So You Want To FTP/Download, Huh?

...use these to jump around or read it all [How FTP Works][ASCII][Binary][An Example]
[Rule of Thumb][Why Not Send Everything as Binary?]
[Finally]

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It's the concept of moving a file from your storage space to your server so others can look at it. This is one of the basics of HTML, and most people know how to do it, but are confused why items can sometimes be corrupted when transferring. I put this together to try and explain some of the statements I make.

How FTP Works

FTP is actually very basic. There are about a million different FTP programs you can take off the Internet as shareware or purchase, heck even Netscape and Explorer will allow you to take files, often called "downloading." Obviously then, placing a file from your storage space to the server is called "uploading."

My guess if that you have your own FTP program already, but if not, you can download one. They come in freeware and shareware. If you want free, try FTP Explorer or the free (limited) version of WSFTP.

If you don't mind spending a couple of bucks after a 30-day trial, click on one of these. I've tried them all and can vouch that they are all good programs. Try either WSFTP full version, CuteFTP or my personal favorite, FTP2000.

Below, in Table form, is the general interface for a basic FTP program. Yours is something like this. By the way, "interface" is the thing between you and the computer, mainly the graphics. In fact, an interface is anything that acts as a go-between for two items. You and your computer are as good as any two.

ASCII			BINARY

Files On Your Hard Drive	<-	COPY	->	Files On Your Server
	<-	VIEW	->
	<-	DELETE	->
	<-	RENAME	->

Let Me Explain It...

The Bold "ASCII" and "BINARY" at the top are buttons that change the transfer type.
The center column of three buttons allows you to click either side of the command to transfer the file from or to the server. See the arrows?

ASCII vs. Binary

This is the main reason for this tutorial. I get letters all the time asking why images, or Applets, or JavaScripts, don't work. My answer is usually that the person corrupted it in the FTP. That usually confounds the problem further. Here's a more in-depth explanation:

ASCII Sometimes called "TEXT" or "TEXT DOS".

ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It is text, short and simple. But it is text that is standardized so all computers everywhere understand it. Look at your keyboard. See all those things, those letters and characters? There are actually 128 of them in all. (Count upper and lower case as two).

Now it gets loopy -

Computers deal with numbers. Period. Yes, you see little letters, but the computer doesn't. It sees numbers--ones and zeros to be exact. Each one or zero is called a "bit." That's short for "binary digit." ASCII is a series of seven one and zero number combinations representing letters and characters. (Some computers now use an "Extended ASCII" that uses eight numbers) An extra digit is often added as a check to see if the other seven are correct. It's called a "parity digit" or "check bit" and through a mathematical equation involving the other seven numbers, it checks to see if the numbers are correct. Here's what some ASCII code looks like:

Symbol	ASCII Code	Symbol	ASCII Code
A	01000000	a	01100001
!	00100001	$	00100100
Z	01011010	z	01111010
...etc, etc, etc up to 128

Notice that there are only two numbers involved, one and zero. This is what's known as "binary", two items. THEN WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO?!?!--you ask. I told you this gets loopy. ASCII code is code for text alone. Those 128 groupings of ones and zeros represent text, period.

In terms of FTP: If you are FTPing something that only has text, like an HTML document, use the ASCII mode of your application. More on why in a moment.

Binary Sometimes called "Raw Data" or "All Files"

Binary is best explained in comparison to ASCII. Binary also uses the seven (sometimes eight) digit ones and zeros combinations, but sees the characters in a different light.

Let's say you are FTPing an applet. Yes, it uses only the 128 characters on the keyboard, but with one major exception...all characters are not equal. If you look at a GIF, or a JPEG, or an image (in an editor) - yes, it looks like text. Remember, the computer sees numbers only, and characters are a good representation of those numbers. You see, the computer doesn't require that you see what happens to work. Text is just so you can get a representation of what it is doing.

Where a binary transfer differs from ASCII is how it treats the characters used. An Applet needs to not only retain the same characters when it transfers, but also needs to retain the same form. It has to be equally as wide and tall when it arrives at its destination as it was when it left. If it is not - it's corrupted and won't work.

An Example:

When you create an HTML Document - you may have noticed that adding a ton of spaces between words did not translate into a ton of spaces in the browser window. In addition, where you hit "enter" to jump to the next line didn't mean didley when you posted it. The line broke when it wanted (unless you put in a <BR> command).

The reason for this is because you saved the document as "TEXT" of one form or another. That only saved the letters, nothing else. Where you hit return didn't mater. Your margin settings weren't saved - only the text. This is why you have to put in tags to make the text do what you want. When you transfer the file over as ASCII, only the text goes, because that's all that is required. Its form is immaterial. You could write your HTML Document as one really, really long line. The computer doesn't care. It changes the text off of the tags, not by the form it was sent. How pretty you make your HTML document doesn't matter.

Now, imagine you just finished writing an Applet. Yes, it's in text, but the text is more than just a bunch of words. The text is in a certain format. Some of the text represents commands for the computer, and some represents text that will appear on the screen. Still other text represents a jump to the next line. That format of text must be retained. If you send the Applet as ASCII, the transfer literally changes the Applet into a long line of characters - basically it makes it text alone. The different types of commands have lost their meaning. All is now equal. It is corrupted. It will not work.

If you send (or download) an image as "TEXT" - same thing. The ASCII transfer changes the code into straight text with no special meaning. It is no longer an image but rather a long line of unrelated characters - it is corrupted and it won't work.

Rule of Thumb

This goes for both FTP and downloading!

Use ASCII only for transferring HTML Documents.
Everything else - goes Binary (or raw data or all files depending on your program)
Additional rule - if your HTML Document contains a JavaScript that you know is correct, but doesn't work when you post it, send the HTML Document as Binary. The text might need some minor adjusting, but will probably be fine. The Script is the concern here.

Why Not Send and Save Everything as Binary?

You can. It's just that sending an HTML document as Binary, tends to mess it up a bit. More than just text is being sent - form is now involved, and it may alter up what you want. Make a point of sending in two forms, binary and ASCII.

Finally!

The things I said above go for both FTP and downloading!!! Text is text. Applets, images, CGI's and Scripts, are quite different.

If you download or transfer something and it fails to work - the smart money is that you corrupted it through one or many of your transfers.

Thanks for stopping by...now go FTP something.

[How FTP Works][ASCII][Binary][An Example]
[Rule of Thumb][Why Not Send Everything as Binary?]
[Finally]