script based on such output.  (You probably considered the case when the remote file name contains a '^'. :-)

DEMO$ sh sys/noproc/full

OpenVMS V8.4  on node JACK   17-JAN-2014 09:30:00.18   Uptime  6 03:32:11

        HP rx2600  (1.50GHz/6.0MB)

DEMO$

DEMO$ pipe sh dev/full sys$disk: |search sys$pipe ods

  Volume Status:  ODS-5, subject to mount verification, file high-water marking,

DEMO$ 

DEMO$ sh proc/pars

17-JAN-2014 09:24:56.64   User: DEMO             Process ID:   20200F92

                          Node: JACK             Process name: "DEMO"

Parse Style: Traditional

DEMO$

DEMO$ copy nl: a.b.c

DEMO$

DEMO$ dir/file a.b.c

Directory LDA11:[X]

A^.B.C;1             (16,1,0)              

Total of 1 file.

DEMO$

DEMO$ write sys$output f$search("a.b.c")

LDA11:[X]A^.B.C;1

DEMO$ 

DEMO$ pipe dump/header a.b.c |search sys$pipe "file name"

    File name type:                       ISL-1

    File name length:                     7

    File name:                            A.B.C;1

DEMO$