[REBOL] Re: FTP access via a port spec
From: greggirwin:mindspring at: 3-Oct-2002 18:56
Hi Laurent,
Scott answered the hard part, so I'll just add my opinions. :)
<< - would anyone know why does Rebol maintains an opened port despite the
fact
that the 'read is over ? >>
If you open a port, it's up to you to close it. If you just use READ on a
scheme, then REBOL can do it all for you.
<< - what does it mean exactly to have an open port open on a ftp server :
is it simply an open TCP connection or is it something more elaborate ?
>>
If you open a tcp:// port, that's all it is. If you open an ftp:// port, it
knows what scheme to use so you can insert and copy data against it. In this
case, the scheme would know what the standard FTP port is. Now, having not
done this kind of thing myself, what I say is pure conjecture. I would think
that you could insert commands to it (e.g. RETR) in a dialected manner, but
that doesn't seem to be the case. FTP ports don't seem to support INSERT. I
should leave this to those who know more about ports in REBOL. :)
<< I am currently having a very strange feeling about Rebol, it is very
powerful to use but the documentation seems insufficient to me on some
points like those,
which makes it quite painful to do even very simple things. >>
I think a lot of people feel the same way. The problem stems from little
holes, like the one you ran into, that prevent it from working
transparently. When you have to dig in, there is often not a clear set of
docs on how certain pieces work under the hood.
How painful you find it is relative. :) Given any large, complex, software
system of any kind, how easy is it to understand, modify, and extend? I
always thought VB was easy to use, but I started with QB and lots of stuff
just came with time and experience. Newcomers could be overwhelmed very
easily by it. What about .NET or Java? Perl, Python, Ruby? Others? Are there
missing pieces that will help make REBOL more accessible to "power
newcomers" who dig in a bit and then hit these kinds of walls?
I guess I'm saying that I agree but, like others here, I'm looking for where
we get the most bang for our buck (i.e. ROI). REBOL is so different, in many
ways, that I think sometimes it just takes time to get comfortable with its
idioms and learns where the traps are. :)
<< It can be very frustrating at times to see that the documentation opens a
new
path to explore but does not go any further : there are handlers, schemes
and
protocols but not much is said of how to build one, what features this or
that
one provides, and so on... >>
Agreed. There are a few examples. This list, and those who know where the
hidden treasures lie, and invaluable. REBOLForces is also chock full of
great info in the articles and 'zine areas. Hopefully the new FAQ and
Library projects will help in this regard as well.
--Gregg
