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FTP Sockets Async vs Sync?
I currently have a nice FTP app using FtpWebResponse. Now I want to try C# Socket programming for a FTP client.
Q. Do you recommend Asynchronous or Synchronous sockets?
The synchronous Client code I've seen seems to appears to lockout any other FTP clients requests. Whereas asynchronous Client code seems more server friendly. Your thoughts please.
I don't think FtpWebResponse is either asynchronous or synchronous.
Q. Do you recommend Asynchronous or Synchronous sockets?
The synchronous Client code I've seen seems to appears to lockout any other FTP clients requests. Whereas asynchronous Client code seems more server friendly. Your thoughts please.
I don't think FtpWebResponse is either asynchronous or synchronous.
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For Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 you can use the StreamSocket for async socket communications that you can use to implement your FTP. Something like this which also includes timeout checking.
Once you have the Socket, you can then use similar code to read/write on that socket or close the socket (Socket.Dispose()).
Gary Davis
using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Windows.Networking;
using Windows.Networking.Sockets;
using Windows.Storage.Streams;
public class SocketService
{
private static StreamSocket Socket { get; set; }
/// <summary>
/// Call like this: var socket = await ConnectToTivo();
/// Socket can then be used for reaw/writes
/// </summary>
/// <returns>Connected Socket or null if timeout/error</returns>
public static async Task<StreamSocket> ConnectSocket(string ip, string port)
{
if (Socket != null) return Socket; // Already connected
Socket = new StreamSocket();
var cancelToken = new CancellationTokenSource();
cancelToken.CancelAfter(2000); // Two second timeout
try
{
var op1 = Socket.ConnectAsync(new HostName(ip), port);
var task = op1.AsTask(cancelToken.Token);
await task;
}
catch (TaskCanceledException timeoutEx)
{
// TODO: Handle timeout
return null;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
// TODO: Handle exception
return null;
}
// Do you expect any data after connect? If so, read it
var reader = new DataReader(Socket.InputStream) {InputStreamOptions = InputStreamOptions.Partial};
cancelToken = new CancellationTokenSource();
cancelToken.CancelAfter(2000);
try
{
var op2 = reader.LoadAsync(100);
var task = op2.AsTask((cancelToken.Token));
await task;
}
catch (TaskCanceledException timeoutEx)
{
// TODO: Handle timeout
return null;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
// TODO: Handle exception
return null;
}
var data = reader.ReadString(reader.UnconsumedBufferLength);
// Do something with data after connect
return Socket;
}
}
Once you have the Socket, you can then use similar code to read/write on that socket or close the socket (Socket.Dispose()).
Gary Davis
If you're going to write your own code using raw sockets, then make sure you have a solid understanding of the FTP protocol.
Whereas asynchronous Client code seems more server friendly.Why would the synchronicity of the client have any bearing on the server?
I don't think FtpWebResponse is either asynchronous or synchronous.I'm not sure what you mean by that--a method, not a class, would be synchronous--but it would have to be one or the other (or possibly both), don't you think?
I agree with kaufmed. Having wrote an FTP client with the Winsock control in VB6 years ago, the FTP protocol is mostly a guideline. It was designed with human interaction in mind, not automation. Responses vary from server to server so you have to write custom code to handle each specific case. Your code may break if you use it with a server your code has never seen before at it returns something you weren't anticipating. Good luck...
[...] Now I want to try C# Socket programming for a FTP client. [...]
If you are just doing it for fun do HTTP instead. If this is for work... it is a bad idea. If the FtpWebResponse has some limitation then try using a different library. Even if you have to pay $1000 for a 3rd party FTP stack you will save your boss a LOT of money over the cost of doing it yourself. The FTP standard does not specify a directory listing format so if this is for a commercial product you'll need to write a few dozen parsing routines and be prepared for users to write in and tells you it doesnt work with Open VMS, DEC VMS, IBM AS400, IBM 4690, Verizon, US Bank, Oracle, Novell, Glub Tech, or whatever server they are using which has a different format than the standard Unix listing which is itself very different than what IIS returns. Don't open that ugly can of worms if you can avoid it.
After some research I'm finding that FtpWebResponce is a synchronous class, hence it doesn't have actual login method. Each upload, download, list member is quick and dirty then connection closed.. It will also freeze a desktop app if not running on a separate thread.
You are correct, the FTP server doesn't care if my code is synchronous or asynchronous. This a matter of block or not blocking threads.
I'm very familiar with the complexities of FTP commands worked with these servers many times. This is a personal project so I'm not concerned with the boss. I do understand your suggestion about plugins.
