AFP Engage! User's Guide

AFP URLs

This chapter discusses the syntax of AFP URLs. AFP stands for Apple Filing Protocol, which is the protocol used by AppleShare and compatible servers. AFP URLs are similar to HTTP and FTP URLs, but are more general, since with AppleShare IP and ShareWay IP, AFP-based servers (AppleShare servers) can be accessed over both AppleTalk and TCP/IP. There are thus two forms of AFP URLs, one for TCP/IP and one for AppleTalk. Open Door Networks maintains a Web page which can assist you in generating AFP URLs. This page can be accessed through the AFP Engage! home page at http://www.opendoor.com/asip/afpengage.html.

AFP over TCP/IP

A URL specifying an AFP server which is accessible over TCP/IP will in most cases look like:

afp://server-name/volume-name/path

The fields are as follows:

• afp:// - Indicates that the URL specifies an AFP server which is accessible over TCP/IP.
  
  
• server-name - The IP address or DNS host name of the server.
  
  
• volume-name - The name of the desired volume on the AFP server.
  
  
  • AppleShare client 3.7.2 or later - This field is optional. If omitted, a dialog should query the user for the volume name.
    
    
  • AppleShare client prior to 3.7.2 - This field is required. If omitted, an error message results.
    
    
• path - The optional path to a file or folder on the desired volume. Its format is the same as paths on HTTP or FTP servers.
  

The above type of URL indicates guest access to an AFP server on the default AFP port number (548). Just as with HTTP and FTP URLs, there are also additional optional fields which can be specified under certain conditions. The general form of an AFP URL over TCP thus looks like:

afp://user;AUTH=authType:password@server-name:port/volume-name/path

The additional fields are:

• user - The name of the user to log in under.
  
  
• password - The password of the user to log in under. If a user is specified, but the password is not, a dialog will query the user for a password.
  
  
• AUTH - An optional field to be used for specifying an alternate UAM (user authentication method).
  
  
• port - The TCP/IP port number to access the AFP server on. The default is port 548.
  

NOTE: Many AFP servers do not support AFP over TCP/IP. If your AFP server does not support AFP over TCP/IP, you can add this capability through Open Door's ShareWay IP product.

AFP over AppleTalk

A URL specifying an AFP server which is accessible over AppleTalk will in most cases look like:

afp:/at/server-name/volume-name/path

The fields are as follows:

• afp:/at/ - Indicates that the URL specifies an AFP server which is accessible over AppleTalk.
  
  
• server-name - The AppleTalk name of the server, which is assumed to be in the same AppleTalk zone as the user's machine.
  
  
• volume-name - The name of the desired volume on the AFP server.
  
  
  • AppleShare client 3.7.2 or later - This field is optional. If omitted, a dialog should query the user for the volume name.
    
    
  • AppleShare client prior to 3.7.2 - This field is required. If omitted, an error message results.
    
    
• path - The optional path to a file or folder on the desired volume. Its format is the same as paths on HTTP or FTP servers.
  

The above type of URL indicates guest access to an AFP server in the same AppleTalk zone as the user's machine. There are also additional optional fields which can be specified under certain conditions. The general form of an AFP URL over AppleTalk thus looks like:

afp:/at/user;AUTH=authType:password@server-name:zone/volume-name/path

The additional fields are:

• user - The name of the user to log in under.
  
  
• password - The password of the user to log in under. If a user is specified, but the password is not, a dialog will query the user for a password.
  
  
• AUTH - An optional field to be used for specifying an alternate UAM (user authentication method).
  
  
• zone - The AppleTalk zone to access the AFP server on. The default is the same zone as the user's machine.
  

Special characters in AFP URLs

AppleTalk names and zones, and Macintosh volume, folder and file names often contain characters not normally found in URLs. These characters include spaces, slashes and high-bit ASCII characters (such as those used for international characters). AFP URLs should encode these special characters using the %xx construct (for instance, %20 for space). In many cases Macintosh browsers will understand URLs which contain special characters, but it is especially important to encode slashes (%2F) which otherwise will be used as directory delimiters.

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