FTP Script

After 10 minutes of frustration in ps, found the script I was using
works just as it should in cmd.exe possibly something with the
paramters?

an overview of a ftp script http://support.microsoft.com/kb/96269

works ok
CMD - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
-------------------------------------------
throws up help for the ftp.exe
PS - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
throws up help for the ftp.exe (expected)
CMD - C:\>ftp -s:
-------------------------------------------
a different type of error (from powershell and not ftp.exe?)
PS C:\> ftp -s:
Parameter -s: requires an argument.
At line:1 char:7
+ ftp -s: <<<<

Seems like a bug to me, but try putting the parameters inside quotes:
ftp.exe '-s:ftpcommands.txt'
ftp.exe "-s:ftpcommands.txt"

or use a backtick escape character (under the ~tilde):
ftp.exe `-s:ftpcommands.txt



"JakeDAHS" <jskiba99@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163620805.275275.156820@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> After 10 minutes of frustration in ps, found the script I was using
> works just as it should in cmd.exe possibly something with the
> paramters?
>
> an overview of a ftp script http://support.microsoft.com/kb/96269
>
> works ok
> CMD - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
> -------------------------------------------
> throws up help for the ftp.exe
> PS - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
> -------------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------------
> throws up help for the ftp.exe (expected)
> CMD - C:\>ftp -s:
> -------------------------------------------
> a different type of error (from powershell and not ftp.exe?)
> PS C:\> ftp -s:
> Parameter -s: requires an argument.
> At line:1 char:7
> + ftp -s: <<<<
>

Good call, thought I had tried with quotes before but just around the
script filename. each of your answers worked properly.

Thanks
-J



Marty List wrote:
> Seems like a bug to me, but try putting the parameters inside quotes:
> ftp.exe '-s:ftpcommands.txt'
> ftp.exe "-s:ftpcommands.txt"
>
> or use a backtick escape character (under the ~tilde):
> ftp.exe `-s:ftpcommands.txt
>
>
>
> "JakeDAHS" <jskiba99@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163620805.275275.156820@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> > After 10 minutes of frustration in ps, found the script I was using
> > works just as it should in cmd.exe possibly something with the
> > paramters?
> >
> > an overview of a ftp script http://support.microsoft.com/kb/96269
> >
> > works ok
> > CMD - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
> > -------------------------------------------
> > throws up help for the ftp.exe
> > PS - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
> > -------------------------------------------
> > -------------------------------------------
> > throws up help for the ftp.exe (expected)
> > CMD - C:\>ftp -s:
> > -------------------------------------------
> > a different type of error (from powershell and not ftp.exe?)
> > PS C:\> ftp -s:
> > Parameter -s: requires an argument.
> > At line:1 char:7
> > + ftp -s: <<<<
> >

Marty List wrote:
> Seems like a bug to me, but try putting the parameters inside quotes:
> ftp.exe '-s:ftpcommands.txt'
> ftp.exe "-s:ftpcommands.txt"
>
> or use a backtick escape character (under the ~tilde):
> ftp.exe `-s:ftpcommands.txt

PowerShell's parser is a bit different than CMD.exe's. Which is good in
some ways, because CMD.exe's was pretty nasty.

I think they'll tell you it's a feature rather than a bug, but I agree
it can be unintuitive to people expecting things to "just work". :-)

Concurring with Adam, the issue here is the way PowerShell parses and
reassembles command lines before passing them to external commands.

It works fine with correctly-specified getopt() style options, but breaks
any getopt style option specifications that take an argument - if I
understand the man page correctly:

http://node1.yo-linux.com/cgi-bin/ma...nd=getopt(3%29

Note that it works just fine with "/" specifiers, and that escaping the -
with ` will also inhibit parsing.


"Marty List" <usenet@optimumx.com> wrote in message
news:u%23uC3MPCHHA.996@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
> Seems like a bug to me, but try putting the parameters inside quotes:
> ftp.exe '-s:ftpcommands.txt'
> ftp.exe "-s:ftpcommands.txt"
>
> or use a backtick escape character (under the ~tilde):
> ftp.exe `-s:ftpcommands.txt
>
>
>
> "JakeDAHS" <jskiba99@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163620805.275275.156820@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>> After 10 minutes of frustration in ps, found the script I was using
>> works just as it should in cmd.exe possibly something with the
>> paramters?
>>
>> an overview of a ftp script http://support.microsoft.com/kb/96269
>>
>> works ok
>> CMD - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
>> -------------------------------------------
>> throws up help for the ftp.exe
>> PS - ftp -s:ftpcommands.txt
>> -------------------------------------------
>> -------------------------------------------
>> throws up help for the ftp.exe (expected)
>> CMD - C:\>ftp -s:
>> -------------------------------------------
>> a different type of error (from powershell and not ftp.exe?)
>> PS C:\> ftp -s:
>> Parameter -s: requires an argument.
>> At line:1 char:7
>> + ftp -s: <<<<
>>
>
>