default type/creator

Hello all,

using Net::FTP I wonder about the following:
  $ftp->binary;
  $ftp->get( $remote_file, $local_file );
The local file has type/creator set to TEXT/'MPS '.

It doesn't matter much if the application using this downloaded
data ignores type/creator (.jpg, .pdf, .doc). But on the other
hand if a user happens to double-click that data he might arrive
in a text editor. Isn't it better to avoid wrong usage at all.

I know how to avoid this by using MacBinary conversion.
The conversion process needs time though and the programmer
has to handle the extra files (.bin, .1). So if I care
I can always reconstruct the original type/creator information.

I believe patching Net::FTP is the wrong direction.
MacPerl probably can't do much because it doesn't know
whether I transfer in binary mode.

Therefore a preference like in Fetch or BetterTelnet
would be most ideal to specify which type/creator
to use for downloads. Perhaps even Internet config
mappings could be used.

But of course this is much work and obviously nobody
depends on it.

What could be done in short term is to change default
type/creator to something like 'BINA'/'????'.
Is this sensible?


Thanks,
Axel

P.S.: In the moment I write an incremental download utility
for a single application and more than hundred control files
this application opens. This is the practical reason for trying
to avoid unnecessary macbin conversions.

Anybody interested to see the downloader which greatly helps
in software installation can get a copy. I'd love to discuss
it.
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