Subj : A TCP/IP variation of -N
To   : Mike Luther
From : Jonathan de Boyne Pollard
Date : Wed Aug 29 2001 01:54 am

 ML> HTTP has no underling method, which I know about, to match the file
 ML> date and time stamp between the systems,  [...]

As I recall, HTTP has a Last-Modified: header.  One simply needs an HTTP client 
that recognises this header.

 ML> If you use HTTP to create a maintenace database of files, names, dates and
 ML> times, for example,to chart the on-going fix-everything for any OS/2 box, 
or
 ML> complicated system; you'll fail.  That's because there is no way to 
display the 
 ML> entire collection so that you are *SURE* that the file you have is the 
right one.

Why not ?  If the problem is maintaining the last modification datestamps on 
the files at the client end, then that's easily solved.

It's also worth noting that HTTP has a mechanism for retrieving files only if 
they have been modified later than a given date.  Caching Web browsers, such as 
Netscape, use this mechanism all of the time.

 ¯ JdeBP ®

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