{"id":4093,"date":"2010-06-14T12:06:00","date_gmt":"2010-06-14T12:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.htmlgoodies.com\/uncategorized\/web-developer-class-how-do-i-use-ftp-to-transfer-files\/"},"modified":"2010-06-14T12:06:00","modified_gmt":"2010-06-14T12:06:00","slug":"web-developer-class-how-do-i-use-ftp-to-transfer-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.htmlgoodies.com\/webmaster\/web-developer-class-how-do-i-use-ftp-to-transfer-files\/","title":{"rendered":"Web Developer Class: How Do I Use FTP To Transfer Files?"},"content":{"rendered":"
FTP<\/b> stands for F<\/B>ile T<\/B>ransfer P<\/B>rotocol. It’s the concept of moving a file from your storage space to your server so others can look at
\nit. This is one of the basics of HTML, and most people know how
\nto do it, but are confused why items can sometimes be corrupted
\nwhen transferring. I put this together to try and explain some
\nof the statements I make.<\/p>\n
FTP is actually very basic. There
\nare about a million different FTP programs you can take off the
\nInternet as shareware or purchase, heck even Netscape and
\nExplorer will allow you to take files, often called
\n“downloading.” Obviously then, placing a file from your storage
\nspace to the server is called “uploading.”
<\/p>\n
My guess if that you have your own <\/p>\n If you don’t mind spending a couple of bucks after a 30-day trial, click on one of these. I’ve tried them all and can vouch that they are all good programs. <\/p>\n Below, in Table form, is the <\/TD><\/p>\n <\/center><\/p>\n Let Me Explain It…<\/b> <\/p>\n Notice that there are only two <\/p>\n When you create an HTML Document – you may have noticed that adding a ton of spaces between words <\/p>\n Now, imagine you just finished <\/p>\n If you send (or download) an image This goes for both FTP and downloading!<\/B> You can. It’s just that sending an <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you download or transfer something and it fails to work – the smart money is that you corrupted it through one or many of your transfers.<\/I> <\/p>\n Thanks for stopping by…now go FTP something.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It’s the concept of moving a file from your storage space to your server so others can look at it. This is one of the basics of HTML, and most people know how to do it, but are confused why items can sometimes be corrupted when transferring. I put […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[30645],"tags":[],"b2b_audience":[],"b2b_industry":[],"b2b_product":[68,80],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nFTP program already, but if not, you can download one. They come in freeware and shareware. If you want free, try FTP Explorer<\/a> or the free (limited) version of WS_FTP<\/a>.
\n Try either WSFTP<\/a> full version, CuteFTP<\/a> or my personal favorite,
\nFTP2000<\/a>.
\ngeneral interface
\nfor a basic FTP program. Yours is something like this. By the
\nway, “interface” is the thing between you and the computer,
\nmainly the graphics. In fact, an interface is anything that acts as a go-between for two items. You and your computer are as good as any two.
\n
\n
\nASCII <\/b>
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/TD>BINARY<\/b><\/p>\n \n \n
\n\n Files
\n
On
Your
\n Hard
\n Drive
\n<\/TD><-
\n<\/TD>COPY
\n<\/TD>->
\n<\/TD>Files
\n
On
\n
Your
\n
Server
\n
\n<\/TD>
\n<-
\n<\/TD>VIEW
\n<\/TD>->
\n<\/TD><\/p>\n\n <-
\n<\/TD>DELETE
\n<\/TD>->
\n<\/TD><\/p>\n <-
\n<\/TD>RENAME
\n<\/TD>->
\n<\/TD>
\n<\/table>\n
\n
\n
\nchange the transfer type.
\n
\nside of the command to transfer the file from or to the server.
\nSee the arrows?
\n<\/UL> <\/p>\nASCII vs. Binary<\/H2>
\nThis is the main reason for this
\ntutorial. I get letters all the time asking why images, or
\nApplets, or JavaScripts, don’t work. My answer is usually that
\nthe person corrupted it in the FTP.
\nThat usually confounds the problem further. Here’s a more
\nin-depth explanation:
<\/p>\n
\n
\nASCII stands for American Standard
\nCode for Information Interchange. It is text, short and simple.
\nBut it is text that is standardized so all computers everywhere
\nunderstand it. Look at your keyboard. See all those things,
\nthose letters and characters? There are actually 128 of them in
\nall. (Count upper and lower case as two).
\nNow it gets loopy –
\nComputers deal with numbers.
\nPeriod. Yes, you see little letters, but the computer doesn’t.
