Transferring Files using FTP

This viewlet illustrates using WS_FTP LE to transfer files to a remote server to maintain a Web site.  The final slide in the viewlet provides a link to the Ipswitch site from which a non-commercial user can download a free copy of the program.

When WS_FTP LE is opened the first time it displays a Session Properties page.  This page has spaces in which one can enter the Profile Name (a plain language description of the profile to be used which can identify the site it is being used for--particularly useful if the user maintains a Web presence on more than one server), the Host Name/Address (the URL of the host's FTP server), the Host Type, the User ID (the name used to log on to the remote site's server), and the password used for the remote server.  In general the Host Name and Host Type will be furnished by the host when the user subscribes for service.

Once these items have been entered, clicking the OK button will result in connecting to the FTP server.  Dial-up networking will initiate the connection if the user is not already online.  When the connection is made, the status of the connection will be displayed at the bottom of the screen showing the initial connection, the prompt for password, the password acceptance, the word LIST, and finally the fact that the connection is open for transfers.  If the connection fails, an error message will be displayed at the bottom of the window.

The LIST message indicates that the program is acquiring a list of everything currently on the user's Web space.  This information is displayed in the right pane of the display.  The left pane of the display initially shows the contents of the WS_FTP LE folder on the local computer.  If the files to be uploaded are on the same partition as WS_FTP LE, users can move up one level in the directory tree by double-clicking the green arrow at the top left of the left pane.  Continue until the folder containing the files is located then double-click that folder to display its contents.  If the files are on a different partition, scroll down in the left pane and double-click the partition name.

The right pane shows the root directory of the files on the server.  This will contain (at a minimum) all the pages of the Web site including index.htm/html as well as any graphics and included files if they are not combined into separate folders.

To maintain parallel organizations between the local computer and the server, files and folders must be the same in both locations.  Since the folder on the local computer opens to its relative root files that are displayed there can be uploaded directly by clicking to select them then clicking the --> button to upload them to the server.  Windows key conventions are maintained--multiple files can be selected by holding down the Ctrl key when clicking on each of them or by clicking the top file in a list and then holding down the Shift key when clicking on the bottom file which will select the entire range of files.

If some items for the Web site are in folders, they must be in similar folders on the server.  For the initial transfer of a folder, the folder can be selected by clicking on it and then clicking the --> button.  WS_FTP LE will ask if it is desired to transfer the structural element and its contents.  Answer in the affirmative and the entire folder will be transferred.  If subsequently a few new files in an existing folder are to be uploaded, double-click the folder in the left pane to expand it and double-click the folder in the right pane to expand it.  Now transfer the individual files, which will move from the computer's folder to the corresponding server's folder.  When all new files in that folder have been uploaded, double-click the green arrows at the top of each of the panes to return to the root directories.

After all files have been uploaded, exit WS_FTP LE by clicking the Exit button in the lower right corner.

During file transfers, statistics will be displayed at the bottom of the window showing the size of the file transferred and how much space is left on the server.  These statistics are displayed for such a brief time that they can't be read.  To view them, click the LogWnd button at the bottom of the windows to view the log of transfers for that particular session.  In the local folder for the Web site users will also see a file called Ws_ftp.log which contains a historical list of times of transfers and the names of the files involved.

To see a viewlet demonstrating these procedures go here.