Web Design in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Uploading Documents (FTP)

The most common transaction that a web designer will have with a web server is the uploading of HTML documents, graphics, and other media files. Files are transferred between computers over a network via a method called FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

If you are working in a telnet session on Unix, you can run the ftp program and transfer files with a hefty collection of command-line arguments (not covered in this book).

Fortunately, if you work on a Mac or PC, there are a number of FTP programs with graphical interfaces that spare you the experience of transferring files using the Unix command line. In fact, FTP functions are now built right into full-featured web authoring tools, such as GoLive, Dreamweaver, and FrontPage, among others. On the Mac, dedicated programs that allow “drag-and-drop” file transfer, such as Fetch and Interarchy (previously Anarchie), are quite popular. On the PC, there are numerous simple FTP programs, such as WS_FTP, AceFTP, and Transmit. These (and many others) are available for download at http://www.shareware.com (search for “ftp”).

The Navigator and Internet Explorer browsers also function as FTP clients, offering the ability to both download and upload files with a drag-and-drop interface.

The FTP Process

Regardless of the tool you use, the basic principles and processes are the same. Before you begin, you must have an account with permission to upload files to the server. Check with the server administrator to be ...