FTP Explorer On-line Help Contents
FTP Explorer Help Contents

Introduction

Getting Started

The Connection Dialog

Menu Options

Tool Bar Options

File View Area

FTP Status Log

The Status Bar

Option Configuration Dialog

Command Line Options

Ordering Information

How To…

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Introduction

FTP Explorer has a new home!! FTPx now has its own home page – http://www.ftpx.com.  Come and see the newest helpful hints and tips, download the latest version (at a much improved speed), talk with other users, subscribe to the mailing list, submit a suggestion, or just admire the cool graphics.

	Welcome to one of the most versatile, and powerful, yet easy to use FTP programs available today!  FTP Explorer is a 32-bit FTP application that is extremely simple to operate, and makes moving files between the Internet and your computer as simple as local file manipulation.  Several features of FTP Explorer make it stand head and shoulders above most other FTP programs that are currently available.  At a glance, some of these advanced features are:
	Download or upload files to one or more servers while browsing and selecting files to transfer on another.  That's right!, FTP Explorer handles all file transfer requests in the background, so you don't have to wait while files copy to continue browsing the current server – you can even connect to a different server, and the program will automatically log off of the original server once the requested transfer has completed.
	Can't connect?  Not to worry.  FTP Explorer will automatically retry if the connection attempt fails.  You can configure the number of times it should try to connect, and the time delay between connection attempts.
	Support for resuming interrupted file transfers.  FTP Explorer attempts to resume a file transfer if it detects a file with the same name in the current download directory.  This can save you time and connection costs for those troublesome connections.  (Note:  not all ftp servers support this option.)
	No more searching through that index file for the entry you're looking for.  FTP Explorer can automatically download and display the proper description of each file with the file that it describes.  As an option, the program will automatically download the index file on the server and display the file descriptions next to the appropriate files while you browse.  Several standard index file formats are currently supported.
	The new Transfer Manager allows you to ascertain the details of download or upload requests at a glance.  The source, destination, and status of each request is detailed in the Transfer Manager window to keep you apprised of multiple connections, and make it easy to see which files have been transferred.
	Create file or directory FTP shortcuts on your desktop to launch FTP Explorer and automatically connect to your most commonly visited FTP sites.
	Like icons?  Like descriptions?  No problem.  FTP Explorer  uses the Windows 95 style list boxes for displaying the contents of remote servers.  Toggle between large icons, small icons, lists, or full descriptions of the files you are browsing.  Its intelligent tree view learns the directory structure as it goes.
	Windows 95 style right-click menus keep options at your fingertips.  The most commonly used options are only a mouse click away.  Menu options change based on the type of file or directory that is highlighted.
	Intelligent Command Queue enables background completion of each command, so you don't have to wait on directory listings!.  Once connected to a server, FTP Explorer maintains a list of commands to carry out which makes listing files and searching the server much faster.  Select the directories that you want to browse as soon as you connect, and FTP Explorer  will go to work downloading the directory information and listing its contents in the background while you continue to browse.  As each directory listing is completed, its color changes to let you know you can view it without any delay.
	This thing caches it all!  Each connection is cached in memory, so moving back one or more directory takes a fraction of the time that is necessary with most FTP programs.  It also has an option to cache entire sites so that you may peruse the site off-line, then automatically connect when a download or upload us initiated.
	The Quick Connect option lets you immediately connect to a site without having to go through the usual song-and-dance of adding a site to the profile list.
	Support for fpArchie is also included with FTP Explorer.
	Full Drag and Drop support.  Simply drag one or more files – or complete directory structures -- onto the FTP Explorer's file view area to transfer them to the location of the server that is currently connected.  Receiving files is also as simple as dragging one or more files (or directories) onto your desktop, or any other folder.
Shareware Notice

This product is free for any individual to use as a personal entertainment or utility.  Any other use of this program, including business or corporate use is strictly prohibited unless a proper license has been issued to the company or individual.  For licensing information and ordering instructions, see the Ordering Information section.


Getting Started

This section will discuss the steps necessary to install and configure the FTP Explorer for use on your system.  For more detailed information on making connections, see the section of this help file that discusses the  Connection Dialog.

System Requirements

FTP Explorer must run on a machine that is configured for TCP/IP network communication or Internet access. Access can be gained through Winsock and the use of any dial-up provider, a Remote Access Server (RAS), or a direct connection via a local area network that supports TCP/IP (provided there is a FTP server on the network).  This table displays the minimum and suggested requirements for FTP Explorer.

Installation

The installation of FTP Explorer takes place by unzipping the distributed files, and running the setup program (setup.exe) from either Windows Explorer, the Run option from the Start Menu, or the command prompt.  If upgrading, make sure that FTP Explorer is not running prior to launching the setup program, or the installation will fail.  Once setup is launched, it will prompt for a location to install the program.  If this is an upgrade, setup will determine the existing directory location of the program and load it as the default path for installation.  If the default directory is satisfactory, choose the Next button to begin copying the files for the installation.  When all files have been copied, the setup options screen will appear and prompt for the installation of shortcuts on the desktop and in the start menu, in addition to asking to make FTP Explorer the default FTP application.  Select or remove any of the options that you desire, and press the Next button to continue.  The setup program will make the desired changes, then prompt to reboot the system (if any of the registry enhancements were chosen from the setup options screen).

After the system restarts, launch FTP Explorer.  If this is an upgrade, your existing profiles should appear in the Connection Dialog.  If this is the first time to run the application, you will be prompted to load the default FTP server profiles.  Press OK to load the profiles, or No to leave the server profile area blank.  FTP Explorer will then be ready to use.

Initial Configuration

Before running FTP Explorer, your machine must first be configured for TCP/IP use.  Chances are that this will not be a problem for most users, since currently this program is only available on the Internet or subscription services connected to the Internet.  In short, before you launch FTP Explorer, do the same things that you would do prior to launching your WWW browser like starting the Winsock, connecting to a RAS server or dial-up access provider, or whatever else may be necessary in your case.  Once your machine is properly configured for Internet access, launch the program to start the configuration procedure.

If you are running FTP Explorer for the first time, you may wish to view or change the default user settings from within the Option Configuration Dialog.  Settings to control the programs performance, and user customization are available from within this dialog.  Open the dialog by choosing the "Options…" item from within the View Menu.

By default, the Connection Dialog appears every time the program launches (this feature can be disabled in the General Options Settings dialog).  This dialog contains a listing of each server configured for connection with FTP Explorer.  Before any file transfers can take place between your machine and the desired server, the server's information must be entered in the Connection Dialog.

Where To Go From Here

Here are a few areas to browse if you need more information on program configuration, or learning the interface characteristics of FTP Explorer:

Menu Options

Tool Bar Options

Connection Dialog

Option Configuration Dialog

Ordering Information

How To…


Menu Options

Select any of the following menu captions for further information on each of the menu choices.

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Tools Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu


Tool Bar Options

	Up One Level
This option moves up one directory level, and is only available if a connection is active, and the current directory is not at the root level.

