MS-DOS Commands :: ftp

Overview:

Warning: This command is for advanced users only!

FTP (file transfer program) to transfer files to/from server.

Tip: We recommend that you use a Windows-based FTP program rather than using the MS-DOS ftp command. Personally, we use CuteFTP Pro.

Commands:

Type ftp to start the FTP program. The FTP command prompt will appear. You can then type the following commands.

Tip: When done, type bye (or quite) to exit the FTP program and return to the MS-DOS prompt.

Command	Meaning
!	Escape to the shell
?	Prints list of available commands
append	Append to a file
ascii	Set ascii transfer type
bell	Beep when command completed
binary	Set binary transfer type
bye	Terminate ftp session and exit
cd	Change remote working directory
close	Terminate ftp session
delete	Delete remote file
debug	Toggle debugging mode
dir	List contents of remote directory
disconnect	Terminate ftp session
get	Receive file
glob	Toggle metacharacter expansion of local file names
hash	Toggle printing `#' for each buffer transferred
help	Prints list of available commands
lcd	Change local working directory
literal	Send arbitrary ftp command
ls	List contents of remote directory
mdelete	Delete multiple files
mdir	List contents of multiple remote directories
mget	Get multiple files
mkdir	Make directory on the remote machine
mls	List contents of multiple remote directories
mput	Send multiple files
open	Connect to remote tftp
prompt	Force interactive prompting on multiple commands
put	Send one file
pwd	Print working directory on remote machine
quit	Terminate ftp session and exit
quote	Send arbitrary ftp command
recv	Receive file
remotehelp	Get help from remote server
rename	Rename file
rmdir	Remove directory on the remote machine
send	Send one file
status	Show current status
trace	Toggle packet tracing
type	Set file transfer type
user	Send user login information
verbose	Toggle verbose mode

Automation:

If you want to automate the downloading/uploading of a file or files, you can do that by creating a text file that contains the FTP commands to be performed. For example, to download a specific file, create a text file that has the following content:

open host
username
password
cd directory
binary
get filename
bye

For the parameters (shown above in yellow), type in the actual values. For example, if your FTP server is ftp.myserver.com then type that in place of host. Similarly, substitute in the values of the other parameters: username, password, directory (e.g.: /www), and filename.

Save the above "FTP script" and give it a filename such as getfile.txt (you can name it anything; the filename does not matter). To run ftp and make it use this FTP script, you would type ftp -i -s:getfile.txt which tells the ftp command to run in non-interactive mode (i.e.: -i) and to read FTP commands from the specified file (i.e.: -s:filename).

After you create the FTP script, you could also create a corresponding batch file that runs ftp with this FTP script. In the above example, the FTP script file was named getfile.txt, so create a text file named getfile.bat (this filename is just to be consistent; you can use any filename) with the following contents:

@echo off
ftp -i -s:getfile.txt

To run this batch file you would simply type getfile (or getfile.bat). The batch file will run, which will cause ftp to be run, and ftp will read the FTP script getfile.txt, which will cause your file to be downloaded.

ftp -help

Transfers files to and from a computer running an FTP server service
(sometimes called a daemon). Ftp can be used interactively.

FTP [-v] [-d] [-i] [-n] [-g] [-s:filename] [-a] [-w:windowsize] [-A] [host]

  -v             Suppresses display of remote server responses.
  -n             Suppresses auto-login upon initial connection.
  -i             Turns off interactive prompting during multiple file
                 transfers.
  -d             Enables debugging.
  -g             Disables filename globbing (see GLOB command).
  -s:filename    Specifies a text file containing FTP commands; the
                 commands will automatically run after FTP starts.
  -a             Use any local interface when binding data connection.
  -A             login as anonymous.
  -w:buffersize  Overrides the default transfer buffer size of 4096.
  host           Specifies the host name or IP address of the remote
                 host to connect to.

Notes:
  - mget and mput commands take y/n/q for yes/no/quit.
  - Use Control-C to abort commands.

(Enlarge: ftp -help)