Date   : Fri, 27 Jan 1984 10:24:44 EST
From   : "Ferd Brundick (LTTB)" <fsbrn@brl-voc>
Subject: Re: multiple FTP gets from SIMTEL20 for CPM stuff..

Haaah,

Our local implementation of ftp doesn't have the 'script' or 'xfile'
commands, so we have to use re-directed input.  I grabbed all the
cpmug catalog files (1 per directory) by building a file containing
the following commands:
    verbose
    tenex
    get "micro:<cpmug.vol001>catalog" catalog.001
    get "micro:<cpmug.vol002>catalog" catalog.002
    ...  (more of the same)
    bye

I actually built this file with a shell script that used the 'while' construct:
    i=1
    while test $i -lt 10
    do
        echo "get \"micro:<cpmug.vol00$i>catalog\" catalog.00$i" >>ftp.commands
        i=`expr $i + 1`
    done
(The sequence \" protects the double-quote)

Once you have built the ftp command file, you enter the following command:
    ftp simtel20 <ftp.commands
If you are transferring a large number of files, you may want to run the job
in the background by putting a '&' after the command line:
    ftp simtel20 <ftp.commands &

If the files require post-processing to remove the ITS header or convert CR/LF
to LF (for UN*X compatibility) put the ftp line in a second shell script:
    ftp simtel20 <ftp.commands
    for i in list_of_files
    do
        behead $i temp
        del.cr temp $i.fixed
    done

While this method requires a lot of work initially, it is much easier than
manually typing lots of 'get' commands.  The super-ftp file transfer program
that Dave Towson mentioned will (someday) be an interactive C version of the
method outlined above (but not this weekend -- I'm patching WordStar).

If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions, feel free to write to
me:  <fsbrn@brl-voc>

By the way, an easy way to transfer a small number of files is to put part
of the name in a Special Function key (I do this on an hp terminal):
    get "micro:<cpmug.vol
which saves some of the typing (and I don't forget what I'm supposed to use).

                                        dsw, fferd
                                        Fred S. Brundick
                                        USABRL, APG, MD.
                                        <fsbrn@brl-voc>