	Go To…
This button functions in the same manner as the Go To option from the Tools Menu.  Use it to enter a path and move directly to the folder or directory specified rather than using the mouse to navigate through the server's directory structure.

	Refresh
Use this option to reload the file listing of the current directory.  This option is only available if a connection is active.  You may also refresh the current directory by using the Context Menu in the File View Area, or by choosing the Refresh option from the View Menu

	Connect
Use the connect button to open the Connection Dialog and make a new connection to a FTP server.  If a server is currently attached, connecting to a new server will disconnect from the existing server, and allow you to browse exclusively the new connection.  However, any file transfer requests from or to the current connection that have been added to the Transfer Manager will be downloaded or uploaded from the existing connection while you connect and browse the new connection.

	Disconnect
Use this button to disconnect from the current server and clear the Tree or "All Folders" and List or "Contents of " windows.  Disconnecting from a server will not halt any file transfer requests that have been added to the Transfer Manager, or initiated on the current server.

	Cancel
The Cancel button is only active during connection attempts are being carried out by FTP Explorer.  Pressing this button will cancel any connection attempts in progress.

	Quick Connect
Like its counterpart in the Tools Menu, the Quick Connect button allows the user to open a dialog to enter the URL to a server without entering all of the server profile information in the Connection Dialog. .  This is especially convenient for pasting URL’s from other applications.  Quick Connect will attempt to make an anonymous connection to the specified server on the default port (21).  If the server does not accept anonymous logins, or connections on the default port, the quick connect will fail, and a server profile must be made in the connection dialog.  Syntax for the quick connect is as follows:

ftp://ftp.whatever.com/subdir1/subdir2/etc/filename

If the URL includes a filename, enable the “Download File” option to instruct the program to download the file (the option will only be visible when there is no “/” character at the end of the URL).

	Download To…
Selecting this option will save the currently highlighted file to a name of your choice.  It will queue a transfer request with the Transfer Manager, which will initiate the download of the file from the server, and save it in the directory and as the file name that you choose.  This option differs from the "Download" option in that you will be prompted for a local directory and file name to which to save the file.  This option is only available when a connection is active and one or more files are selected within the List View or File View area.

	File Download
This button will queue a transfer request to download the selected file(s) from the server to the default download directory (see the Option Configuration Dialog for more information on download path options)

	File Upload
This button will prompt for one or more files, then queue a transfer request to upload those file(s) from the host to the current directory of the server.

	File Delete
This button will queue a command to delete the currently highlighted file(s) provided that your account on the server to which the program is connected permits the deletion.  The command will be completed once all commands queued prior to it have been completed.

	File Properties
Displays the Properties Dialog to show the properties of the currently selected file.  This button is only available if a connection to a server is open, and a file on the server is selected.

The next four options control how FTP Explorer displays the directory listing of files contained on the on the remote server.   See the View Menu for more details on the available display options.

	Large Icon View
	Small Icon View
	List View
	Detail View
	ASCII Transfer Mode
Like the ASCII option in the Tools Menu, if this option is selected, all transfers to or from the remote server will be made in ASCII format.  This is necessary for ASCII text files on some servers, but cannot be used for the transfer of binary executables, or files other than those composed strictly of ASCII text.  You can specify the file types that should always be transferred with ASCII mode in the File Types tab of the Options Dialog.

	Binary Transfer Mode
The Binary option makes FTP Explorer treat all transfers to and from the remote server in a binary format, which is necessary for binary executables, or very generally, for files that are not composed strictly of ASCII text.  This feature can be toggled from within the Tools Menu also.  You can specify the file types that should always be transferred with ASCII mode in the File Types tab of the Options Dialog.  By adding ASCII file types in this dialog, all other files can be transferred in Binary mode without problems.

	Show FTP Log
Enable this option to display the FTP Log on the lower portion of the screen.  The log displays a listing of all commands sent to the remote server(s), and can be useful for debugging, trouble shooting, or simply to satisfy your curiosity about the FTP connection between your machine and the server(s) to which it is connected.


Connection Dialog

This dialog contains fields for all necessary information to make a connection to a remote server with FTP Explorer.  The program comes with several default options for immediate use, but the process of making connections of your own is relatively simple with the proper information.  The process of creating connections is explained in detail below, but a quick look at the Option Configuration Dialog may be necessary at some point to clarify the "Anonymous" and "Attempts / Retry Delay" options.

Profile Name

The text displayed in this field can either be the profile name that is selected in the list on the left side of the dialog, or it can be text that has just been entered.  Click on an entry in the list to choose the profile and automatically display the related connection information for it.  Any relevant data previously configured in the connection dialog for each server will be displayed after its selection from the list.

To edit an existing Profile Name, simply select the profile to edit from the list, then move the cursor to the point in the profile name that you wish to change, and make the desired changes.  Any changes will automatically be saved unless the “Cancel” button is chosen.    Use the Save button to retain any changes if you intend to close the dialog using the “Cancel” option.  All standard Windows edit options including Copy, Cut, and Paste are available when editing this field.  Profile Name entries can contain spaces, and other characters, but must be smaller than 25 characters in length.

Host Address

The Host Address field contains the location of the FTP server to which the FTP Explorer is to connect when this Profile Name is selected.  In the example above, the location is described by its DNS entry.  The location may also be specified by its IP address.

Port

The Port option is set to 21 by default, but may be changed for any profile at any time.  Most servers accept ftp connection requests on port 21, but there are those that do not for security, or other reasons.  Change the port number by clearing the default entry, and typing the new port number.  You can use the Save button to save any changes, or simply select a different Profile from the list to update the setting.  You must use the “Save” button to retain any changes if you close the dialog with the “Cancel” button.

Use PASV Mode

PASV mode is useful for certain types of firewalls that do not allow FTP servers to initiate data connections back to the connected client.

Use Firewall

If this option is selected, the firewall configuration parameters from the Firewall tab of the Options Dialog will be used when initiating a connection to this profile.

Login

The login name that is required by the selected server to access your FTP account goes in this field.  If you do not have an account with the selected server, and it accepts anonymous FTP requests, enter “anonymous” in this field, or enable the Anonymous option (explained below).

Password

Enter the password in this field that is required by the server to access your FTP account.  The password entered here will not be legible for security purposes.  If the connection to a server is refused, it is a good idea to re-enter the password to make sure it wasn't entered incorrectly.  If you are configuring a profile for a server that requires an anonymous login, you can enable the Anonymous option to automate the entry of the password.  See the Anonymous option for more details.

Initial Path

Enter the path on the server that you wish to start in when using the current profile.  This feature makes it quick and easy to automate the navigation to a commonly visited directory on the server.  For example:  In the example above, when the connection is made to ftpx.com, the directory in which the first listing will be made is the "/pub/ftpx/" directory.  If the Initial path field does not contain a value, the root directory will be the default listing.  FTP Explorer provides a handy feature that can “Remember” any directory that you specify, and add it to the initial path section of the server profile.  See the “Remember” feature described in the Tools Menu for more details.

