FTP directory list: Sterling Connect

Question

Just a post to make you aware of a directory listing format used by a
fairly widely distributed FTP server - It acts like a mailbox in that you
can only retrieve a file 1 time, but it will list the file until deleted.

Here is the format:
Sender ID St APRF SNRF Service Ref. Size
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006214N532606 003363494320186029 2516
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006215N361890 003363579678072559 2545
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006216N541974 003363663527203753 2584
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006217N481003 003363749576565411 2626
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006218N501898 003363854138668335 2654
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006219N102741 003363923691816194 2493
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006220N323177 003364007828192896 2397
DSCVROUT Y MERSDLY 2006221N443152 003364094981877505 2526

...you asked for information on any listing formats that "dirDetails()" does not handle...

FTPj/PRO returns: java.text.ParseException: Failed to parse line '-------...etc...'

It doesn't like the line that consists entirely of dashes.

Answer 1

Thanks. Do you know what the middle three fields mean?

If you are a j/PRO user we can probably whip up a parser quickly if we know what the fields are.

I assume Sender ID can equate to the owner.

Just a post to make you aware of a directory listing format used by a
fairly widely distributed FTP server - It acts like a mailbox in that you
can only retrieve a file 1 time, but it will list the file until deleted.

Here is the format:
Sender ID St APRF SNRF Service Ref. Size
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer 2

Wouldn't it be great if these fields made any sense?

Below are my best guesses based on my tribal knowledge. It is difficult to know what they are for sure since Sterling goes to great trouble to hide any and all documentation about Connect:Mailbox on its web site...looked for quite a while and could only find offers to buy the product or register for a training class.

SenderID:
- This is the base filename - your guess made more sense;
St:
- This is the read state of the file; Y=read; N=unread;
- Once at the state of "Y" the file can no longer be retreived;
APRF:
- This is the filename suffix;
SNRF:
- No real idea, but it is most likely a job reference since it gives
back a SNRF: number for each FTP command in an interactive session.
Service Ref:
- No idea what purpose this reference ID is intended for...
Size:
- Size in KB;

Now, you're going to just swell up after reading this. If you want to get this file via "normal" ftp the get syntax *must* be: get %DSCVROUT%MERSDLY localfile.ext
...isn't that just sick?

We are a "soon to be user" since the Java library is so well organized. I created a parser for it, but noticed your informational message in the API documents and forwarded the format since Sterling Connect is owned by CA and is used by many banks...