# Module Ftp_client

    module Ftp_client: sig .. end

FTP client

Warning: Experimental code! Not all features described in this interface work as described!

The client is currently only partially implemented. Especially, the STOR and STOU commands are missing. Only IPv4 is supported.

It is intended to implement a large subset of RFC 959 (and later, the newer FTP-related RFCs). This includes support for EBCDIC, record files, and block mode.

    exception FTP_error of exn

Something went wrong, often on socket level

    exception FTP_protocol_violation of string

The server violates the FTP specification

    type cmd_state = [ `Init
           | `Pass_acct_seq
           | `Perm_failure
           | `Preliminary
           | `Proto_error
           | `Rename_seq
           | `Restart_seq
           | `Success
           | `Temp_failure
           | `User_acct_seq
           | `User_pass_seq ]

The command state:

- ``Init`: Just connected, no greeting message arrived yet
- ``Success`: Got the greeting message/last command was successful
- ``Proto_error`: currently unused
- ``Temp_failure`: Last command was not successful, and the code was between 400 and 499
- ``Perm_failure`: Last command was not successful, and the code was between 500 and 599
- ``Rename_seq`: Used instead of ``Success` after the RNFR command
- ``Restart_seq`: Used instead of ``Success` after the REST command
- ``User_pass_seq`: Used instead of ``Success` after the USER command when a password must be typed in
- ``User_acct_seq`: Used instead of ``Success` after the USER command when an account ID must be typed in
- ``Pass_acct_seq`: Used instead of ``Success` after the PASS command when an account iD must be typed in
- ``Preliminary`: a reply with code 100 to 199. There will be another final reply for the command

    type port = [ `Active of string * int * Unix.file_descr
           | `Passive of string * int
           | `Unspecified ]

The port of the data connection: ``Active` means that the server initiates the data connection to the listening client, and in the case of ``Passive` the client initiates the data connection to the listening server. The string argument is the IP address as dotted quad, the int argument is the port number, and the descriptor is the listening master socket.

    type form_code = [ `ASA | `Non_print | `Telnet ]

The `form_code` has a meaning when FTP is used to print files:

- ``Non_print`: This is not the case.
- ``Telnet`: Telnet control codes are used for vertical movement
- ``ASA`: ASA (Fortran) control codes are used for vertical movement

    type representation = [ `ASCII of form_code option
           | `EBCDIC of form_code option
           | `Image ]

The representation of the transferred file:

- ``ASCII`: An ASCII variant is used, i.e. the server sends files in ASCII encoding with CR/LF as end-of-line marker. Supported by all servers.
- ``EBCDIC`: An EBCDIC variant is used, i.e. the server sends files in EBCDIC encoding with NEL as end-of-line marker
- ``Image`: The file is transferred in its original binary representation. Supported by all servers.

"Local" representations are not supported.

This FTP client does not recode the files such that they match the selected representation. When files are downloaded, they are stored as they are received. When files are uploaded, they are sent as they are. The user of this client must do recodings when necessary (the class `Ftp_data_endpoint.data_converter` may be useful for this).

If no representation is selected, FTP servers assume ``ASCII None` as default.

    type structure = [ `File_structure | `Record_structure ]

The client supports two structures:

- ``File_structure`: Files are simply contiguous streams of bytes
- ``Record_structure`: Files are sequences of records. FTP does not make a difference between variable and fixed length records. It is not forbidden that the records are themselves structured into lines, in fact it can happen that end-of-line markers are contained in binary records. Operating systems that support record-structured files often store text files in this format, i.e. every line is stored in its own record, without end-of-line marker. If record structure is selected by a STRU command, it is recommended to use the classes `Ftp_data_endpoint.out_record_channel` and `Ftp_data_endpoint.in_record_channel` for the local representation of the files, otherwise the records may be incorrectly mapped to the local conventions.

Page-structured files (i.e. indexed files) are not supported.

If no structure is selected, FTP servers will assume file structure as default.

    type transmission_mode = [ `Block_mode | `Stream_mode ]

The transmission mode selects how the data are encoded in the data connection.

- ``Stream_mode`: This is the simple format that is responsible for all the failed FTP downloads. It is supported by all FTP servers, actually, you cannot assume a better transmission mode from an unknown FTP server. It is unreliable because it cannot distinguish between a transmission failure and the regular end-of-file condition.
- ``Block_mode`: This is an improved format using frames to protect the transmitted data. Unfortunately, almost no FTP server supports it.