Attempts and Retry Delay

Use these options to allow FTP Explorer to automatically retry the connection if the initial attempt fails.  The "Attempts" field contains the maximum number of attempts that the program will try before returning an error.  The "Retry Delay" option instructs the program how long to wait between connection attempts.

Note:  If the value contained in the "Retry Delay" field is larger than the connection time-out value of your Winsock configuration, the delay will not be effective, although the “Attempts” value will be.  The value of the "Retry Delay" field is only effective if the value is smaller than the Winsock time-out value.

Download Path

Use this field to enter a default path for all downloads from this server.  If you do not enter a path in this field, the default download path will be used for all download operations (not download - to operations).  Use the Browse button to locate the chosen directory.

Description

Enter a description for the server in this field.  An entry in this field is not required for any profile.

Options and Command Buttons

The Anonymous Option

Use this option to fill in the Login and Password fields with "Anonymous" and the value contained in the Email Address field on the General tab of the Option Configuration Dialog (an email address is customary for anonymous connections).

The Add Button

Use this button to create a new server profile.  All of the information necessary for the connection must be added to the new profile before a connection can be made to the server.

The Save Button

The Save button is provided for those instances when you want to change a profile, then “Cancel” the dialog (useful when you are connected and want to stay that way).  If you “Connect” or change to a different profile, changes are saved automatically.

The Shortcut Button

Use the Shortcut button to create an Internet shortcut to the selected server on the desktop of your machine.  When a shortcut is opened on the desktop, FTP Explorer will automatically launch and attempt to connect to the server addressed in the shortcut profile.

The Remove Button

The Remove button deletes the current profile from the system registry and the profile list of the program.  There is no "Undo" command for removal of profiles, so care should be taken when removing a profile.

Cache data between sessions

If this feature is enabled, FTP Explorer will save all directory information about the site on the local machine, so you can disconnect and browse the site locally.  FTP Explorer will automatically re-connect to carry out any user-initiated file transfers.  This allows users on pay-per-hour connections to save considerable time perusing directory structures on-line.  The cached data for each profile is kept in a file called ~profile name~.DAT which is located in the program directory.  These files can be deleted as necessary with no ill effects.  After a profile’s cached data has been deleted, you must connect to the server to create a new .DAT file for the profile before you can browse the site off-line.


View Window

The "Tree View" or view window displays the directory structure of the currently connected server.  The window is blank unless FTP Explorer is connected to a server, or a server's cached directory information is displayed.  Navigating through the server's various folders or directories is accomplished by clicking individual folders with the mouse.  As the example below displays, the folder icons change depending on their status.  Here are the general guidelines that explain the individual icons displayed in the Tree View:

	If a directory has been chosen, and its contents displayed in the File View Area, the folder will be represented by a yellow icon.
	The current folder is represented by an open folder icon.
	Folders that have not been listed are gray in color.
	Folders that are being refreshed are green. These folders turn yellow once FTP Explorer finishes downloading the content listing from the server.
	Folders with a "+" symbol next to the folder name mean that there are sub-directories beneath the folder.
	Conversely, a "-" symbol next to a folder icon means that there are no further directories beneath, although there may be files in the directory.
Non-viewed (gray) directories will not have the "+", or "-" symbols next to their icons since the program has not attempted to display the contents of the folders, and it is only during the listing process that FTP Explorer determines the contents of each folder.

FTP Explorer handles all user commands intelligently by placing each command in a virtual "queue".  The individual commands in this command queue are then carried out sequentially until all have been completed.  This feature allows the user to select or "flag" several directories at the same time, and continue to upload or download files while the program completes downloading the file listings of the chosen directories.  This speeds the navigation of servers by downloading only the directories that the user selects without disabling the user interface, or restricting the navigation functionality of the program while displaying the contents of those directories.

Using The Keyboard To Navigate

For users more accustomed to keyboard navigation, FTP Explorer has been designed to make every feature available via the keyboard.  The tree view area of the main screen can be fully exploited with the Tab, Page-Up, Page Down, and various Arrow keys.  Use the up and down arrow keys to select individual directories to display.  Enlarge or collapse directory trees with the right and left arrow keys respectively.  Press the tab key to move from the tree view to the File View Area.


File View Area

The File View or "List View" area of the program is located on the right side of the main program screen.  If a server connection is active, it displays the contents of the currently highlighted directory in the "Tree View" or View Window portion of the main screen.

View and Sorting Options

The files contained within the selected directory will be displayed in one of four ways depending on the chosen display option on the tool bar, or View Menu.  The display option may be changed at any time by selecting the desired option from the tool bar, view menu, or by right clicking the mouse in the File View area and choosing the appropriate "View" option from the Context Menu.

Similar to the view options, you may sort the items displayed in the File View Area by choosing a sort method from the View Menu, or by using the Context Menu to select the sort method.  If you choose the “Details” sort option, you may also sort the contents of this area by clicking on the column headings.  Additionally, clicking them more than once will toggle the sort order between ascending and descending.


FTP Status Log

The FTP Status Log area is visible by default.  It displays the complete history of information that FTP Explorer transmits or receives, including commands, login data, and server announcements.  Every command that the program is given via the user interface is interpreted, converted, then carried out.  The FTP Status Log displays the information that is passed between the program and any remote servers to which the program attaches during the session.  The contents of the log can be useful for troubleshooting purposes, or informative for those users that enjoy seeing what the program is actually doing.  Each time the program closes, the contents of the log are discarded, and may not be retrieved again.  It is possible, however, to retain the contents of the log and place the data in a file for future reference (see the File Menu for details).

For those that do not wish to view the log, or simply need more desktop space, it can be removed from the screen by disabling the FTP Log option in the View Menu.

As you become more familiar with FTP commands, you may want to send the server a command directly.  You may accomplish this by selecting the Quote option from the Tools Menu.


The Status Bar

The Status Bar will always keep you apprised of FTP Explorer’s actions.  The left-most portion of the status bar displays short informative statements and descriptions of the program’s activities during its various connection, or file transfer operations.

Perhaps the most useful feature of the Status Bar is the numeric indicator that displays how much data is being transferred between the local machine and the server.  This indicator becomes active for downloads or uploads that are not performed in the background (see Transfer Options for more information on background file transfers).  The value displayed here at any given time is the amount of data that has been transferred to or from the computer during the current operation.


Option Configuration Dialog

The Option Configuration Dialog contains four "tabs" that house the various default program options.  These tabs are:

The General Options Tab… which contains basic items like email address, and enabling sound among other basic options.

The Paths Tab… Default path locations for downloaded, and temporary files.

The Connection Tab… Options like prompting for passwords and connection retry attempts.

The Transfers Tab… Background transfer and quick view options.

The Firewall Tab… Firewall configuration options.

The File Types Tab… Specify files to be handled as ASCII, and assign Index file names.


