tcpcmd Documentation
Scripts (tcpcmd Versions 1.x and 2.x) by Alan German
UCMD (tcpcmd Version 1.x) by Leonard Rosenthol

Introduction

tcpcmd is an extension that allows Frontier scripters to write internet applications. You can write client and server scripts that use the most popular internet protocols: ftp, http, nntp, smtp, and pop.

Frontier verbs are provided at three levels of complexity to match your needs and skill level.

Scripting novices can easily send and retrieve email, check URLs, retrieve WWW pages, perform FTP file transfers, and operate simple, Frontier-based finger and http servers.

Advanced scripters can utilize two lower levels of verbs for building specialized client and server applications and can even implement their own tcp/ip protocols.

Novice scripters may want to read on to learn more about tcpcmd.

Everyone should visit the table at tcpcmd.examples for lots of example scripts and one-liners.

If you don't have tcpcmd, you can download it from the tcpcmd page. If you are using Frontier 4, for the most reliable connections, you should use tcpcmd with NetEvents.

This documentation was originally written for tcpcmd Version 1, which was Frontier 4- (and therefore Macintosh-) only. I have not yet gone through it to check it for relevancy with Windows, now available with Frontier 5. In most cases, you can simply ignore references to Macintosh. All of the high-level verbs work the same regardless of platform.

Simple Scripting with tcpcmd

If you're active on the Internet, you probably perform many network tasks throughout the day. tcpcmd provides a set of very powerful, simple-to-use verbs for performing these tasks:

  • checkURL Checks http and ftp urls. For http, returns last-modified date, or new url if original has been redirected. For ftp, returns the same url passed if the file or directory specified is found.

  • download

    Download a file or a whole directory of files from an ftp site.

  • finger

    The ubiquitous finger client.

  • getURL

    Retrieves http, ftp, and gopher urls. You can have the result returned as a string, stored in Frontier's odb, or written to a file.

  • lookupDNS

    Ever wonder what "204.157.58.17" was? Or do you need to know the IP address of "www.erols.com"?

  • sendMail

    Send an electronic mail message to one or more recipients.

  • sendNews

    Send a message to a newsgroup.

  • upload

    Upload a file or whole folder of files from your Mac to an ftp site.

  • whois Almost as ubiquitous as finger, find out who [somebody] Is.

    • Advanced Scripting with tcpcmd

    While the most common internet tasks can be performed with the simple verbs shown above, many Frontier scripters need more precise control over their operations, or want to design and develop their own internet applications.

    After understanding some generalTheory of operation, you can use the various tables of protocol-specific verbs to implement your application.

    Client Functions

    The most common tasks performed while scripting the internet are client functions. Each internet client protocol supported in tcpcmd is contained in its own sub-table:

  • SMTP
  • POP
  • FTP
  • HTTP Client Functions

    • Server Functions (only really useful for Frontier 4)

    With tcpcmd, scripters can design and operate their own internet servers, entirely within the Frontier environment.

  • Finger Server
  • HTTP Server

    • Low-Level Scripts

    The interfaces table contains the lowest level of tcpcmd scripts from which all other tcpcmd scripts are built.

    Internet Date and Time Strings

    See rfcTime for a description of verbs that format date and time strings for various internet applications. Local-to-GMT and GMT-to-Local conversion routines are also provided.

    This page was last built on 9/4/99; 3:22:29 PM ET by Alan German, asg@erols.com. At the moment, I am using Macintosh OS to work on this website. The "Electric Cactus" graphic is based on original artwork owned by UserLand Software and is used with their permission.