Sockets, Sessions, Session handles, and FD handles

["Dennis Lovelady" <iseries@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

   Working with FTPAPI (and in particular the session management piece)
   I'm finding myself confused by the interchangeable use of _words_ like
   session and socket when the two _meanings_ don't seem to be
   interchangeable.


   For example, FTP_delete is called with first parameter peSession.  It
   calls the selectSession(peSession) function, which loops through its
   occurrences,  looking for a "session" where "wkSocket" is equal to
   peSession.  It then uses the ordinal position of the located match as
   a parameter to cmd_occurrsession, which will in turn make that
   "located" session the "current" one.  OK so far (if we must; it's all
   changing anyway).    So now, if I've done my math correctly, peSession
   is equal to wkSocket.


   Then back at FTP_delete, we SendLine() to the wkSocket from the
   current occurrence... and if successful, we try to  get a reply from
   our first parameter (peSession).  This (send to wkSocket; receive from
   peSession) is done consistently throughout the FTP_* procedures.  Then
   in tsend it is no longer session or socket... instead, it is wwFD!
   Now correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't wkSocket and peSession
   contain the same value?  I think so, so why all this confusion?!?!
   There must be an interesting history here that I'm missing, but I just
   want to make sure I  get this right before I hand it back for you
   folks to bless.


   To make matters worse, there are procedures that take peSession as a
   parameter where peSession is intended to be an ordinal index, and
   other procedures where peSession is a socket handle.  And the final
   clincher is that both session index and socket handle are 4-byte
   integers.  All of this seems to invite mistakes.


   So... is it just me or is there a serious need for nomenclature
   changes in this area?  I truly don't want to step on any toes here (I
   do that enough elsewhere), so please take my questions and comments in
   the light of one who wants to improve a process.


   I am actually moving fairly quickly on the changes - it's going even
   better than I'd hoped, and now it's time to examine the use of that
   wkSession field, and that's the reason I'm focusing on this now.


   Dennis E. Lovelady
   AIM/Skype: delovelady      MSN: fastcounter@xxxxxxxxxxxx
   [1]www.linkedin.com/in/dennislovelady --
   "As your attorney, it is my duty to inform you that it is not
   important that you understand what I'm doing or why you're paying me
   so much money.  What's important is that you continue to do so."
          -- Hunter S. Thompson's Samoan Attorney

References

   1. http://www.linkedin.com/in/dennislovelady

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the FTPAPI mailing list.  To unsubscribe, please go to:
http://www.scottklement.com/mailman/listinfo/ftpapi
-----------------------------------------------------------------------