--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/02/14 20:28:57	1.711
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2006/02/21 22:39:28	1.712
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.711 2006/02/14 20:28:57 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.712 2006/02/21 22:39:28 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -4667,6 +4667,36 @@ sub GetFileTimestamp {
     }
 }
 
+sub stat_file {
+    my ($uri) = @_;
+    $uri = &clutter($uri);
+    my ($udom,$uname,$file,$dir);
+    if ($uri =~ m-^/(uploaded|editupload)/-) {
+	($udom,$uname,$file) =
+	    ($uri =~ m-/(?:uploaded|editupload)/?([^/]*)/?([^/]*)/?(.*)-);
+	$file = 'userfiles/'.$file;
+	$dir = &Apache::loncommon::propath($udom,$uname);
+    }
+    if ($uri =~ m-^/res/-) {
+	($udom,$uname) = 
+	    ($uri =~ m-/(?:res)/?([^/]*)/?([^/]*)/-);
+	$file = $uri;
+    }
+
+    if (!$udom || !$uname || !$file) {
+	# unable to handle the uri
+	return ();
+    }
+
+    my ($result) = &dirlist($file,$udom,$uname,$dir);
+    my @stats = split('&', $result);
+    if($stats[0] ne 'empty' && $stats[0] ne 'no_such_dir') {
+	shift(@stats); #filename is first
+	return @stats;
+    }
+    return ();
+}
+
 # -------------------------------------------------------- Value of a Condition
 
 sub directcondval {
@@ -7339,6 +7369,16 @@ getfile($file,$caller) : two cases - req
    - returns the entire contents of a file or -1; 
    it properly subscribes to and replicates the file if neccessary.
 
+
+=item *
+
+stat_file($url) : $url is expected to be a /res/ or /uploaded/ style file
+                  reference
+
+returns either a stat() list of data about the file or an empty list
+if the file doesn't exist or couldn't find out about it (connection
+problems or user unknown)
+
 =item *
 
 filelocation($dir,$file) : returns file system location of a file