Index
FTPPro98 Help Topics

Overview:   A general description of the entire program.

Profiles:   How to configure the FTP sites that you will be connecting to.

Panes:   The user interface that is used to display Drives, Files and Folders.

Copying Files:   How to transfer Files between your computer and an FTP site.

Right-Click Menu:   Used to Add New Folders, Rename, and Delete.

Background Processing:   You may perform other tasks while Files are being transferred.

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Although this program does not include technical support, you may send comments to the author at the following Email address: comments@ftppro.com

Our Website is located at: http://www.ftppro.com


Overview
FTPPro98 Overview

This program will enable you to copy Files and Folders between your local computer and a remote File Server, using the FTP protocol. Before using this program, you must first establish a connection between your computer and the internet.

While reading this Overview, you may click onto any underlined Hyperlink to view a complete description of that particular Topic. The Index contains an alphabetical list of all the Topics contained within this Help File.

FTPPro98 looks and acts like Windows Explorer, with the following differences:

FTPPro98	Windows Explorer

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1. Has Four Panes:  Two for your Local	Has only two Panes.

    Computer, and two for any FTP site.

2. Uses the Left Mouse Button to Copy Files	Uses the Right Mouse Button to

    from one Pane to another.	Copy Files.

3. Only Copies Files; does not Move Files.	A Left-Mouse Drag causes a File

    (Moving a File causes it to be Deleted 	to be Moved.

      from it's original location.)

You must create a Profile for each FTP site that will be accessed.  This program initially contains one Sample Profile, which contains the address for Microsoft's anonymous FTP site.

Right-Clicking an icon will display a Dropdown List,  which allows you to Rename or Delete the selected File, or to Create a New Folder.


Copy
Copying Files

Before reading this topic, you should first be familiar with the Four Panes , and the methods which are used to Select Items.

Files and Folders may be copied from one Folder, to a different Folder, using the Drag-and-Drop method. Each Drag-and-Drop operation consists of the following actions:

1.  Select the Source Item(s):  These are the Files and/or Folders that you wish to copy From. Remember that multiple Files and/or Folders may be Selected on a ListView, but only one Folder may be Selected on a TreeView.

2.  Begin the Drag:  While the pointer is over one of the Selected items, hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse. You will see a Drag Icon which indicates the Source of the Drag (Local Computer or FTP Site).

3.   Point To the Destination Item:  While holding down the left mouse button, move the mouse pointer to the Folder or Drive that you wish to Copy To. You will notice that the Drag Pointer is displayed as a 'Stop Icon' (a circle with a slash) until the Drag Pointer is over a valid Destination Item.

4. 'Drop' the Files: The Drag is completed when the left mouse button is released. If the mouse pointer is over a valid Destination Item when the Drag is 'Dropped', then you will be prompted to verify that you wish to copy the Selected Source Items.

If the Source or Destination of a Copy process is an FTP site, then the Communications Status screen will be displayed. It's functions are discussed in the following topic: Background Processing


Profiles

The Profiles Screen will enable you to Add, Edit, or Delete a Profile Record for each FTP site that you wish to access.

Displaying the Profiles Screen: Click the Profiles option on the Main Menu, or press [Alt P].

Active Profile: The Listbox on the left side of the Profiles Screen will display all of the Profiles that you had previously entered.  After a Profile has been Selected in this Listbox, checking the Active Profile box (on the upper-right portion of the Profiles Screen) will cause that Profile to become the Active Profile. When the Profiles Screen is Closed (by clicking the Close button, or pressing [Esc]), the program will connect to the FTP site of the Active Profile, and it's Files and Folders will then be displayed.

When the Profiles Screen is Closed,  if the Selected Profile had not been checked as the Active Profile, then the program will ask if you would like for the Selected Profile to become the Active Profile.

Default Profile: If this box is checked (on the lower-right portion of the screen), then this Profile will be used whenever the program is initially run.

Editing an Existing Profile: Selecting a Profile in the Listbox will cause it's fields to be displayed for editing on the right side of the Profile Screen.

Canceling Changes While Editing: While you are editing an existing Profile Record, you may click the Cancel Changes button to cause all of the Record's fields to revert to their stored values.

Adding a New Profile: Clicking the New Profile button will cause a new, blank Profile Record to be displayed. After you have completed all of the required fields, clicking the Add Profile button will cause the New Profile's name to be added to the Listbox. If you change your mind and do not wish to Add a New Profile, then simply click onto an existing Profile Name in the Listbox.

Deleting a Profile: As there must always be at least One Profile in the system at all times, the program will only display the Delete Profile button when more than one Profile is displayed in the Listbox, and when an existing Profile is currently selected. Clicking the Delete Profile button will then cause the selected Profile to be Deleted.

Required Profile Fields

The following fields (which are indicated on the screen by an asterisk) are required, and must always contain valid data before a Profile may be stored:

Profile Name: Although a unique name is not required, it is recommended that you do not assign the identical name to different Profiles.  The Profile Name is used only for your reference.

