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SAS Libary
File Transfer with WS_FTP

This page was adapted from a page developed by Training Services (training@cc.utexas.edu) of ACITS of The University of Texas at Austin, 15 January 1999 .We thank them for permission to adapt their page and distribute it via our web site.

What is FTP?

FTP is an acronym for "file transfer protocol," a set of guidelines and programs that let you transfer files between different computers on the Internet. For example, with FTP you can download shareware to your computer or upload Web pages to a Web server. The most common Windows FTP client at UCLA is called WS_FTP.

Requirements

To use WS_FTP, you need an Internet-ready computer running Windows 95 or 98, or Windows NT.

Starting WS_FTP

If you are using BruinOnling, choose Start, Programs, Bruin Online (or BOLW) and WS_FTP.

Connecting to Another Computer

WS_FTP automatically displays the Session Properties dialog box when you launch the program. Use this dialog box to connect to the remote computer from which you want to transfer files.  Your dialog box may look somewhat different, but the steps should be basically the same.

1. Type the name of the computer you want to connect to in the Host Name/Address field. For example, if you want to connect to the RS/6000 Cluster, enter cluster.oac.ucla.edu
2. Choose Automatic detect for the Host Type. WS_FTP will automatically determine the type of computer you are connecting to.
3. For the User ID and Password, enter your ID and password for the computer you are connecting to.  For example, if you are connecting to the RS/6000 Cluster, enter your login ID and password you enter when you connect to the RS/6000 Cluster.
   If you are downloading files from a computer on which you do not have an account, click the Anonymous check byx, and type anonymous for the User ID and enter your email address as your password.  Many computers on the Internet support anonymous FTP, meaning that the remote computer lets you log in with a user name of anonymous and your e-mail address as the password. Your use is restricted to retrieving files from a specific area of the computer.
4. You can leave the Account and Comment fields empty.
5. Click OK to establish the connection.

Using profiles

WS_FTP has many saved profiles. A profile saves all of the information needed to connect to a particular computer and gives that set of information a name. You can select a profile from the Profile Name list and click OK to quickly connect to a computer.

Creating a profile

You can also create your own profiles for computers you visit frequently.

1. Click New in the Session Properties dialog box.
2. Type a name for the profile.
3. Complete the fields as described in steps 1-4 under "Connecting to Another Computer" above.

Transferring Files with WS_FTP

WS_FTP has four windows. The windows on the right display the directories and files on the remote computer, and the windows on the left show the directories and files on your local computer. The top window on each side lists the current directory and the bottom windows list the files and folders in the selected directory.

Navigating directories

The easiest way to change directories is to double-click the desired directory in the WS_FTP window. This moves you into that directory and displays the files in it. To move up in the directory structure, double-click the two dots that appear in the directory list. The ". ." notation indicates the parent directory.

For example, in the figure below, /microlib/win95 is the current directory on the remote computer. You can double-click editor to move into that directory or you could double click ". ." to move up one level to the /microlib directory.

Downloading files

1. Use the right side of the WS_FTP window to navigate the directories on the remote computer until you find the file you want to download.
2. Move to the destination directory on the local system (the directory you want to download the file to) using the left side of the WS_FTP window.
3. - If you are downloading a SAS XPORT File, SAS CPORT file, a Stata .dta file, an Excel Spreadsheet, a Word Document, or any other kind of NON-text file, choose the Binary Button.
   - If you are downloading an SPSS Portable File, a BMDP portable file, a raw data file, a SAS program (.sas), an SPSS Program (.sps), a Stata Program (.do) or any other kind of text only file, choose the ASCII button.
4. Select the file on the remote computer and click the left pointing arrow.

Uploading files

Uploading files is very similar to downloading files.

1. Use the left side of the WS_FTP window to navigate the directories on your local computer until you find the file you want to upload.
2. Move to the destination directory on the remote system (the directory you want to upload the file to) using the right side of the WS_FTP window.
3. - If you are uploading a SAS XPORT File, SAS CPORT file, a Stata .dta file, an Excel Spreadsheet, a Word Document, or any other kind of NON-text file, choose the Binary Button.
   - If you are uploading an SPSS Portable File, a BMDP portable file, a raw data file, a SAS program (.sas), an SPSS Program (.sps), a Stata Program (.do) or any other kind of text only file, choose the ASCII button.
4. Select the file on your local system and click the right pointing arrow.

Disconnecting

When you are finished transferring files, disconnect from the remote computer.

1. Click the Close button.
2. Click the Exit button to quit WS_FTP or the Connect button to connect to another computer.

This page was adapted from a page developed by Training Services (training@cc.utexas.edu) of ACITS of The University of Texas at Austin, 15 January 1999 .We thank them for permission to adapt their page and distribute it via our web site.

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