Multipart Transfers

Chapter 4: Transferring Files

Transferring means moving or copying files or folders between computers. If you transfer a file from your computer (local system) to an FTP Site (remote system) it is called an upload. If you transfer a file from a remote system to your local system, it is called a download. If you transfer between two remote sites, it is called a site to site transfer.

Ways to Transfer Files

WS_FTP Pro allows you several ways to transfer a file.

Using the Transfer Arrows

Select a file or folder and click the Upload or Download Arrow to transfer it. You can select multiple files by holding down the Ctrl button while selecting.

Upload Arrow

Download Arrow

Drag and Drop

With a file or folder selected, click and hold your left-mouse button and drag the file to where you want it transferred to. You can select multiple files by holding down the Ctrl or Shift button while selecting. As you drag the file, your cursor changes.

When your cursor looks like this, you are at a place where you can transfer a file.

When your cursor looks like this, you cannot drop a dragged file there.

When you release the mouse button, WS_FTP Pro attempts to transfer the file to that location.

Copy and Paste

Right-mouse click a file, then select Copy from the pop-up menu. Right-click where you want to transfer the file to, and from the right-mouse menu select Paste. WS_FTP Pro then attempts to make the transfer.

Batch Mode

If you want to transfer multiple files from different sites, you can put WS_FTP Pro in Batch Mode.

While in batch mode, WS_FTP Pro will add a request to the Transfer Manager, to be performed when you choose. If you want to make an immediate transfer while in Batch Mode, without having it go through the queue, select the file and drag it to the destination folder.

Using the Transfer Manager

The WS_FTP Pro Transfer Manager is used to view the progress of transfers, to schedule the transfer of multiple files, and to view logs for individual transfers. For more information, see "Chapter 7: WS_FTP Transfer Manager".

Upload Wizard

The Upload Wizard is a utility that allows you to transfer files from your local system to a remote FTP site without using the WS_FTP Pro interface. There are two ways to access the Upload Wizard:

In Windows Explorer, select the files or folders you want to upload, then right-mouse click on the list. In that list you will see 'Upload using WS_FTP Upload Wizard.' After selecting that option, the Upload Wizard appears with the files already added to the upload list.

Select WS_FTP Upload Wizard from your Windows Start menu. This will open the Wizard ready for you to add the files you want to upload.

After the files are added to the Upload wizard, you will be asked to select a remote folder or enter a remote URL. This is where the files are uploaded to.

Hotdrop Folder

Hotdrops are shortcuts to remote directories that you can create anywhere on your local system. They appear as files with the extension .fhf.

If you click on the file, WS_FTP Pro launches and automatically connects to the site and navigates to the local and remote folders that you identify when you set up the hotdrop.

You can also drag files and folders to the icon and drop them. The files and folders will then be automatically uploaded to that site. The Transfer Manager appears to show the progress of the transfers.

Transfer Modes

There are three modes that WS_FTP Pro uses to transfer a file. Depending on the type of file, you may have to select this mode before you attempt to transfer a file.

These modes are called ASCII, Binary, or Auto. The following chart shows the icon that should be chosen for the described type of file.

Ascii Mode
A file that is text, HTML, postscript, other ASCII format (.txt, .html, .htm, .cgi), or EBCDIC should be transferred in ASCII mode. If you transfer a binary file in ASCII mode, you will not get the entire file.

Binary Mode
A file that is a bitmap, an executable, or compressed (.bmp, .jpg, .exe, .zip) should be transferred in binary mode. (Binary mode should also be used if there is no file extension or the file extension is not registered.) This is the default mode.

Auto Mode
If you turn on Auto mode, WS_FTP Pro checks to see if the file has an extension that is listed on the Extensions tab of the Options dialog. If so, ASCII mode is used; if not, binary mode is used.

Automatic Retry

If the initial attempt to transfer a file fails, WS_FTP Pro can automatically retry the attempt a set number of times.

To set the Automatic retry:

From WS_FTP Pro, click the Options button.
Select the Transfers dialog.
In the Number of retries for failed transfers box, enter the number of times you want WS_FTP Pro to retry the transfer (0-99.)

Resuming a Failed Transfer

WS_FTP Pro can automatically resume interrupted transfers or transfer attempts when the application is started, if the WS_FTP Pro application is terminated while:

It is in the process of transferring a file or if it is still on the Transfer list (on the Transfer Manager) as a failed transfer.

To set this option:

From WS_FTP Pro, click the Options button.
Select the Transfers dialog.
Select the Automatically resume transfers when application starts option.
Click OK.

Multipart Transfers

When in Multipart mode, WS_FTP Pro will split large files into smaller and download all sections with different, yet concurrent, connections. This will decrease the amount of time it takes to download large individual files.

The number of connections made is determined by the number of additional connections specified in the Site Profile, as well as the number of connections allowed by the server and the Number of parts used on multi-part transfers option on the Transfers dialog of Program Options.

The Transfer Manager will display the file, the number of segments that the file has been divided into, and the status of the transfer of each of the segments. When each of the segments are complete, the Transfer Manager will show the status of the re-combining of the files, if that process takes longer than 2 seconds.

If there are no segments listed under the file being transferred, than the file is not large enough to be divided.

Note: Multipart does not work with SSH connections or with uploads.

To use Multipart mode, click the Multipart mode button on the WS_FTP Pro toolbar.

	Upload Arrow
	Download Arrow

When your cursor looks like this, you are at a place where you can transfer a file.	When your cursor looks like this, you cannot drop a dragged file there.

Ascii Mode	A file that is text, HTML, postscript, other ASCII format (.txt, .html, .htm, .cgi), or EBCDIC should be transferred in ASCII mode. If you transfer a binary file in ASCII mode, you will not get the entire file.
Binary Mode	A file that is a bitmap, an executable, or compressed (.bmp, .jpg, .exe, .zip) should be transferred in binary mode. (Binary mode should also be used if there is no file extension or the file extension is not registered.) This is the default mode.
Auto Mode	If you turn on Auto mode, WS_FTP Pro checks to see if the file has an extension that is listed on the Extensions tab of the Options dialog. If so, ASCII mode is used; if not, binary mode is used.

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