ftp(3)

MODULE
ftp - 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 start option mode where this default behavior may be changed.

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.

FTP CLIENT SERVICE START/STOP

The FTP client can be started and stopped dynamically in runtime by calling the Inets application API inets:start(ftpc, ServiceConfig), or inets:start(ftpc, ServiceConfig, How), and inets:stop(ftpc, Pid) see inets(3) Below follows a description of the available configuration options.

    {host, Host}:
        Host = string() | ip_address()

    {port, Port}:
        Port = integer() - default is 21

    {mode, Mode}:
        Mode = active | passive - Passive is default.

    {flags, Flags}:
        Flags = [Flag], Flag = verbose | debug | ip_v6_disabled,

    {timeout, Timeout}:
        Timeout = integer() - default is 60000 milliseconds.

    {progress, ProgressOption}:
        ProgressOption = ignore | {CBModule, CBFunction, InitProgress} CallBackModule = atom(), CallBackFunction = atom(), InitProgress = term()

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.

    *   Before a file is transfered the following call will be made to indicate the start of the file transfer and how big the file is. The return value of the callback function should be a new value for the UserProgressTerm that will bu used as input next time the callback function is called.

        CBModule:CBFunction(InitProgress, File, {file_size, FileSize})

    *   Every time a chunk of bytes is transfered the following call will be made:

        CBModule:CBFunction(UserProgressTerm, File, {transfer_size, TransferSize})

    *   At the end of the file the following call will be made to indicate the end of the transfer.

        CBModule:CBFunction(UserProgressTerm, File, {transfer_size, 0})

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 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.

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) ->
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.

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) ->
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) ->
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.

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) ->
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:

        *   ok the transfer is complete.

        *   {ok, Bin} just another chunk of the file.

        *   {error, Reason} transfer failed.

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) ->
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\ " 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).