🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <EMV.91Jun25175321@bronte.aa.ox.com> emv@msen.com (Ed Vielmetti) writes:
> 19910520220500 f export.lcs.mit.edu /contrib ups-2.31.tar.Z 963435 ftp,30

Methinks

  19910520220500 f export.lcs.mit.edu:contrib/ups-2.31.tar.Z 963435 ftp,30

is both more readable and more accurate. Your separation between
``directory'' and ``file'' is a mistake, because some operating systems
can express neither the null directory nor more than one directory in a
single command. It's much more logical to have a composite filename,
where each component before a slash means ``change directory to this.''
foo/bar/blah means ``cd foo, then cd bar, then get blah.'' Of course,
you can pile all the cd's into one if you're talking to a UNIX server,
but automated programs shouldn't depend on knowing the remote system
type. It's probably necessary to add quoting ("/", perhaps), for cases
like the Kerberos distribution where you simply have to combine two cd's
into one or you hit a wall.

You had better take into account that a lot of people don't have DNS.
Also, some systems don't have meaningful dates or owners but still
support ftp.

> 19910530012300 d msen.com /debug/ups emv,case
  19910530012300 d msen.com:debug/ups/ emv,case

The blank filename means that you're referring to the directory.

> 19910624112800 w prep.ai.mit.edu /pub/gnu gawk* bug-gnu-utils
  19910624112800 w prep.ai.mit.edu:pub/gnu/gawk* bug-gnu-utils

> XXX should ascii,binary be in here somewhere too?

Probably. Maybe introduce an ``E'' type, just like f but for EBCDIC,
meaning that you shouldn't use binary. (I'm half serious.)

---Dan