!FTPc

!FTPc is an internet ftp client for Risc OS. It is a program which enables you to upload and download files to and from your webspace and download files from the numerous ftp hosts on the net.

Contents

Requirements

• Risc OS 3.1
• Toolbox modules
• Mimemap module (optional)

Features

• Graphical user interface
• Upload directories and files
• Download directories and files
• Can connect to more than one site
• Sets file types from .ext when downloading (if mimemap module is present)

Logging on

Click on the iconbar icon and the Login dialogue box pops up.

  Login dialogue box

• Ftp host is the name of an ftp site (e.g. ftp.acorn.co.uk) you wish to connect to. If you have webspace this would be the address of your webspace which for freeserve is uploads.webspace.freeserve.net. If the host requires a different port to than the default one ftp to then it should be added to the end of the host name like this ftp.acorn.co.uk:1234 where 1234 is the port number - note the semi colon. It is unusual to use a different port number to the default.
• Path is the directory you want to go to after connecting. A / is used to separate the directories e.g. /pub/acorn/ - Omiting the final / will result in the final object being highlighted. e.g /pub/acorn/file will change the directory to /pub/acorn and highlight file.
• User is your user name. If you don't have a user name leave it blank and anonymous will be used. This may give you access to download files from certain sites.
• Password where you enter your password. If you have set the user to anonymous (or left it blank) then you should enter your email address here. Leaving the password blank results in a default email address being used which should work ok.
• Account is probably only used for commercial sites so unless you know otherwise leave it blank.

Using the filer

  Filer window

The filer is used in a similar way to a disc filer with drag and drop etc. however there are the following differences:

• Changing directories lists the new one in the same window, so to move objects to another directory highlight the files and enter the target directory in the Move to dialogue box.
• New Directory, Change Directory, Rename and Move to dialogue boxes use the remote filing system syntax. i.e dir1/dir2/dir3/file, file.txt, dir1/file.html

Uploading files/directories

When files/directories are uploaded any / is changed to a . so Ftp/zip is changed to Ftp.zip and a hard space is changed to a space. Any directories that don't exist are automatically created.

You can stop the upload process with by selecting Abort in the main menu

Downloading files

Downloaded files have any . changed to a / so Ftp.zip will become Ftp/zip and a space is changed to a hard space. Care must be taken as the file name will be truncated if the filing system where you drop the files does not support file names of that length. You can download with a different name via the SaveAs dialogue box. The new file name uses normal Risc OS filing system naming system.

Moving around the host

You can change directories by double clicking on a directory () or entering the path in the change directory dialogue box on the main menu. You should enter the path using the syntax of the host e.g. archive/dir/dir1. Double clicking on a link () will change directories if it points to a directory otherwise it will pop up a Saveas dialogue box.

To move back click Adjust on the close icon,select Open parent from the main menu or double click on .

Note: Files which don't have extensions are marked type Data these may be typed automatically after downloading by inspection of the file.

Managing your remote disc space

You can delete, rename, move filing system objects and create directories. When entering names in the dialogue boxes they should use the remote filing system syntax and not Risc OS filing system syntax, so if you want to rename index.htm to anyfile.txt you should write anyfile.txt in the rename dialogue box.

To move a group of files into a subdirectory of a directory you should select the files and enter directory/subdirectory in the Move to dialogue box.

Clicking on Change Directory refreshes the listing or changes the directory to / if the current directory no longer exists.

Note: The SaveAs dialogue box is the only one which requires Risc OS filing system syntax

Logging off

Just close the filer window

Newer

The Newer option on the Option menu allows you to specify the date from which files will be uploaded. eg If you set the date to when you last uploaded, only files created/modified after that date will be uploaded when a group of files/directories are dragged into the window

 Newer date

The option is set by selecting Set and removed by unticking Newer on the Option submenu. Reset changes the time to the current time.

Please note the time/date you set is your local time and this time is compared to the time stamp of the file on your computer. You may be connected to a computer in a different time zone in which case the time appearing in the FTPc window after uploading may not be what you expect.

Site specific commands

The remote host server may have a set of commands available which are dependant on the site you are connected to. These include commands such as CHMOD on a unix server and SETTYPE on an acorn server. These are generally tools to manage your remote site. The details of which are beyond this document. To use these commands click on Site... on the main menu and enter the command in the dialogue box.

Note:

• What commands, if any, are available are dependant on the remote host server and not this program.
• Due to the nature of the graphical interface of this program, commands which return information such as HELP will not display the required information - rendering them useless.
• On completion of a successful command the directory listing is refreshed in case the command modified it.
• Some servers don't support SITE commands at all

URL's

!FTPc supports Ants and Acorns URL systems. This means that FTPc will be loaded and run if an ftp URL is clicked on in an application or when a URI file containing a ftp URL is double clicked on.