Ordering Information

FTP Explorer is shareware and is free for all to evaluate over a 30 day trial period beginning on the day of installation.  At the end of the 30 day trial period, any business or corporate use of the product must be licensed by the author.  If a license is not obtained, by the last day of the evaluation period, FTP Explorer and all associated files must be removed from the computer(s) on which it is installed.  Students, educational institutions, or individuals using FTP Explorer for educational purposes, or personal entertainment have the permission of the author to use the program free of charge so long as it is not manipulated, decompiled, changed in any way, or separated from any of its distributed files.  If FTP Explorer is used for business purposes at any time, the company or individual must obtain a license from the author.

Those that are entitled to use FTP Explorer without charge as described above are still encouraged to register the program, to support continued development and maintenance of the program.

A single user license for FTP Explorer  is $30.  Multi-user or site license information can be obtained by contacting achavis@ftpx.com.

Fill out the Yes I Need This Software form and fax or mail it to receive the appropriate number of software licenses.


File Open Error

This error occurs if a viewer or application is not associated with a file and it is selected to open.


View Menu

	The View Menu contains several features that allow the user to manipulate the appearance of the program on the desktop.  When active, the first three options in the menu have check marks next to them.  The view options give the user several choices relating to how the files will appear within the file or List View area of the program.  A small dot will appear next to the chosen option, as Details does in this example.
FTP Log

This option toggles the lower portion of the program in and out of view.  The FTP Log displays the actual commands that are transmitted between the local machine and the server to which it is attached.  This information can be useful for troubleshooting connection problems that may otherwise be untraceable.  If the information isn't useful to you, simply disable this option.  Additionally, the data contained in the FTP Log can be saved to a file from within the File Menu, or by right-clicking within the actual log.

Toolbar

The Toolbar option toggles the display of the button bar or tool bar on the program screen.  In some instances it may be necessary, or simply preferred to remove the tool buttons, so this feature was implemented.  Further information on the Tool Bar is contained in that section of the help file.

Status Bar

Toggle the display of the status bar with this option.  The status bar displays error, and program status information as well as counting the amount of data transferred between the local machine and the server (for non-background transfers only).

Large Icons

The Large Icons option makes all files and directories within the List View area of the main screen be represented by the large version of either their own icon, or the default icon for the file type.

Small Icons

As you might have guessed, same as Large Icons, except smaller.

List

The list view is much like the Small Icons view except it is oriented vertically, as opposed to the horizontal orientation of the latter.

Details

The Details option is probably the most informative of the four display options.  It consists of a list view of the files, while simultaneously showing the complete properties for each file.  The Details view displays so much information, that if the program is not sized large enough, it may be necessary to scroll the list to the right, or resize the display panes to display all of the available information on the files.  See the section concerning the Window Menu for more information on sizing the screen panes.

Arrange Icons

	The Arrange Icons option opens a sub-menu to allow the user to arrange the files/directories in the View Window in a variety of ways. The available options appear to the left.  ASCII sort order is the sort method, so regardless of the sort choice, numeric and special characters will appear before letters.

Note:  While using the “Details” display option, you can select the sort method by clicking on the column name at the top of the file listing.  Clicking it twice will sort the selections in descending order rather than ascending order.

Refresh

Use the Refresh option to update the file or directory listing of the current connection.

Options

The Options alternative will display the Option Configuration Dialog so that the user can view or alter the default settings.


Edit Menu

Use the options within this menu to aid in the selection of multiple file.  Each of the options is described in further detail below.

Select All	Ctrl+A

Use this option to select all files in the current directory of the current server connection.

Invert Selection

This option will reverse the selected files in the current directory of the current server connection.  This eases the process of file selection if there are more files that you want to select than not.  Select the files that you don't want, then use this option to invert the selection.  Now all files that were not selected before will be, and vice-versa.


Window Menu

	The Window Menu controls options to customize the layout and look of FTP Explorer, and to allow keyboard access to the individual panes of the program.  These options are explained below.
Tree

Use the Tree option to switch to the Tree View, or leftmost pane of the main screen.

List

Use the List option to move the cursor to the List View or File View pane of the main screen.

FTP Log

Use the FTP Log option to move to the FTP Status Log pane of the main screen.

Transfer Manager

This option will display the Transfer Manager so that you may check the progress of any transfers in progress, or determine the outcome of completed or aborted transfers.

Vertical Split

Use this option to change the size of the Tree View and List View panes of the main screen.  Any changes made will be written to the system registry so the next time the program runs, the changes will be retained.

Horizontal Split

Use this option to change the size of the FTP Status Log on the main screen.  Any changes made will be written to the system registry so the next time the program runs, the changes will be retained.


Properties Dialog

The Properties Dialog displays key information concerning the currently selected file or folder.  File name, size, description, associated application, location, date, owner, group, and permissions are displayed (depending on the type of server on which the file resides).  The information contained in this dialog is also available within the List View pane of the main screen if the "Details" view option has been selected on the View Menu.  If more than one file is selected, the properties for the file that was selected last will be displayed in the properties dialog.


File Menu

	The File Menu options allow keyboard access to all commands available for any file or directory that may be encountered while using the program.  Program control options like Exit are also contained in the File Menu.   New Window This option will launch another instance of FTP Explorer.
Open

The Open option is available if a connection is active, and a file is highlighted.  Choose the Open option to download the file, and open it with its associated application.  If no application is associated with the file, an error will pop up detailing that is the case.  Make

Mouse Shortcut:  Right click on the file you want to open and  select this option from the Context Menu.

Quick View

The Quick View option is for use with files that are supported by a quick view driver for Windows 95™.  Several vendors have made viewers available for their file formats, and it is a fair probability that more vendors will follow in their steps.  The Quick View option will retrieve the highlighted file, and attempt to display its contents within the quick viewer.  This option is only available if a connection is active, and a file is currently selected.

Mouse Shortcut:  Right click on the file you want to use quick view with and select this option from the Context Menu.

Create Shortcut

This option is only available when a server connection is active, and a directory on the server is highlighted in either the Tree View or File View areas of the program.  When this option is selected, it will create a shortcut to the server on the desktop.  This shortcut will automatically launch FTP Explorer and attempt to connect to the server with this directory as its initial path.  Shortcuts can also be created on the desktop from within the Connection Dialog.

Download

This option is only available if a connection is active.  Choose this option to queue a transfer request for the selected file(s) or directory(ies).  The chosen files will be downloaded to the default download directory.  This option differs from Download To… since the user is not prompted for a location or new file name for the incoming file(s).  If a file exists in the default download directory with the same name, one of two things will happen:

1.	You will be prompted to overwrite the file if it is the same size or larger than the file to be downloaded.

2.	You will be prompted to resume the transmission of the chosen file if the local copy is smaller, or has an older date than the file chosen for download.  The resume feature is not supported by all FTP servers, so do not take for granted that the download of a file can be resumed on every server.

Transfer requests are handled by the Transfer Manager, and may take place after the connection to the existing server is closed, thus allowing the user to continue to browse and download or upload files on other FTP servers, rather than wait on file transfers.

Mouse Shortcut:  Right click on the file you want to download and select this option from the Context Menu.