FTP Address: This is the address which is used to connect to the FTP site. Do not confuse an FTP address with a URL or Email address. A URL address normally begins with 'http://www'; an FTP address never begins with those characters. An Email address normally contains the '@' character; an FTP address very rarely contains that character.

User ID and Password: Unless you have checked the Anonymous box, the User ID and Password must be completed. An Anonymous FTP site does not require a User ID or Password.

Optional Profile Fields

Initial Directory: You may select the path which the program will navigate to, whenever a connection is made with that Profile. The Initial Directory represents the 'highest branch of the tree';  you may not navigate to folders which exist 'higher than' the Initial Directory.

Comment:  This field is used only for your reference.


Panes
The Four Panes

The main program screen is comprised of the following four quadrants:

1.  Local TreeView (Upper-Left Pane): The 'root' of this view is an icon representing your computer. All of the storage devices attached to your computer will be displayed as Drive icons. A TreeView only displays Folders (and not Files).

2.  Local ListView (Upper-Right Pane): This view will display a list of all the Folders and Files which are contained within the path that is currently selected on the Local TreeView. Before displaying items on the Local ListView, you must first select the desired path on the Local TreeView.

3.  FTP TreeView (Lower-Left Pane): The 'root' of this view is an icon representing the world. All of the folders contained beneath the Initial Directory (which you will select for each FTP site on the Profiles screen) will be displayed.

4.  FTP ListView (Lower-Right Pane): This view will display a list of all the Folders and Files which are contained within the path that is currently selected on the FTP TreeView. Before displaying items on the FTP ListView, you must first select the desired path on the FTP TreeView.

Expanding and Collapsing Nodes On a TreeView

Any Node of a TreeView may be expanded by either clicking the little '+' character to it's left, or by pressing the Plus key on the numeric keypad when that Node has been selected. A Node may be collapsed by clicking the little '-' character to it's left, or by pressing the Minus key on the numeric keypad.

Selecting Items

TreeView: Only one item may be Selected at a time; either by clicking on the item, or by using the arrow keys to move the focus to the item.

ListView: Using the following techniques, multiple items may be Selected at the same time.

[Control Click] The item with the focus will be toggled between Selected and Unselected.

[Shift Click] All of the items between the item with the focus and the Last Selected Item will become Selected.

Refreshing the Views

Clicking the Refresh option on the Main Menu (or pressing [Alt R]) will cause all four Panes to be redrawn to reflect the current contents of your local computer, and of the currently selected FTP site.

This option is useful if file operations are occurring outside of this program, or if your internet connection ever needs to be reestablished after you are disconnected.

Resizing the Panes

When the cursor is moved directly over the border between any two Panes, the icon for the pointer will change to a 'double arrow'. You may then hold down the left mouse button and 'drag' the border in either direction. Moving the pointer directly over the point where all four Panes intersect will cause the pointer icon to change to a '4 headed arrow',  allowing you to change the size of all four Panes at once.

When the program is Exited, the currently selected Pane Sizes are automatically stored for you.  The Panes will then be the same size the next time the program is run.


Background
Communication Status Screen

The Communication Status Screen is displayed while files are being transferred between your local computer and an FTP site.

Background Processing

Clicking the Hide Program button on this screen will cause the FTPPro98 program to be Minimized.

While this program is Minimized, you may perform other tasks on your computer. The files will continue to be transferred, even while other programs are running.

After you have minimized this program, you can return to the Communication Status Screen at any time by holding down the [Alt] key while pressing [Tab], until the FTPPro98 icon is selected.

Cancel Communication

You may terminate a Communication session at any time by clicking the Cancel Communication button on this screen. The file transfer will be immediately stopped, so if a file is currently being copied then it will not be an exact replication of it's source.


RightClick
Right-Click Menu

Clicking the right mouse button will cause a Dropdown Menu to be displayed. Any of the following actions may be performed to the item that is selected on the current view:

1.  New Folder: A New Folder will be created in the path that is currently selected on the TreeView. The New Folder's name will appear in an Editbox at the bottom of the ListView, allowing you to replace the Initial Name (i.e. New Folder(1)) with a different Folder Name.

2.  Rename: The selected File or Folder's name will appear in an Editbox. When you are finished editing the Name, you may press [Enter], or click onto a different item on the screen. Pressing [Esc] will cause the Rename process to be terminated, and the old name will remain unaltered.

You may also perform the Rename action by single-clicking an Item's Name after it has been Selected.

3.  Delete:  In a ListView pane, you may select Multiple Files to Delete.  If a Folder is selected for Deletion, then all of it's Sub-Folders will also be Deleted.

You may also perform the Delete action by pressing the [Del] key after an Item has been Selected.


FTPDef
FTP : The File Transfer Protocol is a method by which files may be copied between your computer and a remote server. Here is a comparison between the FTP method, and Email:

FTP Method	Email

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1. The file is transmitted immediately.	 	Is sometimes delayed by the

Internet Provider.

2. FTP Files may be accessed by anyone who	May only be accessed by the

    has the correct Username and Password.	Recipient.

3. The file sizes have virtually no limitation,	Email file sizes are often limited by

    other than the size of your hard disk	the Internet Provider.

4. Transmission speeds are generally faster

    then Email.