The general form of the ftp URL is:

ftp://user:password@host:port/path

where user,password, port and path are optional.

The URL could be as simple as

ftp://host

when you would be logged in anonymously to the root directory of the host

If the URL was

ftp://user@host

then you would be prompted for the password. You will also be prompted for, a user if you miss that out but supply a password, and a host if you miss that out.

The first / in the path is ignored so

ftp://user@host/dir1/dir2/

specifies a relative path dir1/dir2/ and

ftp://user@host//dir1/dir2/

specifies an absolute path /dir1/dir2/.

If the path ends in a / then the connection will be opened at the specified directory - if the directory is not found this defaults to the root directory.

If the path doesn't end in a / then the connection is opened at the directory specified up to the last / and the leaf name is highlighted in that directory if it is found.

Note: Path names are case sensitive.

Writing URI files

Write the URL in a text editor - eg ftp://ftp.xemplar.co.uk/acorn/ - save it and set its file type to URI. For my web site I may write something like

ftp://c-granville.freeserve.co.uk@uploads.freeserve.net/Images/docs/

which when double clicked on will prompt me for my password before connecting to my web site and changing the directory.

Using URL's with !Browse

If running a URI file results in !Browse being run, this is to do with the order in which !FTPc and !Browse are seen - shouldn't be a problem in the same directory

User menu

User menu's can be created in a text editor and the type set to FTPc (077)

The first line of the file should be Menu and the line following describe the menu entries. You can change the default user menu by:

• Modifying Default inside the !FTPc directory. Take care about putting your passwords in this file because giving away a copy of the program will result in you giving away your passwords.
• Create a new menu file called Default and put it in <choices$dir>.FTPc directory - choices$dir is $.!Boot.Choices if you are using the Acorn !Boot application
• Create a new menu file anywhere and double click on it - you can change the menu while the program is running.

Example menu
Menu

name="Acorn" value="ftp://ftp.acorn.co.uk/pub/acorn/"

name="My web page" value="ftp://user:pass@uploads.demon.co.uk"

name="Demon" value="ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk//pub/acorn/" line="on"

# menu item to open a directory

name="Download directory" value="$.downloads" type="file"

Note:

• The inverted commas are necessary
• each line consists of:
  • a name which is what you see on the menu
  • a value which contains the ftp URL you want to go to when you click on that menu entry.
  • an optional line = "on" which places a dotted line beneath that menu entry
  • an optional type = "file" which will treat the value as a file object and will run that object when the menu entry is selected.
  • You can add a comment by starting the line with a # or |

Abort

The abort command on the main menu allows you to stop the current operation.

Aborting may take some time to take place. If you abort during downloading it may not happen until the download of the file is complete - this depends on the site connected to.

Problems

URI's don't work

I you don't have Ant or Acorn internet software you'll need Acorns URI module which can be found at http://www.acorn.com/browser/uri/URI.arc and should be put in System:Modules.Network

Site created on hard disc doesn't work when downloaded

Remember the remote site is case sensitive.

Don't use spaces in filenames - FTPc will change <alt><space> in a file name to spaces when uploading so your links in HTML should have spaces in them. However when testing these files on your hard disc Browse will not do this conversion. It is best to avoid spaces they were only really added for downloading.

Finer points of Ftp

• Due to differences in filing systems it should be noted that uploading a file loses its Risc OS file type. When downloading !FTPc will attempt to set the file type from the .ext of the remote file name if the mimemap module is present. Failing this it will attempt to recognise arc, zip and text files from their contents otherwise it sets a data type. It is recommended that all files put on the remote host have a .ext which means ending them in /ext in the Risc OS filer or changing the names once on the remote host.
• Ftp allows uploading files in either a Binary or ASCII format. ASCII format modifies the files on transfer both at this end and at the other end of the connection. Unfortunately no information is stored with the file to say what format it was saved with. I would recommend you transfer files in Binary and this is the only way to guarantee the correct transfer of non text files but !FTPc allows you to set the Transfer type to either Binary, Ascii or Auto where:
  • Binary transfers the files bit for bit
  • Ascii sends files in a standard text format and when loading translates them back to the Risc OS text format. This transfer method is only of use with text files.
  • Auto this method will use .ext of the file to detemine the transfer type. (requires mimemap module)

Contact

Email: colin@c-granville.freeserve.co.uk

Web site: http://www.c-granville.freeserve.co.uk

Glossary