Upload

Choose this option to select one or more files on your local machine and submit a transfer request to copy these files to the current directory on the active server.  You may also drag and drop files onto the File View or List View area of the program to queue a transfer request to copy the selected files to the active server.

Transfer requests are handled by the Transfer Manager, and may take place after the connection to the existing server is closed, thus allowing the user to continue to browse and request or download files from other FTP sites, rather than wait on file transfers.

This option is only available if a connection is active.

Download To:…

Use the Download To:…option to initiate a transfer request to download one or more files to the directory and file name(s) of your choice.  You will be prompted for the file name(s) and location(s).  Download To:… differs from Download since the user will be prompted for a file name and the location before the download takes place.  Additionally, if a file with the same name already exists in the directory that you choose for the download, you will be prompted to overwrite, or to resume the transfer as explained in the Download section above.

Transfer requests are handled by the Transfer Manager, and may take place after the connection to the existing server is closed, thus allowing the user to continue to browse and request or download files from other FTP sites, rather than wait on file transfers.

A connection must be active, and one or more files must be selected before this option is available.

Mouse Shortcut:  Right click on the file(s) you want to save and select this option from the Context Menu.

Save Log As

Use the Save Log As command to place the entire contents of the FTP Log into a file for future reference.  Additionally, sections of the FTP Log may be captured, and placed on the clipboard by using the Copy option from the Edit Menu.  See the section on the View Menu for more information on capturing text from within the FTP Log.

New

Use the New option to create a new folder in the directory that is being displayed in the File View Area.  Your user permissions must include the right to create directories, or the action will fail.

Mouse Shortcut:  While FTP Explorer is displaying the directory in which you want to create the new folder, right click in the File View Area, and select this option from the Context Menu.

Delete

Delete will delete the selected file providing your login grants you permission to delete files on the server to which FTP Explorer is attached.

Mouse Shortcut:  Right click on the file you want to delete and select this option from the Context Menu.

Rename

Rename will prompt for a new name for the file that is currently selected.  The new name will replace the old, providing your login grants you permission to rename files on the server to which FTP Explorer is attached.

Mouse Shortcut:  Right click on the file you want to rename and select this option from the Context Menu.

Numbered options

The numbered options displayed in this menu are the last four connections that were established.  Select any of the items in the list to connect to the chosen site.

Properties

Use this option to display the properties of the currently selected file.  The option will not be available if an active connection is not open, and a file is not selected.  The items listed in the properties dialog may also be listed within the file view or List View area of the program if the List View area is configured to display "Details".

Exit

Choose the Exit option to close the FTP Explorer program.  Any settings that may have been altered during the current session will automatically be saved when the program closes.


Help Menu

	The Help Menu contains choices to display this help file, and display important program copyright information.
Help Topics

Open this help file to the contents page.  Help is available at any time by pressing the F1 key.  "Tool Tips" are also available for buttons on the tool bar by hovering over the button in question for more than 1 second.  Tool Tips can be toggled on or off from within the Option Configuration Dialog (View Menu, Options selection).

About FTP Explorer…

The program "About" box is displayed after choosing this selection.  It contains copyright and version information about FTP Explorer.


Tools Menu

	The Tools Menu contains options to aid in special transfer or connection circumstances while allowing access to several unique features of the program.
Find

This option currently supports fpArchie searches for files on the Internet.  The option will not operate properly unless the fpArchie program is installed on the system.  This program can usually be obtained at:

http://www.euronet.nl/~petert/fpware/When installed properly, FTP Explorer will launch fpArchie, and allow you to search the Internet for specific files of interest.  You may then use FTP Explorer to navigate to the sites that contain those files.

Connect

Use this option to open the Connection Dialog and either attach to a server, or edit a connection profile.  The Connect option may be activated by the Tool Bar button with the same name.

Quick Connect

Disconnect

The Disconnect option is only available if a server is currently attached.  Choosing this option will break the connection from the server, although any pending transfer requests that involve the server will still be carried out in the background.  See the Transfer Manager for more information.

Cancel

Use this option to cancel any connection attempts in progress.  There is also a cancel button on the Tool Bar.

Quote

The Quote command allows you to enter commands directly to the FTP server.  The available commands vary depending on the type of server, and can usually be determined by logging on to the server with the command line FTP client and using the "remotehelp" command.  FTP Explorer does nothing other than forward the keyed command directly to the server.

Go To…

This option allows the user a means to directly enter a directory on the connected server.  This feature is particularly useful on large or busy FTP sites.  If you know the exact directory that you wish to open, but navigating through the directory structure takes too long, simply enter the path to the directory that you want to enter, and press the OK button.  FTP Explorer will jump directly to the chosen directory, and display its contents.  The directory tree will automatically check the directory structure, and if all is correct, will display the contents of the chosen directory.

Remember

The Remember option is only available if a server connection is active.  It places the current directory in the Initial Path field of the connection profile for the server.  This will make FTP Explorer automatically start in the current directory the next time the server profile is chosen from the Connection Dialog.

ASCII

Like the ASCII option on the Tool Bar, if this option is selected, all transfers to or from the remote server will be made in ASCII format.  This is necessary for ASCII text files on some servers, but cannot be used for the transfer of binary executables, or files other than those composed strictly of ASCII text.  You can specify file types that are always treated as ASCII in the File Types tab of the Options dialog.

Binary

The Binary option makes FTP Explorer treat all transfers to and from the remote server in a binary format, which is necessary for binary executables, or very generally, for files that are not composed strictly of ASCII text.  This feature can be toggled from the Tool Bar also.

Import…

The Import feature allows for the import of existing profile settings from popular FTP programs.  Profile settings from, WS_FTP, and Cute FTP are supported at this time.  To import the existing profiles, first choose the Import option, then select the type of file that FTP Explorer is to search for from the "Files of type" list.  The available options are currently:

	WS_FTP (ws_ftp.ini)
	CuteFTP (tree.dat)

After choosing the type of file to import, select the file that contains the profile settings, (both types of files are contained in the directory with their respective FTP program) and press the "Open" button to start the import process.  The import process is speedy, and should take no more than 10 seconds unless importing several dozen entries.  FTP Explorer will notify you with a message upon the successful import of the profile entries.

Note:  You can only import one file at a time.  If you have profiles from more than one file or program, you must import the files separately.


Transfer Manager

The Transfer Manager maintains a record of each transfer request, and displays a summary of each of the requests during the current session.  Both downloads and uploads are summarized within the Transfer Manager, and can be differentiated by the “From” and “To” fields.  Completed transfers can be identified by the blue icon, and the "Complete” value in the Status field.  Active transfers are shown by a yellow Icon, and the "Active" entry in the Status field.  Pending transactions have gray icons and a "Pending" entry in the Status field.  Transfers that have encountered errors have red icons, and display "Error" in the Status field.  Finally, transfers that have been canceled by the user will appear with black icons and will be accompanied by the text “Canceled” in the Status field.