I've worked with TCP sockets and Server/Client programming before and find it very interesting. My original post is my concern on communicating with an FTP server, sync or async socket code.
Thank you for your input.
You are correct, the FTP server doesn't care if my code is synchronous or asynchronous. This a matter of block or not blocking threads.
I'm very familiar with the complexities of FTP commands worked with these servers many times. This is a personal project so I'm not concerned with the boss. I do understand your suggestion about plugins.
I've worked with TCP sockets and Server/Client programming before and find it very interesting. My original post is my concern on communicating with an FTP server, sync or async socket code.
Thank you for your input.
So is your question more or less about keeping your application responsive? If so, is there any reason why you wouldn't keep the FTP stuff on another thread? Why do you think sockets would help you here?
I will have more creativity using Sockets when dealing with FTP commands wheras FtpWebRequest does not. In fact a newly created URI requires a login if not using anonymous. So changing a directory is a pain. Sockets will provide raw FTP command control. I digress.
Anyway, this post has given me some ideas.
Anyway, this post has given me some ideas.
Ok...you can just use TcpClient to connect to the server then. Everything is sent back and forth as ASCII. Convert your string commands to a byte arrays using something like:
byte[] cmd = System.Text.ASCIIEncoding.
You can convert responses received as byte arrays back to a string using System.Text.ASCIIEncoding.
byte[] cmd = System.Text.ASCIIEncoding.
You can convert responses received as byte arrays back to a string using System.Text.ASCIIEncoding.
Honestly, I am wondering if you have set up your code in the correct way. You shouldn't need to log in to the server again unless you have forcibly severed the connection (or it has been dropped for some uncontrollable reason). Take for example the following:
And the conversation:
As you can see, only one USER and PASS commands have been sent for the whole session.
You might also look into the ConnectionGroupName and KeepAlive properties to help ensure only one connection is used.
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Net;
namespace _27980937
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
FtpWebRequest request = FtpWebRequest.Create("ftp://kenneth@localhost:21") as FtpWebRequest;
FtpWebResponse response;
request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.ListDirectory;
response = request.GetResponse() as FtpWebResponse;
Console.WriteLine(response.StatusDescription);
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(response.GetResponseStream()))
{
while (!reader.EndOfStream)
{
Console.WriteLine(reader.ReadLine());
}
}
request = FtpWebRequest.Create("ftp://kenneth@localhost:21/test") as FtpWebRequest;
request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.MakeDirectory;
response = request.GetResponse() as FtpWebResponse;
Console.WriteLine(response.StatusDescription);
request = FtpWebRequest.Create("ftp://kenneth@localhost:21/test") as FtpWebRequest;
request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.ListDirectory;
response = request.GetResponse() as FtpWebResponse;
Console.WriteLine(response.StatusDescription);
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(response.GetResponseStream()))
{
while (!reader.EndOfStream)
{
Console.WriteLine(reader.ReadLine());
}
}
request = FtpWebRequest.Create("ftp://kenneth@localhost:21/test/example.txt") as FtpWebRequest;
request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.UploadFile;
using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(request.GetRequestStream()))
{
writer.WriteLine("hello world!");
}
response = request.GetResponse() as FtpWebResponse;
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(response.GetResponseStream()))
{
while (!reader.EndOfStream)
{
Console.WriteLine(reader.ReadLine());
}
}
request = FtpWebRequest.Create("ftp://kenneth@localhost:21/test") as FtpWebRequest;
request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.ListDirectory;
response = request.GetResponse() as FtpWebResponse;
Console.WriteLine(response.StatusDescription);
using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(response.GetResponseStream()))
{
while (!reader.EndOfStream)
{
Console.WriteLine(reader.ReadLine());
}
}
}
}
}
And the conversation:
As you can see, only one USER and PASS commands have been sent for the whole session.
You might also look into the ConnectionGroupName and KeepAlive properties to help ensure only one connection is used.
The original post is "FTP Sockets Async vs Sync?". I'm satisfied with the Socket question.
I think we need to pickup this prior EE question concerning FtpWebRequest. Thank you Kaufmed for all your help. http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Languages/C_Sharp/Q_27974557.html
I think we need to pickup this prior EE question concerning FtpWebRequest. Thank you Kaufmed for all your help. http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Languages/C_Sharp/Q_27974557.html
The impression I got was that you wanted to use sockets because you felt you were limited in the functionality of FtpWebRequest/FtpWebRespon
In either case, good luck, and I (and others, I'm sure) are happy to help where I can : )
In either case, good luck, and I (and others, I'm sure) are happy to help where I can : )
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