This chapter deals with using WS_FTP Pro to manage files and folders on both local and remote systems. Managing files and folders includes:
• Viewing and navigating
• Working with files and folders
Viewing and Navigating
WS_FTP provides many tools and techniques for viewing and navigating files and folders.
This section points out various structures on the WS_FTP Pro window that allow you to view files and folders, and to navigate both local and remote systems.
The Address bar displays the complete path to the FTP site directory you are currently connected to.
The left side of the WS_FTP Pro window shows your local system, and where on that system you are. The Local Directory listing displays everything that is visible in the folder identified in the Local System box.
Look for more information in the Viewing and Navigating section of the Online help.
Local System
Display Icon
Up one Level Remote System Address Bar
Remote Directory Local Directory
Refresh Buttons Change Directory Button
Click the folder next to the local system box to select a new folder on your local system.
The right side of the WS_FTP Pro window shows the Remote System (FTP site) you are connected to. The Remote Directory listing displays everything that is visible in the folder identified in the Remote System box.
The way these listings look can be changed by the Display Icons, and can be refreshed (to make sure you are looking at the most up-to-date list of files and folders) by clicking the Refresh button next to the directory list box.
Click the ChgDir (Change Directory) button to type in a folder or local drive you want to navigate to.
Thumbnails View
The thumbnails view lets you navigate remote folders with graphics displayed in smaller images called thumbnails. With this, you can see what is on the remote folder without having to remember the
filename.
To use this view, select Thumbnails from the View menu.
There are two options on the Program Options: Display dialog that are important to this feature:
• Download images from remote server to create thumbnails.
Select this option to have WS_FTP Pro download all images to create a thumbnails database for the remote server. If this option is cleared, WS_FTP Pro will only obtain thumbnails if the remote server already has a database.
• Synchronize remote thumbnails databases. Select this option to have WS_FTP Pro upload the thumbnails database to the server once it has been created locally. Any further changes to the image list will be updated in both the local and remote thumbnail databases.
Working with Files and Folders
WS_FTP Pro gives you a variety of features that make it quick and
Managing Files and Folders 33 WS_FTP Pro
The graphic below points out key features used during these tasks.
The Command buttons are very important to managing your files.
You can change the order of the buttons, and which buttons appear using the Program Options: Command Bar dialog. The following is a description of the buttons that pertain to this section:
ChDir - Change Directory. The ChDir command offers one way for you to change to a directory on the current system.
MkDir - Make Directory. The Make Directory command allows you to create a folder/directory on your PC or on the FTP site if possible. (Not all FTP sites allow you to create folders; you must have an account on the site and "create" permissions.) When you select this command, you are prompted for a folder name that is valid for the current system.
View. The View command allows you to view a file. If you select a filename on an FTP site and then click View, the file is transferred to a temporary folder and is opened in the default text viewer.
Edit. The Edit feature allows you to edit remote files quickly and without having to actively transfer them first.
Append. The Append command allows you to select one or more files on the source system and transfer those files to the destination system, appending them to a destination file. (The source system is where the files are coming from.)
Files
Command buttons (Command Bars)
Execute. The Execute command allows you to open an application on a remote server. When you select this command, WS_FTP Pro downloads the file to a temp directory and runs the application associated with the file. If there is no association available, the user will be prompted with the ‘Open With’ dialog.
Rename. Use Rename to change the name of a selected file or folder.
Delete. The Delete command allows you to delete a file or folder on your PC or on the current FTP site, if you have the appropriate permissions. Remote files do NOT go to the Windows Recycle Bin.
DirInfo - Directory Information. The Directory Info command opens a text document that displays information about the current directory. This document opens in the default Text Viewer (as specified on the General tab of Program Options). WS_FTP displays as much information as the FTP site delivers. Depending on the site, for each file or folder within the current directory, the following information may be shown: size, type, permission, creation date, date last modified, and name.
Click and Drag for Organization
You can organize your files by clicking on the files and dragging them to the folder you want to move them to. This is not an FTP transfer when you move the file from one folder to another on the same system.
Active Edit
The active edit feature allows you to edit remote files quickly and without having to actively transfer them first. When you select a file and click Edit, the file will be opened in the application that it is associated with. If you want the file to be associated with an
application other than the default application, you have to configure it on the Active Edit dialog.
Managing Files and Folders 35 WS_FTP Pro
To configure an extension for active edit:
1 From the Program Options, select the Active Edit dialog.
2 Click Add to add a new entry, or select one from the list and click Edit. The Active Edit Properties dialog appears.
3 Enter the extension or extensions separated by commas.
4 In the Editor box, select or enter the path to the application that you want to open the file in.
5 Click OK. The extensions appear on the list.
Changing the File Permissions for UNIX Sites
You can change permissions for a file or folder on a UNIX FTP site, provided you have permission.
1 Select the file or folder and select Properties from the right-mouse menu,
2 Select the desired options by clicking the appropriate check boxes.
3 Click the OK button.
Background Information
The table below shows how WS_FTP Pro check box options correspond to the possible values for Owner, Group, and Other as viewed in the ten-position value in the first column of a directory list for a UNIX site.
In the directory list, the first position indicates whether the item is a file (-, s, S, or t) or directory (d), while positions two through ten show
If you attempt to change permissions, check the message area or the log to see if you were successful.
Selected options in WS_FTP Pro
Permissions in directory list
none
---Execute --x
Write
-w-Write, Execute -wx
Read
r--Read, Execute r-x
Read, Write
rw-Read, Write, Execute rwx
Managing Files and Folders 37 WS_FTP Pro
For example, find drwxr-x--x in the directory list. This expression is comprised of four parts:
d rwx r-x --x
First position indicates whether item is a file (-,s,S, or t) or directory (d)
Positions 2-4 indicate Owner permissions:
read, write, execute.
Positions 5-7 indicate Group
permissions:
read and execute.
Positions 8-10 indicate Other permissions:
execute only.
Explorer Interface 39 WS_FTP Pro