A transfer request can be added to the Transfer Manager at any time, and from any server.  Requests that are not from the current connection will be handled in the background via a separate connection to the proper server.  This allows the user to "queue" transfers to or from a server, then disconnect, and attach to another and continue browsing or making additional transfer requests while the requests to the first server complete in the background.  Depending on the “Transfer Queued Items” setting in the Transfer Option Dialog, transfer requests are handled either in a linear fashion I.E. – first in first out, or simultaneously.

The Transfer Manager is not a stand-alone program, but if it is running, and transfers are in progress, you can close FTP Explorer and it will remain open to aid in the completion of  the remaining transfers.  Once the transfers are complete, the transfer manager along with the transfer dialog(s) will close, and the program will completely unload itself from memory.

Note:  Downloads that result in errors can be resubmitted via the Context Menu, or Transmit Menu.  If the server supports the resume function, the download can continue with little or no lost time since FTP Explorer will not have to transfer what has already been downloaded.

Transfer Manager Menu Options

Transfer Menu

The Transfer Menu contains options that allow you to either cancel pending or active transmissions, and to resubmit a transmission that has already taken place, whether it was successful, canceled, or encountered errors.  To use these options, simply select one or more items from the Transfer Manager, then click on the option of your choice.

Edit Menu

The Edit menu in the  Transfer Manager makes it easier to make multiple selections if there are more than a few that you wish to select from the list.  As it says, the Select All option will select every transfer from the list.  Use the Invert Selection option to reverse the selection of the transfers in the list.  For example, if you wanted to select all but three items in the a list that contains twenty items, simply select the three that you do not want, then choose the Invert Selection option to de-select the three, and select the remaining seventeen.

Transfer Manager Context Menu

The Transfer Manager menu options are also available from the Transfer Manager’s context menu.  To use the context menu, make your selections, then right click on one of the selected transmissions to bring up the menu.  Select the choice that you desire from the menu to carry out the task for the selected transfers.


Context Menu

The context menus offer quick right-click options that speed the selection of commonly used commands.  Depending on the selection, and the properties available for that item, the contents of the context menu will change to allow the commands that are specific for the selected item.   There are specific menus for files, directories, links, and also a default menu when nothing is explicitly selected.  Regardless of the option, every command contained in any of the context menus is also available from within one of the Menu Options, or via the Tool Bar options.  There is also a Context Menu available in the Transfer Manager that is not described here.  The available menus and the explanation of the circumstances that make the options available are described next.

Default Menu
The default context menu is always available -- whether a connection is active or not -- by using the right mouse button in the File View Area of the program.  If a connection is active, right-click on a blank section of the File View Area, and not on a file or directory to activate this menu.  The options available within the default menu allow easy access to the file display and sort options, as well as the option to reload or refresh the current directory, and create a new directory.

View Option
 Use the View option change the appearance of the files and folders in the File View Area.  These options are also available from the View Menu .  Complete descriptions of the choices are located in that section of the help text.

Arrange Icons Option
The “Arrange” options allow you to sort the files and directories in the File View Area by any one of several methods.  These options are also available from within the View Menu.  Complete descriptions of the choices can be found under that topic.

Note:  If the selected view method is “Details”, you can also sort the files and directories in the File View Area by clicking on the column headers.  Additionally, Clicking them twice will toggle the sort order from ascending to descending

New Option
The New option allows you to create a new folder in the current directory.  This option is only available if a connection to a server is active.  Your user permissions must also allow the creation of directories, or the command will fail.  The same command can also be found in either the Tool Bar, or the File Menu.

Refresh Option
Use the Refresh option to update the directory listing for the current directory.  This option is also available from both the Tool Bar, the View Menu.

Folder or Directory Context Menu
The context menu available when a directory is selected is shown to the left.  These options allow quick downloads, and creation of shortcuts, along with several other features that are explicitly available to directories.  To enable this menu, a connection must be active, and a directory must be visible in the File View Area.  Hover over the desired directory, then use the right mouse button to pop up the menu.  With the exception of the Explore option, each of the features in this menu are also available in the File Menu.  The options are fully described in that section of the help file.  The Explore option simply opens the chosen directory, and displays its contents in the File View Area.

NOTE:  You may also “Explore” or open the chosen directory by double-clicking it in the File View Area, or clicking on it once from within the View Window, or List View Area.

File Context Menu
The context menu available when a file is selected appears to the left.  This menu is very similar to the directory-specific context menu since it has many of the same options.  Additional choices include the options to Open, and Quick View the selected file or files.  The Quick View option will only operate properly if the Quick View software is installed on the machine running FTP Explorer (open Windows Help, from the Start Menu, and search for the key words “Quick View” for details on installing the feature) .  Common choices permit the download of files, and the renaming or deletion of the selected files (access rights permitting).  Each of these options are available in the File Menu, and are completely described in that section of the help file.

Link Context Menu
The file specific and folder specific Link context menus are identical to their parent category context menus other than the added Treat Link as …option in the Link context menus.  FTP Explorer does not search for the target of links that it encounters, so occasionally a link may be listed as a folder when it is actually a file or vice versa.  This option permits the user to manually toggle the item’s properties to that of a file or directory depending on its existing properties.  See the file and directory sections above for the explanation of the other options in the Link menus.


Transfer Request

Any command initiated by the user to upload, save, or download one or more files to or from the remote server.  Transfer requests are carried out one at a time until all are complete.  There can be queued transfer requests from more than one server waiting to be carried out, and FTP Explorer will retain or make the necessary connections to carry out the requests.


Default Download Directory

Configurable within the Option Configuration Dialog, the directory in which all incoming files that were requested by the "download" command will be placed unless a download path is specified by the user or in the connection dialog for the current profile.


General Options

	The General configuration options tab contains some of the globally active choices available within the program.  All of the features on this tab are not required for standard program operation, but can make commonly repeated or tedious tasks more transparent and generally easier to use.   Email Address Enter your email address in the space provided to automate the anonymous login process.  Whatever information is contained in the Email Address field will automatically be placed in the Password field of the Connection Dialog when the Anonymous login feature has been selected.
Highlight Last Log Entry

This feature will optionally highlight the last entry in the FTP Status Log making the text easier to view and follow.  If the check mark appears next to the option, it is active. To enable or disable the feature, click the option with the mouse, or press Alt+H, to move to the item, then press the space bar to toggle its value.

Enable Sound

This option will enable the default system sound upon connect, and successful download or upload of a file or files.  The default error sound will be used to alert you to possible problems with the program. To enable or disable the feature, click the option with the mouse, or press Alt+S, to move to the item, then press the space bar to toggle its value.

Save window size and position between sessions

This feature directs FTP Explorer to remember the position of each of the panes within the program, and the main program location on the desktop, from session to session.  To enable or disable the feature, click the option with the mouse, or press Alt+S, to move to the item, then press the space bar to toggle its value.

