After I saw the recent request regarding auto-ftp scripting I decided to submit my currently used solution as a small contribution to the net.
This is a set of QuicKeys (now called "Shortcuts") that I use for (mostly) automated ftp downloads from both info-mac and mac.archive. Consider it a working prototype; modify as needed.
Requirements:
- QuicKeys 3.0 (need the conditional branch features)
- BBEdit (I use version 2.2.2)
the shortcuts could be easily modified for another grep-able editor;
(I guess Nisus would be ok, Adam :-)
- Fetch (I use version 2.1.1)
- Mac hooked up to the Internet one way or another; I use MacPPP via modem
(otherwise ftp won't work quite as well :-)
- Patience connecting to info-mac or mac.archive via ftp ;-)
This is how I use it:
1. Reading the info-mac digest (with EasyView) or the new files listings from mac.archive, I clip the desciptions of the files I would like to get to a text file; no need to isolate the file pathnames, grep will do that for me.
2. When I feel I have a chance to connect to the ftp server I launch Fetch and log on.
3. IMPORTANT! I change directory to /info-mac or /mac, respectively (my Fetch shortcuts are defined that way). I decided to require that so I can use mirror archives at wuarchive.wustl.edu, for example. The QuicKeys will work there unmodified provided I'm in the appropriate directory (/mirrors/info-mac, for example).
3. I open the download description file in BBEdit, make sure the insertion point is at the beginning of the file.
4. I hit <command><control>I (for info-mac) or <command><control>U (for mac.archive) to start the whole thing and go and do something more useful.
5. I have set Stuffit Expander to automatically unstuff the files as they come in; this works fine for me.
This is what you need to do:
1. After un-binhexing the enclosed QuicKeys file, install the five sequences into the BBEdit shortcut set, either using the new QuicKeys Utility (supposedly much easier, but I haven't tried that yet) or by opening the set in the QK editor, copying the shortcuts and pasting them into the BBEdit set.
2. If necessary, change the key combinations to your liking or so they won't conflict with any you had defined previously.
3. Refrain from using your Mac while the downloads are in progress. The scripts rely on Fetch displaying the running dog cursor while a download is in progress, and doing most anything on the Mac will confuse the script.
Limitations:
- No error checking/handling to speak of. This would be very hard to implement with QuicKeys, although not impossible. If anything goes wrong, the scripts will get most likely confused. File not found messages in Fetch seem to be handled ok, if you hit the return key to dismiss the dialog.
- The grep expressions currently only search for .hqx and .txt file name extensions. Other file types will be skipped. I would appreciate it if some Unix guru would come up with more robust regular expressions and let me know!
- If the file descriptions contain references to other archived files in the format /info-mac/......./file.hqx they will be downloaded as well. Again, if someone is more experienced with grep and BBEdit, please send me your solution.
Disclaimer:
I am submitting these QuicKeys as examples for others to try and experiment with. Don't blame me if your hard disk fills up and crashes and all your other files get deleted...
As I said above, it works fine for me.
Oh, of course use this without obligation of any kind! Except for QuicKeys, all the other software involved is free as well.
I would enjoy getting e-mail from people who use this little hack. Please let me know if you come up with useful improvements!
Enjoy,
Klaus
Klaus P. Fechner <klaus@sparky.rad.med.umich.edu>, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
