FTP Subcommand: NAMEFMT

The NAMEFMT (name format) sub-command controls whether our FTP client session can access file systems on an IBM i Integrated File System (IBM i IFS) besides our DB2/400 data. NAMEFMT can be set on either an IBM i FTP client or server and — in addition to providing or denying access to IBM i IFS file systems; it affects how you code IBM i path names to IBM i IFS files you want to transfer.

NAMEFMT can be executed with a parameter of 0 or 1

NAMEFMT - This command displays the Name Format setting for each machine if both machines are IBM i. If our FTP host machine is an IBM i and our FTP client machine is running on another operating system (such as Windows or UNIX), we can check the status of the IBM i NAMEFMT value by issuing the NAMEFMT command as follows:
QUOTE SITE NAMEFMT

NAMEFMT 0 - 

1. This command tells an IBM i to use a naming format that assumes we are transferring files to and from the DB2/400 file system (the QSYS.LIB file system in the IBM i IFS). 
2. With NAMEFMT 0, we cannot perform file transfers from any other IBM i IFS file system except QSYS.LIB. That means we cannot access the Root (/), QOpenSys, QDLS, and the other IBM i IFS file systems. 
3. It also affects the way we specify our IBM i working directories or libraries in our other FTP commands. 
4. When NAMEFMT 0 is specified, we must use the following pathname naming convention in our FTP command when we are referencing AS/400 QSYS.LIB libraries, files, and members: LibraryName/FileName.MemberName

NAMEFMT 1 - This command tell IBM i that our client can access files in any IBM i IFS file system (such as Root, QOpenSys, and QDLS). It allows us to access any file residing on my IBM i, provided we have the access to that file. However, when NAMEFMT = 1, we must change the pathname naming convention for referencing a folder or file on the IBM i IFS to the following:

• /QSYS.LIB/libraryname.lib/filename.file/membername.mbr — when dealing with objects in the QSYS.LIB file system
• /filesystem/directoryname/filename.extension — when dealing with non- QSYS.LIB file systems.