Include description bar for right and left panes

This option will add or remove the text descriptions of the View Window or "Tree View and the "List View" or File View Area panes


Path Options

	The default path locations for the program can be changed from within this tab of the Options Configuration Dialog.   Default Download Folder  This field specifies the default directory on your machine that the “Save As” dialog will open when files are selected for download.   Folder for Temporary Files  This field points to the location where FTP Explorer  places any temporary files that it creates, or uses.  All files utilized by the program that are contained in this directory at the time the application closes are deleted if the next option is enabled.
Clean up temporary directory on shutdown

This option will allow FTP Explorer to delete the files it uses during each session.  It will also delete the files downloaded for the "Open" and "Quick View" options.  Clear the option if you wish to maintain the files in the temporary directory.

Verify before deleting temporary files

With this option enabled, the program will prompt you before it deletes any of the temporary files that it creates or uses during the FTP session.  Use care when disabling this option, as all files in the specified temporary directory, whether placed there by FTP Explorer or otherwise, will be deleted without notice when the program exits.

When uploading short filenames

This feature allows FTP Explorer to automatically convert file names if that is desired.  The default for this feature is the "Upload filename as is" option, which will upload the files exactly as they are named (no case change).  The other two options will convert the file to either lower or upper case depending on the selection.


Connection Options

	Show connect… When enabled, this option will automatically display the connection dialog at program startup.   Prompt for password… If no password is specified in a connection profile, FTP Explorer will prompt for the password before every connection if this option is enabled.  This feature was added for security reasons.  If a password is saved in the profile, the value of this option does not have any effect.
Hide files and folders that start with a period

Self explanatory – any files or folders on any connected server that begin with a "."will not be displayed in either the Tree or List views of the program.  Some servers, by default, do not list files that begin with a period.  To view files that begin with a period on these servers, the server must be configured appropriately.

Send keepalive to prevent time-outs

If this option is enabled, FTP Explorer will send commands periodically to prevent the connection from timing out due to inactivity.  Take care when using this option if you are charged a per-hour rate for your Internet connection.  FTP Explorer will maintain the connection indefinitely when this option is selected.

Default Connection Retry Settings

This group of options allow FTP Explorer to attempt to connect the number of times specified if the connection is refused.  The “Timeout attempt after … seconds” field puts a time limit on each connection attempt.  The period between connection attempts can be specified in the “Wait… seconds…” field.  If the program cannot connect in the number of tries specified, it will write an explanation to the FTP Log and stop trying.


Transfer Options

	Autoload File Descriptions.. Select this option to automatically download file descriptions (if available) and display each file’s description next to its file name in the "List View" or File View Area pane.   ..If index file is smaller than… kilobytes Use this field to set the maximum size of index files that the autoload file descriptions feature will attempt to retrieve and display.
Warn on Open or Quick View…

Enabling this option will tell FTP Explorer to send an alert if an attempt is made to "Open" or "Quick View" a file that is larger than the value contained in the "..If item is larger than … kilobytes" field.

Show dialog for items larger than …. kilobytes

This option will automatically display a dialog to ask if you want to download the file instead of "quick view" it if the size of the file is greater than the amount in kilobytes entered in this field.  The idea behind this feature is that when you are downloading small files, it can take longer to display the connection dialog than it does to download the file.  The difference between the “quick-view” download versus a standard download is that “quick view” files will be placed in the FTP Explorer temporary directory, and may not be saved after the program closes (depending on the setting in the Paths tab of the Options Dialog.  Downloaded files will not be deleted.  If you do not want to see this dialog, simply put a large value in the field provided.

Background transfer items larger than … kilobytes

The value placed in this field qualifies the smallest file that will be downloaded in a background thread.  Files larger than this value will automatically be downloaded in the background, allowing the user to continue to browse the current FTP server.  Since downloads are handled in the background by the Transfer Manager, the user can actually disconnect from the current server, connect to another, and FTP Explorer will continue to download the queued transfer requests.  If this feature is enabled, FTP Explorer will attempt to make a separate connection to the host.  Background transfer hinges on whether or not the host accepts the additional connection.  If the host does not accept multiple connections, or if it has no more connections available, the background file transfer feature will not operate properly.  FTP Explorer will notify you if the feature cannot perform as it should.

Transfer Queued Items

If background file transfers have been enabled, the files that are selected to be transferred can either be handled one at a time, or simultaneously depending on the value of this setting.  If you are on a slow connection, or do not have a great deal of bandwidth, it is suggested that you use the sequential option.  For those who have faster connections, the simultaneous transfer option is extremely useful.  The maximum number of individual connections can be assigned in the “Limit to maximum of … connections” field.  If this field is not enabled, there will be no limit of background connections, only bandwidth restrictions.


How To...

Create a server profile

Download a file from a server

Quick-View a file

Upload a file to a server

Specify the default download directory

Import profile settings from CuteFTP, or WS_FTP

Load alternate language resources


More Information On FTP Explorer

Obtaining FTP Explorer Updates

The latest release of FTP Explorer will always be available at the following sites:

The FTP Explorer Home Site (U.S.)

http://www.ftpx.com

ftp://ftp.ftpx.com/pub/ftpx/ftpx.zip

Obtaining Alternate Language Modules

Additional language module for FTP Explorer are under development, and can be obtained from the “Download It” page of the FTP Explorer web site, or in the /pub/lang directory of the FTP Explorer FTP site.  Complete URLs for both are given below.

ftp://ftp.ftpx.com/pub/lang/

or:

http://www.ftpx.com/

Join The FTP Explorer Mailing List…

if you want to learn more about FTP Explorer, and discuss the program with other users.  Complete instructions are on the FTP Explorer home page.  There are two lists from which to choose.  The first is strictly an announcement list that will notify you when updates are available.  The second list is a discussion list that you can monitor to find out about problems, work-arounds, or just discuss your experiences with other users.  There is no need to join both lists.  If you join the discussion list, you will receive both the announcements and general discussion mail.

Removing Yourself From The Mailing List:

If for some reason you decide that you don't want to be on either of the mailing lists, visit the FTP Explorer home page, go to the mailing list page, and fill out the form with the appropriate information.  Make sure you choose the “Unsubscribe” option.

IRC Chat Channel

There is an IRC channel monitored by fellow FTP Explorer enthusiasts available at EFnet. (irc.ais.net:6665)  Look for group #ftpx.  Feel free to join in and discuss FTP Explorer online.

No, none of those categories covered it!

Anything else about FTP Explorer that isn't covered in this help file can probably be found on the FTP Explorer home page:

http://www.ftpx.com

or by contacting Alan Chavis,


Yes I Need This Software

Online registration via the FTP Explorer SSL site is now available!  Read On!

Print this form and either fax or mail it with the appropriate payment amount the address printed below to receive your software license(s).

Company - User Name ________________________   Phone _____________________

Address ________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________________   State ______________________

Zip / Postal Code __________   Country __________   Email address_______________

Where did you hear about FTP Explorer? _____________________________________

Card type (Visa, MC, Amer. Exp.)  ____________   Expiration Date_________________

Card Number_________________________   Name on Card______________________

Signature_______________________________________________________________

Multiple license discounts are available for orders of 10 or more.  Site licenses are also negotiable.  Contact Alan Chavis for more information.

