3.1.2. DATA STRUCTURES

In addition to different representation types, FTP allows the structure of a file to be specified. Three file structures are defined in FTP:

file-structure,

where there is no internal structure and the file is considered to be a continuous sequence of data bytes,

record-structure,

where the file is made up of sequential records, and

page-structure,

where the file is made up of independent indexed pages.

File-structure is the default to be assumed if the STRUcture command has not been used but both file and record structures must be accepted for "text" files (i.e., files with TYPE ASCII or EBCDIC) by all FTP implementations. The structure of a file will affect both the transfer mode of a file (see the Section on Transmission Modes) and the interpretation and storage of the file.

The "natural" structure of a file will depend on which host stores the file. A source-code file will usually be stored on an IBM Mainframe in fixed length records but on a DEC TOPS-20 as a stream of characters partitioned into lines, for example by <CRLF>. If the transfer of files between such disparate sites is to be useful, there must be some way for one site to recognize the other's assumptions about the file.

With some sites being naturally file-oriented and others naturally record-oriented there may be problems if a file with one structure is sent to a host oriented to the other. If a text file is sent with record-structure to a host which is file oriented, then that host should apply an internal transformation to the file based on the record structure. Obviously, this transformation should be useful, but it must also be invertible so that an identical file may be retrieved using record structure.

In the case of a file being sent with file-structure to a record-oriented host, there exists the question of what criteria the host should use to divide the file into records which can be processed locally. If this division is necessary, the FTP implementation should use the end-of-line sequence, <CRLF> for ASCII, or <NL> for EBCDIC text files, as the delimiter. If an FTP implementation adopts this technique, it must be prepared to reverse the transformation if the file is retrieved with file-structure.

3.1.2.1. FILE STRUCTURE

File structure is the default to be assumed if the STRUcture command has not been used.

In file-structure there is no internal structure and the file is considered to be a continuous sequence of data bytes.

3.1.2.2. RECORD STRUCTURE

Record structures must be accepted for "text" files (i.e., files with TYPE ASCII or EBCDIC) by all FTP implementations.

In record-structure the file is made up of sequential records.

3.1.2.3. PAGE STRUCTURE

To transmit files that are discontinuous, FTP defines a page structure. Files of this type are sometimes known as "random access files" or even as "holey files". In these files there is sometimes other information associated with the file as a whole (e.g., a file descriptor), or with a section of the file (e.g., page access controls), or both. In FTP, the sections of the file are called pages.

To provide for various page sizes and associated information, each page is sent with a page header. The page header has the following defined fields:

Header Length

The number of logical bytes in the page header including this byte. The minimum header length is 4.

Page Index

The logical page number of this section of the file. This is not the transmission sequence number of this page, but the index used to identify this page of the file.

Data Length

The number of logical bytes in the page data. The minimum data length is 0.

Page Type

The type of page this is. The following page types are defined:

0 = Last Page

This is used to indicate the end of a paged structured transmission. The header length must be 4, and the data length must be 0.

1 = Simple Page

This is the normal type for simple paged files with no page level associated control information. The header length must be 4.

2 = Descriptor Page

This type is used to transmit the descriptive information for the file as a whole.

3 = Access Controlled Page

This type includes an additional header field for paged files with page level access control information. The header length must be 5.

Optional Fields

Further header fields may be used to supply per page control information, for example, per page access control.

All fields are one logical byte in length. The logical byte size is specified by the TYPE command. See Appendix I for further details and a specific case at the page structure.

A note of caution about parameters: a file must be stored and retrieved with the same parameters if the retrieved version is to be identical to the version originally transmitted. Conversely, FTP implementations must return a file identical to the original if the parameters used to store and retrieve a file are the same.