Both modes are compatible with both structures, i.e. you can transfer a record-structured file in stream mode and a flat file in block mode. However, in practise this is not the case. Servers that only know flat files are likely to only support stream mode, and servers implementing record structure imply that block transfers base on the record format. So the advise is to use stream mode for flat files, and block mode for record files.
`type ``ftp_state = {`

`` | `cmd_state : `cmd_state`;` | `(*` | the command state | `*)`
`` | `ftp_connected : `bool`;` | `(*` | whether connected with the server | `*)`
`` | `ftp_data_conn : `bool`;` | `(*` | whether there is a clean data conn | `*)`
`` | `ftp_user : `string option`;` | `(*` | successfully sent user identifier | `*)`
`` | `ftp_password : `string option`;` | `(*` | successfully sent password | `*)`
`` | `ftp_account : `string option`;` | `(*` | successfully sent account identifier | `*)`
`` | `ftp_logged_in : `bool`;` | `(*` | whether the user is logged in | `*)`
`` | `ftp_port : `port`;` | `(*` | the selected port | `*)`
`` | `ftp_repr : `representation`;` | `(*` | the selected representation | `*)`
`` | `ftp_structure : `structure`;` | `(*` | the selected structure | `*)`
`` | `ftp_trans : `transmission_mode`;` | `(*` | the selected trans mode | `*)`
`` | `ftp_dir : `string list`;` | `(*` | The current directory, expressed as list of CWD changes minus CDUP changes. This is only reasonable if CWD does not include slashes. The list is in reverse order, i.e. deepest directory first. | `*)`

``

`ftp_features : `(string * string option) list option`;`

`(*`

The list of features returned by the last FEAT command. `None` means that no FEAT command was yet tried. `Some []` means that there are no features (either FEAT returned an empty list, or the FEAT command is not implemented by the server). Otherwise the list enumerates pairs `(label,param)` where `label` is the case-sensitive feature label and `param` the optional parameter. There is no defined order for the list of features.

`*)`

`` | `ftp_options : `(string * string option) list`;` | `(*` | Remembers the OPTS commands sent to the server. The list enumerates pairs `(command,optionparam)`, where `command` is the uppercase command name the option refers to. Only the last negotiated `optionparam` for the command is remembered. | `*)`

}
The ftp_state reflects the knowledge of the client about what has been agreed upon with the server.

    type cmd = [ `ACCT of string
           | `ALLO of int * int option
           | `APPE of string * (ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_sender)
           | `CDUP
           | `CWD of string
           | `Connect
           | `DELE of string
           | `Dummy
           | `FEAT
           | `HELP of string option
           | `LIST of
               string option *
               (ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_receiver)
           | `MDTM of string
           | `MKD of string
           | `MODE of transmission_mode
           | `NLST of
               string option *
               (ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_receiver)
           | `NOOP
           | `OPTS of string * string option
           | `PASS of string
           | `PASV
           | `PORT
           | `PWD
           | `QUIT
           | `REIN
           | `REST of string
           | `RETR of
               string * (ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_receiver)
           | `RMD of string
           | `RNFR of string
           | `RNTO of string
           | `SITE of string
           | `SMNT of string
           | `STAT of string option
           | `STOR of string * (ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_sender)
           | `STOU of unit -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_sender
           | `STRU of structure
           | `SYST
           | `TYPE of representation
           | `USER of string ]

An FTP command. Currently, STOR, STOU and APPE are not supported.

    type reply = int * string

Reply code plus text

    class ftp_client_pi : ?event_system:Unixqueue.event_system -> ?onempty:ftp_state -> unit -> ?onclose:unit -> unit -> ?onerrorstate:exn -> unit -> ?onusererror:exn -> unit -> Unix.file_descr -> object .. end

The client protocol interpreter...

    module Action: sig .. end

    class type ftp_method = object .. end

An `ftp_method` is a small procedure doing some task

    exception FTP_method_temp_failure of int * string

    exception FTP_method_perm_failure of int * string

    exception FTP_method_unexpected_reply of int * string

These exceptions may be raised during execution by the FTP method. The int is the unexpected FTP control code and the string the corresponding text. A temporary failure has a code between 400 and 499, and a permanent failure has a code between 500 and 599.

