Converting HTTP to FTP URL

[Mark Wieder]

Jacque-

Sunday, August 7, 2011, 8:49:52 PM, you wrote:

> It sounds like I may have to ask the user to provide both paths. But
> that makes everything more complex because the two paths are slightly
> different, the user needs to know the distinction between web-relative
> paths and absolute paths and what their web root folder is called, and
> I'd rather avoid the support issues around that if I can.

So here's my confusion about this: just because a user has http
hosting doesn't necessarily mean they have ftp hosting or that they
have an ftp account set up. And if they *do* have an ftp account and
already know their username and password, wouldn't they also know the
ftp address? And if they know all that (still with me?) why not just
ask for four pieces of data instead of three? You might try creating a
socket connection to port 21 at the server address and see if there's
a response, but that still wouldn't necessarily resolve to a subdomain
ftp server. Or you might get an ftp server but not the one you were
looking for. I think the support issues of trying to outsmart the user
might outweigh those of users asking "what's ftp?".

-- 
-Mark Wieder
 mwieder at ahsoftware.net