\nIt sees numbers–ones and zeros to be exact. Each one or zero is called a “bit.” That’s short for “binary digit.” ASCII is a series
\nof seven one and zero number combinations representing letters
\nand characters. (Some computers now use an “Extended ASCII” that uses eight numbers) An extra digit is often added as a check to see
\nif the other seven are correct. It’s called a “parity digit” or “check bit” and through a mathematical equation involving the other seven
\nnumbers, it checks to see if the numbers are correct. Here’s what
\nsome ASCII code looks like:
\n
\n
\nSymbol<\/B>
\n<\/TD>ASCII Code<\/B>
\n<\/TD>Symbol<\/B>
\n<\/TD>ASCII Code<\/B><\/p>\n
\nA
\n<\/TD>01000000
\n<\/TD>a
\n<\/TD>01100001
\n
\n!
\n<\/TD>00100001
\n<\/TD>$
\n<\/TD>00100100
\n
\nZ
\n<\/TD>01011010
\n<\/TD>z
\n<\/TD>01111010
\n
\n…etc, etc, etc up to 128
\n<\/TABLE>
\n<\/CENTER>
\n
\nnumbers involved, one and zero. This is what’s known as “binary”, two
\nitems. THEN WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO?!?!–you ask.
\nI told you this gets loopy. ASCII code is code for text alone.
\nThose 128 groupings of ones and zeros represent text, period.
\n
\nIn terms of FTP:<\/B> If you are FTPing something that only has
\ntext, like an HTML document, use the ASCII mode of your
\napplication. More on why in a moment.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/UL>
\n
\nBinary is best explained in
\ncomparison to ASCII. Binary also uses the seven (sometimes
\neight) digit ones and zeros combinations, but sees the characters
\nin a different light.
\n Let’s say you are FTPing an applet. Yes,
\nit uses only the 128 characters on the keyboard, but with one
\nmajor exception…all characters are not equal. If you look at a
\nGIF, or a JPEG, or an image (in an editor) – yes, it looks
\nlike text. Remember, the computer sees numbers only, and
\ncharacters are a good representation of those numbers. You see,
\nthe computer doesn’t require that you see what happens to work.
\nText is just so you can get a representation of what it is
\ndoing.
\nWhere a binary transfer differs
\nfrom ASCII is how it treats the characters used. An Applet needs
\nto not only retain the same characters when it transfers, but
\nalso needs to retain the same form.
\nIt has to be equally as wide and tall when it arrives at its
\ndestination as it was when it left. If it is not – it’s corrupted and won’t
\nwork.An Example:<\/H2><\/p>\n
\ndid not translate into a ton of spaces in the browser window. In addition, where you hit “enter” to jump to the next line didn’t mean didley when
\nyou posted it. The line broke when it wanted (unless you put in
\na <BR> command).
\nThe reason for this is because you
\nsaved the document as “TEXT” of one form or another. That only
\nsaved the letters, nothing else. Where you hit return didn’t
\nmater. Your margin settings weren’t saved – only the text. This
\nis why you have to put in tags to make the text do what you
\nwant. When you transfer the file over as ASCII, only the text
\ngoes, because that’s all that is required. Its form is
\nimmaterial. You could write your HTML Document as one really,
\nreally long line. The computer doesn’t care. It changes the
\ntext off of the tags, not by the form it was sent. How pretty
\nyou make your HTML document doesn’t matter.
\nwriting an Applet. Yes, it’s in text, but the text is more than
\njust a bunch of words. The text is in a certain format. Some of
\nthe text represents commands for the computer, and some
\nrepresents text that will appear on the screen. Still other text
\nrepresents a jump to the next line. That format of text must be
\nretained. If you send the Applet as ASCII, the transfer
\nliterally changes the Applet into a long line of characters –
\nbasically it makes it text alone. The different types of
\ncommands have lost their meaning. All is now equal. It is
\ncorrupted. It will not work.
\nas “TEXT” – same thing. The ASCII transfer changes the code into
\nstraight text with no special meaning. It is no longer an image
\nbut rather a long line of unrelated characters – it is corrupted
\nand it won’t work.<\/p>\nRule of Thumb<\/H2><\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\ndepending on your program)
\n
\nit, send the HTML Document as Binary. The text might need some minor adjusting, but will probably be fine. The Script is the concern here.
\n<\/UL><\/p>\nWhy Not Send and Save Everything as Binary?<\/H2><\/p>\n
\nHTML document as Binary, tends to mess it up a bit. More than
\njust text is being sent – form is now involved, and it may alter
\nup what you want. Make a point of sending in two forms, binary and ASCII.
\nFinally!<\/H2>
\nThe things I said above go for
\nboth FTP and downloading!!! Text is text. Applets, images, CGI’s
\nand Scripts, are quite different.<\/B>