Mail checks payable to:

FTP Explorer

PO Box 20574

Oklahoma City, OK

73156-0574

Or you may fax this completed form with your credit card order to:  405-348-4753;

Or you may submit your Visa, Mastercard, or American Express credit card orders at the Secure FTP Explorer Website (https://www.ftpx.com/cgi-bin/ftpxreg.dll)


Firewall Options

Use PASV Mode

PASV mode is supported as a firewall option.  This feature simply reverses the connection between host and server, thus allowing many users that reside behind firewalls to use this program.  PASV mode ftp is what most of the browsers like Netscape, and Microsoft use to initiate ftp transfers.

Use Firewall

If your system resides behind a firewall that limits or restricts FTP access, enable this option and fill in the appropriate information for the firewall in use at your location.  Most firewalls require a host name and port number (the default port for FTP connections is 21), along with a user ID, and password.  There are differences in the methods used by firewalls to permit user activity.  The “Firewall Type” box permits you to select the command required by your firewall when initiating an FTP session from FTP Explorer.  If your firewall requires the “User”, or “Open” command (upper or lower case sensitive), simply click the appropriate option to enable it.


File Types

The “Use these filenames as description files:” feature allows you to add to the automatically detected index file listing of the program.  FTP Explorer will look for any of the files contained in this list to load as the description file for the connected server.  If you connect to a server that has an index file, but the file descriptions do not load, simply add the name of the index file to this list, and refresh the listing (Context Menu or Tools Menu).  As long as the index file conforms to the “filename – description” method of listing its entries, FTP Explorer will recognize the format, and display the descriptions properly.  To add an index file to the list, simply type it in the space provided (case sensitive), and press the upper Add button.

Prior to transferring any files, FTP Explorer compares the extension of the filename (if it exists) with the extensions in the “Always use ASCII mode for files with these extensions:” list.  If it encounters a match, it will automatically switch to ASCII mode before processing the file.  This feature is a convenience for transferring files that must be handled in ASCII format.  To add an extension to the list, type it in the field provided, then press the lower Add button.  It will appear in the list once it has been processed successfully.


How to create a server profile

1.	Press the Connect button on the Tool Bar or choose Connect from within the Tools Menu.
2.	Press the Add button on the Connection Dialog.
3.	Enter a name for the profile.
4.	Enter the host address for the server (can be either the DNS entry, or its IP address.  Do not put any path information in this field.  It should contain the server’s address only.
5.	Enter the port number on which the server accepts FTP requests (the default is 21).
6.	Enable PASV mode if your computer is behind a firewall which does not allow external FTP connections (see Firewall Options for more details).
7.	Enable the firewall option if your system is located behind a firewall.  The settings from the Firewall tab of the Options Dialog will be used if this option is enabled.
8.	Either type your user name, or check the Anonymous option (if an anonymous login is used, skip to step number 10).
9.	Enter the corresponding password for the user name.  The characters of the password will appear as asterisk (*) symbols unless you chose the anonymous login option in the previous step.
10.	Type the path in which you want to begin. -- This step is optional.
11.	Make sure there is a value of at least 1 in the attempts field.
12.	If you entered more than 1 attempt in the previous step, enter the amount of time the program should wait between connection attempts here.
13.	Type in a path for all download to be placed for this profile (only used for the download option, not the download-to or quick view options – see the File Menu for further details).
13.	Press the Connect button to establish the connection to the server.
Any errors or problems will be reported in the FTP Status Log.  Several of the options listed above have default values that can be changed from within the Option Configuration Dialog.


How to download a file from a server

1.  Connect to a server using a valid server profile or the Quick Connect option.

2.  Navigate through the server’s directories to locate the file that you desire.  Be sure to make use of FTP Explorer’s Auto-loading index file feature (Options Dialog)

3.  Select a file by clicking on it.  If more than one file is to be selected, you can “rope” the desired files with the mouse if they are adjacent to one another, or you can hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while clicking individual files to make multiple selections.

4.  Either press the Download button, or use the context menu (right click on a selected file) to choose the download option.  The file(s) will be placed in the download directory specified in the server profile.  If you want to specify the local directory to place the files, choose the “Download To” option instead of the download option.  You will then be prompted for a location for each file that is downloaded.

You can also Drag the selected files from the File View Area onto your desktop, or any other folder to begin the download.

Several user-configurable options dealing with the way files are transferred, including background file transfers, and simultaneous transfers, can be changed within the Options Configuration Dialog.


How to quick-view a file

1.  Select the file to quick view on the remote server.  Only those file extensions that have Quick-View drivers will display properly.  If there is not a Quick-View driver for the specified file type, FTP Explorer will not be able to launch the proper viewer to display the file.

2.  Use the Context Menu (right-click on the file you want to quick-view) to choose the Quick View option

3.  After viewing the file, if you decide to keep it, there is no need to download the file again.  FTP Explorer keeps all of the files that it quick-views in its temporary directory (configurable from the Paths tab of the Option Configuration Dialog).

Note:  If you have chosen the option in the Path Options dialog that clears the temporary directory at startup, the files that you quick view will be deleted the next time FTP Explorer starts.  Make sure to move any files out of the temporary directory that you intend to keep for future use.


How to upload a file to a server

1.  Connect to the server to which you intend to upload the file(s).  See the How to create a server profile section if you do not have a profile  configured.

2.  Choose one or more files to upload from within the Upload dialog.  Select more than one file by holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard, and clicking the files with your mouse.  you can also select the files to upload by simply dragging the files onto the File View Area of the screen.  The files will be uploaded to the current directory on the server as long as your user account has the appropriate clearance to copy files into the selected directory.


How to specify the default download directory

1.  Open the Option Configuration Dialog by selecting Options from the View Menu.

2.  Click on the “Paths” tab.

3.  Fill in the appropriate path information in the “Default Download Folder” field.  Use the Browse button if you need to search for, or create a new directory.

4.  Press the OK button to save the change.


How to import profile settings

1.  Select the Import option from the Tools Menu.

2.  Locate the file that you wish to import.  Only one file can be imported at a time.  WS_FTP profiles are contained in the file named WS_FTP.INI in the windows directory, and CuteFTP profiles are contained in the file named tree.dat which is located in the application directory.

3.  Press the Open button to begin the import procedure. Once the import is complete, a message box will appear stating that X entries were imported successfully.


How to load alternate language resources

1.  Retain the desired language module from the FTP Explorer download page

2.  Unzip the resource file into the same directory as the executable, and restart FTP Explorer.


Command Line Options

FTP Explorer can be launched from the command line, or from within other programs as long as the syntax for the desired connection meets a few simple requirements.

The syntax to launch and connect to an existing profile is:

ftpx //profile_name!/initial_path

The initial path information is optional, but if included must be separated from the profile name with an exclamation point.

The program will also accept standard FTP URLs from the command line such as:

ftp://ftp.server.com/path_info/filename

The path information and filename are optional parameters, but if included, the connection will change to the path listed, and attempt to download the file.