FTP Programs

In the early days of the Internet, one method of file transfer reigned supreme: File Transfer Protocol or FTP. The concept was very simple. You had an FTP server where you stored all the files that you wanted to share and users gained access to those files through FTP clients or FTP programs.

The older FTP programs used a Character User Interface (CUI) a.k.a. command-line while more recent ones use a Graphical User Interface (GUI). FTP programs with a GUI enable users to control the client through simple point and click or drag and drop procedures. Ironically, some power users prefer command-line FTP clients over their GUI counterparts since commands can be issued faster if the commands have been stored in one’s head.

The first step in a typical file transfer process using FTP programs is to connect to an FTP server. Some servers require a password while some don’t. Once you’ve gained access, in a GUI-enabled program for example, files and folders are displayed in directory-tree type structure. You can then easily drag and drop files in the same way as you would in a directory found locally. Nowadays, FTP programs actually support Secure FTP, allowing you to resume interrupted downloads which would have otherwise been impossible with older clients.