Hi there, M2 is a legend!
I've been searching the posts for what would probably be a batch file that would replace an automatic download ftp client.

Basic process:
log in to ftp server
check for new files (against what has been downloaded already)
download new files (including newer versions of files already downloaded)
Log off
format c:\ (maybe not but just making sure you were watching)

I have not found any specific options with mget concerning synchronizing of folders etc.

Thanks muchly.

goompa,

I endorse your statements about M2!

comparing files across ftp is possible, but cumbersome. You have to ftp, list the directory, redirect the entire output to a file, then parse this output and interpret the dates, then compare it with the dates of local file, if you can get this done, I say you get a PhD in batch scripting :-).

M2 might still be able stun us.

Having said that, if you can find a tool to map to ftp drive, then the scripting becomes simple. One tool that does this is netdrive
http://www.divshare.com/download/20...
You have to buy this as per Novell policy.
It might work for you, it may not.

Also, if the FTP server has NetBUI interface(if it is on a Windows machine), mapping may be easy.

Hope I made sense.

--
Holla.

The script below will get a list of files and spit out:

filename.ext year mon date

It makes a few shakey assumptions. One is that the output of ls -l looks pretty much like this:

drwxr-xr-x 2 ftpuser ftpusers 1088 Jun 6 2005 CMhouse
-rw-r--r-- 1 ftpuser ftpusers 0 Jul 2 2003 Dining.html
-rw-r--r-- 1 ftpuser ftpusers 30804 Jul 2 2003 Lodging.html
-rw-r--r-- 1 ftpuser ftpusers 32796 Jun 26 2004 Orchid4.gif

The next hump to get over is making the date layouts conform.

=========================================
@echo off
setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion

> ft.do echo o yoursite.com
>> ft.do echo username
>> ft.do echo password
>> ft.do echo bin
>> ft.do echo cd mystuff
>> ft.do echo ls -l TLIST
>> ft.do echo bye

ftp -s:ft.do
del ft.do

findstr /b /v "d" TLIST > svrlist

for /f "tokens=6-9 delims= " %%a in (svrlist) do (
echo %%d %%c %%a %%b
)

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Um M2, did you invent DOS and then Gates looked over your shoulder with a note pad when you wern't looking?

In the line "> ft.do echo o yoursite.com" is the extra "o" supposed to be there or is it a typ"o"? :)

M2, I need to understand your code if I am to apply it so if you look through my comments in your code please correct them where needed. Thanks.

@echo off
setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion

::This builds ft.do a script for ftp to execute
> ft.do echo o yoursite.com
>> ft.do echo username
>> ft.do echo password
>> ft.do echo bin
>> ft.do echo cd mystuff
::This builds a file called TLIST which is a file list of the current remote folder.
::I can't find out what "-l" does.
>> ft.do echo ls -l TLIST
>> ft.do echo bye
::This executes the above then logs off
ftp -s:ft.do
del ft.do

::This is quite pretty this part, the "/b" m atches pattern if at the beginning of a line and the "/v" prints only lines that do not contain a match.
::It then takes that output and puts it into "svrlist"
::The question I do have, what is this comparing to?
findstr /b /v "d" TLIST > svrlist

::These lines confuse the living daylights out of me so I'll leave this to you.
for /f "tokens=6-9 delims= " %%a in (svrlist) do (
echo %%d %%c %%a %%b
)

So I'm gathering that you have provided me the key. I'm assuming that I'll have to hunt around and do a similar thing for the local directory.
My main point of confusion is where does the local get compared with the remote?

Thanks.

'::I can't find out what "-l" does.'
The usual directory lister in unix is ls ; the -l option makes it list sizes, dates, owners etc, as well as filenames.
--------------------
'findstr /b /v "d" TLIST > svrlist'

Notice that the first entry in the TLIST starts with drw which means it's a directory. We don't want thise; just files.
----------
'::These lines confuse the living daylights out of me so I'll leave this to
you.
for /f "tokens=6-9 delims= " %%a in (svrlist) do (
echo %%d %%c %%a %%b
)'

The TOKENS are the 'chunks' of chars in a line. In this case separated by spaces.