This does not work yet as intended!

    class connect_method : host:string -> ?port:int -> unit -> ftp_method

This method connects to the `host` which must be an IP address

    class login_method : user:string -> get_password:(unit -> string) -> get_account:(unit -> string) -> unit -> ftp_method

This FTP method logs the `user` in.

    class walk_method : [ `Dir of string | `File of string | `Stay ] -> ftp_method

This FTP method walks to the target directory:

    type filename = [ `NVFS of string | `Verbatim of string ]

There are several methods how to specify filenames:

- ``NVFS name`: The "Network Virtual File System" is the normal way of accessing FTP files. The client walks into the directory containing the file using `CWD` and `CDUP` commands, and calls the file operation from this directory. For simplicity, this client interprets slashes in `name` as path component separators. The FTP server will never see these slashes.
- ``Verbatim name`: The string `name` is passed to the server without transforming it in any way.

In the future, there will be a third way of referring to files: TVFS, the "Trivial Virtual File System".

    class get_method : file:filename -> representation:representation -> store:(ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_receiver) -> unit -> ftp_method

This FTP method walks to the right directory and gets `file` from the server.

    class invoke_method : command:cmd -> process_result:(ftp_state -> int * string -> unit) -> unit -> ftp_method

This FTP method simply invokes `command`, and calls for all kinds of successful replies the function `process_result`, passing the ftp_state and the code and the reply text.

    class set_structure_method : structure -> ftp_method

Requests a certain structure for future file transfers

    class set_mode_method : transmission_mode -> ftp_method

Requests a certain mode for future file transfers

    class rename_method : file_from:filename -> file_to:filename -> unit -> ftp_method

Renames the `file_from` into `file_to`.

    class mkdir_method : filename -> ftp_method

Creates the named directory

    class rmdir_method : filename -> ftp_method

Deletes the named directory

    class delete_method : filename -> ftp_method

Deletes the named file

    class list_method : dir:filename -> representation:representation -> store:(ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_receiver) -> unit -> ftp_method

Lists the contents of the directory `dir` using the LIST command.

    class nlst_method : dir:filename -> representation:representation -> store:(ftp_state -> Ftp_data_endpoint.local_receiver) -> unit -> ftp_method

Lists the contents of the directory `dir` using the NLST command The `representation` must not be ``Image`.

    class mdtm_method : file:filename -> process_result:(float -> unit) -> unit -> ftp_method

Determines the date and time of the last modification of `file`.

    class ftp_client : ?event_system:Unixqueue.event_system -> ?onempty:unit -> unit -> unit -> object .. end

The ftp client is a user session that may even span several connections.

## Examples and Discussion

To download a single flat file from a server:

       let buffer = Buffer.create 1000 in
       let ch = new Netchannels.output_buffer buffer in
       let client = new ftp_client() in
       client # add (new connect_method ~host:"127.0.0.1");
       client # add (new login_method ~user:"foo"
                                      ~get_password:(fun () -> "password")
                                      ~get_account:(fun () -> "foo") ());
       client # add (new get_method ~file:"path/to/file"
                                    ~representation:`Image
                                    ~store:(fun _ -> `File_structure ch) ());
       client # run()

The file is stored in `buffer`. By using a different netchannel, it can be stored whereever wanted.

This piece of code has the disadvantage that the client does not stop when a method fails (in the current version, it always stops, but in a disadvantegous manner - this will be changed). Because of this, it is better to execute the next method only when the previous was successful:

       ...
       client # add ~onsuccess:(fun () ->
                                   client # add ~onsuccess:...
                                                   (new login_method
                                                       ~user:"foo"
                                                    ~get_password:(fun () -> "password")
                                                    ~get_account:(fun () -> "foo") ());
                               )
                    (new connect_method ~host:"127.0.0.1")

Alternatively, one can also force that the execution stops by raising an exception in the `onerror` callback (not implemented in the current version).

To download a record-structured text file, use a `store` like:

        let ch = (as above) in
        let rec_ch = new Ftp_data_endpoint.write_out_record_channel
                           ~repr:(`ASCII_unix `Enc_iso88591)
                           ch
        ...
        ... ~store:(fun _ -> `Record_structure rec_ch)

Here, the end-of-record is transcoded to newline. Note that the ASCII variant (``Enc_iso88591`) is ignored by `write_out_record_channel`. Open: How to select record structure using an FTP method.

Character conversions: To convert an EBCDIC file to ASCII, use something like

        let ch = (as above) in
        let converter = new Ftp_data_endpoint.data_converter
                             ~fromrepr:(`EBCDIC `Enc_cp1047)
                             ~torepr:(`ASCII_unix `Enc_iso88591) in
        let ch_ebcdic = new Netchannels.output_filter converter ch in
        ...
        ... ~representation:(`EBCDIC None)
        ... ~store:(fun _ -> `File_structure ch_ebcdic)

The class `data_converter` also performs the transformation of the end-of-line convention, unlike the similar class `Netconversion.conversion_pipe`.