FTP File-Naming conventions

[Thomas Dowling]

> 
> .doc or .DOC 	usually indicates a text or ASCII file. (note: the
approprate
>                 mode setting is Binary)

I assume this is a typo, because if it's really an ASCII file, of course,
the setting should be ASCII.  Problem is, .DOC is also widely seen around
the net as an extension on Word documents, which should be transmitted as
binary.  Caveat downloador.

>.tar 	        this stands for tape archive, or it once did.  Now it's just
>               another compression format usually used to lump together
>          several related files.  The program tar will uncompress this
>         format. (note: the appropriate mode setting is Binary)

Strictly speaking, I don't believe tar includes any compression; it just
mushes multiple files together.  A lot of Unix software is distributed in
.tar.Z or .tar.gz format; tar'd to make sure you get all the files, and
then compressed (.Z) or gzipped (.gz) for compression.  Send as binary in
any case.


Thomas Dowling
tdowling at ohiolink.edu
Ohio Library and Information Network