========================================
Seems like you've got a pretty good handle on this. I'm willing to stick with it if you are.

[1\ yes, the o before sitename belongs there.

[2] You need to run the basic script for your ftp site to see if it conforms. If it doesn't, we can work with it.

[3] Run this little bat so we can see hoe your rig puts out the file date:
==============================
@echo off
setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion

for /f "tokens=* delims= " %%a in ('dir/b/a-d') do (
echo %%~Ta

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Hey M2, here is the output of the svrlist file without running the little batch file you included at the bottom of the message.

test20081113.mp3
test20081111.mp3
test20081110.mp3
test20081119.mp3
test20081112.mp3
test20081114.mp3
test20081118.mp3
test20081117.mp3
test20081120.mp3
test20081121.mp3

Here is the TLIST

test20081113.mp3
test20081111.mp3
test20081110.mp3
test20081119.mp3
test20081112.mp3
test20081114.mp3
test20081118.mp3
test20081117.mp3
test20081120.mp3
test20081121.mp3

I'll be back with the output of the little batch file in a tick

Do you know that you've pretty much made a $3500 radio station package redundant in two different countries?

I changed your little bat slightly:
@echo off
setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion

for /f "tokens=* delims= " %%a in ('dir/b/a-d') do (
echo %%~Ta > littlebatout.txt
)
pause
echo done

An this was it's output, I'm assuming because it's running on my desktop this data is from the files or directories residing there. I'm guessing you are looking to get this data from both ends and compare them?

Your move. :) Thanks again.

14/11/2008 01:38 p.m.
24/09/2008 01:48 p.m.
29/10/2008 12:28 p.m.
16/10/2008 10:35 a.m.
24/10/2008 05:11 p.m.
14/11/2008 10:17 a.m.
14/11/2008 10:17 a.m.
23/10/2008 01:20 p.m.
23/10/2008 01:33 p.m.
06/11/2008 04:21 p.m.
06/11/2008 04:21 p.m.
14/11/2008 04:02 p.m.
14/11/2008 04:02 p.m.
04/10/2007 11:54 a.m.
18/09/2008 04:33 p.m.
25/09/2008 02:10 p.m.
14/10/2008 11:53 a.m.
14/10/2008 11:54 a.m.
09/10/2008 05:28 p.m.
18/09/2008 05:19 p.m.
31/07/2008 06:05 p.m.
17/06/2008 06:25 p.m.
14/11/2008 10:17 a.m.
14/11/2008 10:17 a.m.
01/08/2008 12:29 p.m.
14/11/2008 01:38 p.m.

Ah I now understand (I hope)

'findstr /b /v "d" TLIST > svrlist'

to say the above string verbosely:

find the string in TLIST at the beginning of the line only if it does not have a "d" in it then use the output created by this line to create the file svrlist

I'm assuming this line would be key to compare "the output of the local side directory listing" with ""the output of the remote side directory listing" with the additional calculation of the modified dates for each file or something.

goompa,

If you can spend money, jpsoft has a cmd.exe replacement called TCC, which appears to this job seamlessly. (Not by the free TCC LE).
An elaborate full fledged script for updating files from ftp site using TCC:

http://www.jpsoft.com/forums/showth...

You can 'try' their software also.

I have no affiliations with jpsoft :-)
I just happen to love their products.

--
Holla.

That svrlist looks odd. Can you post a few lines of TLIST?

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Hey M2, the output from both are in Response # 7
For the little batch file, was I supposed to execute that on a remote folder or is it ok to run it where ever?

' For the little batch file, was I supposed to execute that on a remote folder or is it ok to run it where ever?'

wherever

----
Still mystified about your TLIST.

Run the script below, after putting in your particulars.

======================================
@echo off
setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion

> ft.do echo o yoursite.com
>> ft.do echo username
>> ft.do echo password
>> ft.do echo bin
>> ft.do echo cd mystuff
>> ft.do echo ls -l TLIST
>> ft.do echo bye

ftp -s:ft.do
del ft.do

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2