What is an FTP Client?
"A computer terminal is not some clunky old television with a typewriter in front of it. It is an interface where the mind and body can connect with the universe and move bits of it about." (Douglas Adams: Mostly Harmless, 1992)
An FTP Client is software that is designed to transfer files back-and-forth between two computers over the Internet. It needs to be installed on your computer and can only be used with a live connection to the Internet.
When you open a standard FTP Client, you usually presented with two panes. The pane on the left normally displays the files on your computer whilst the pane on the right displays the files on the remote computer you've logged into
Transferring files is as easy as dragging-and-dropping files from one pane to the other or by highlighting a file and selecting one of the direction arrows located between the panes. Selecting the arrow pointing to the left transfers a file from the remote computer to your computer and vice versa for the right-hand arrow.
Additional features of FTP clients can include:
- The ability to transfer multiple files in a single operation.
- An option to automatically continue a file transfer that was interrupted for any reason rather than starting from scratch again.
- The ability to 'queue' files for transfer at a specified time
- A Find utility (most FTP sites are very large).
- An ability to synchronise a set of files - thus ensuring that the selected files on your computer and those on the remote computer match perfectly.
- Scripting utilities for more advanced users.
You can find some free FTP client software in the Resources section of this Guide.