Why don't you store this as you are doing with 'host' ?

# in create_connection
$self->set('ftp',$ftp);

#in send_file
my $ftp = $self->get('ftp');
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From the same package:

sub ftp { return $_[0]->get('connection'); }
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Thus I get the current connection or create a new one if I need to.
So, in essence, I do as you suggest, but I leave it generic - passing the control of the connection details to another object.

Do you think it is a reason why the TCP connection disappears at one end?
What really confuses me is that the problem occurs sporadically - and I cannot recreate the error.

- Graq

Whenever I am finished with the $ftp object, I call 'close' on it.
There is no evidence of preceding connections failing at all before the connection that hangs.

This is the base object (re: $_[0]->get('connection'):

sub get
{
    my ($self, $property) = @_;

    if ($#_ == 0) {
        return map {$_, $self->{'properties'}->{$_}} $self->properties
+;
    }

    # if $property is an array, return all values
    if ( ref $property eq 'ARRAY') {
        my %retHash = ();
        grep {$retHash{$_} = $self->{'properties'}->{$_}} @$property;
        return \%retHash;
    }

    return $self->{'properties'}->{$property};
}
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Are you saying that this will cause the $ftp instance to be recreated?

If so, why does this cause sporadic failure rather than constant failure or regular failure?
--
Graq

Not 'recreated', but what _can_ happen is that you call an ftp command: ``$ftp->cmd(@args);''   which, as you know, is translated by perl as: Package::cmd($ftp, cmd, @args) ((here package is Net::FTP::...)).

Inside cmd($ftp, ...), it does an ``undef $_[0];'' if, and only if, it discovers a broken connection.

Next time you want to do an ftp cmd, you retrieve your _stored_ $ftp, (which is still defined and therefore still pointing to the right package::funcs) and send off another command.   ...Result, it hangs...

For instance, here's the ``put()'', I've used for a couple of years in my wrapper code:

# put: return ok = '' if 'no permission' error (ie, don't retry)

sub put {
  $_[0]->SUPER::put(@_[1..$#_]) # rtns ok/!ok;$_[0] undef'd if abort
    or check($_[0])            # $_[0] can be undef'd here to hangup
}

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(and in ``check()'':)

. . .

  if ($code == 000 ||                   # got here w/ no resp
      $code == '021' || $code == 421 || # server timeout || abort
      $code == 425 ||      # connection not opened ('out of ports'?)
      $code == 150) {      # intermediate result (never finished)

    $code < 100  and warn " No response (Timeout?).\n";
    150 == $code and warn "\tTimed out in mid-operation.\n";
    421 == $code and warn "\tServer disconnected.\n";
    425 == $code and warn "\tRestarting to clear connections.\n"
                  and sleep 10;
    warn "attempting to reconnect? ...\n";

    undef $_[0];
    return undef;
  }

  if ($code == 530) {     # not logged in! ** needs to croak() **
    die "Can't seem to login!
   (check ~/.netrc file or give name and password on command line?).
          (I'm dieing) \n";
  }

  if ( $code == 550   # dir/file not available (non-exist, no perms)
       || (500 <= $code && $code <= 504)   # syntax errors
       || $code == 553                     # illegal file name
       || $code == 452 || $code == 552 ) { # out of space(552: quota)
    return '';
  }

  if ($code == 426                     # closed early
      || $code == 450 || $code == 451  # file busy, srvr local error
      || $code == '051') {             # added this: local rcv error

    warn "\tTemporary failure, retrying...\n";
    sleep 12;
    return undef;                           # retry
  }
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  p