Robo-FTP User's Guide > Script Programming > Script Commands > All Script Commands > NATO

Syntax:	NATO	[ timeout ]
Arguments:	[ timeout ]	Variable, string, or numeric constant defining a numeric time-out value.
Options:	none

Beginning with v2.0, the no activity time-out is set to 30 seconds by default. In previous versions the time-out was infinite (set to 0).

This script command specifies a communications time-out period in seconds. This period is used for communications with both remote servers and with the local system. The IFERROR command can be used to detect $ERROR_NO_ACTIVITY_TIMEOUT and attempt to recover a file transfer or other activity that failed abnormally.

Should a no activity time-out occur in a script command that communicates with a remote server, it probably indicates a serious error with the connection. In most cases, your script should issue a FTPLOGOFF and then FTPLOGON before attempting another file transfer. It may be necessary to attempt a to log on multiple times before it will succeed after a no activity time-out occurs.

Consider the following example in which the no activity time-out is set to 60 seconds.

NATO 60

SENDFILE "testfile"

IFERROR= $ERROR_NO_ACTIVITY_TIMEOUT GOTO try_reconnect

As mentioned above, a time-out can also occur on local operations. Some script commands subject to time-out include: DIALNET, DOSCMD, EXEC, PGPDECRYPT, PGPENCRYPT, WEBBROWSER, UNZIP and ZIP. A time-out may also occur in any command that changes files or accepts wildcards in addition to file names. Local time-outs like these are very rare and often indicate that a file was locked, modified or removed by a external process while Robo-FTP still needed it. If you experience this type of time-out, please check the Debug Log for possible troubleshooting hints.