File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

The SocketTools FTP ActiveX control enables you to easily upload or download files from a remote host and perform a variety of remote file management functions. You can create, rename and delete files and directories, list files and search for files using wildcards. The control provides both high level methods, such as the ability to transfer multiple files in a single method call, as well as access to lower level remote file I/O methods. For more information and to download a free, fully functional evaluation copy of SocketTools, please select one of the following links:

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Review the online technical reference for SocketTools, including the properties, methods and events for this control.

Product Overview

The SocketTools FTP control offers a comprehensive interface which supports both high level FTP operations, such as uploading or downloading files, as well as a collection of lower-level file I/O methods that give your application precise control over the transfer process. In addition to file transfers, your application can create, rename and delete files and directories, search for files using wildcards and perform other file management tasks. This product includes broad support for a variety of programming languages and it provides a comprehensive interface suitable for every kind of project, from simple administration utilities to complex enterprise applications. Here's an overview of just some of this control's features:

  • Standard ATL based ActiveX controls compatible with most languages
  • Includes both 32-bit and 64-bit ActiveX controls and scripting components
  • Fully compatible with Visual Studio .NET languages
  • Includes both high level and lower level interfaces for maximum flexibility
  • Thread-safe implementation with full support for multithreaded applications
  • Support for both IPv4 and IPv6 network connections
  • Support for FTP proxy servers, including secure proxies
  • Support for the standard SSL, TLS and SSH security protocols with up to 256-bit encryption
  • Support for both implicit and explicit SSL and TLS connections
  • Support for client certificates when required by the remote host
  • No dependencies on third party security libraries
  • An extensive Developer's Guide and online Technical Reference
  • No runtime licensing fees or additional royalties
  • A trusted company with over 15 years experience developing Internet components

File Transfers

The FTP control interface includes methods which enable an application to upload and download files with a single line of code, as well as lower-level functions which can send and receive file data using strings or byte array buffers. For example, the GetFile method is used to download a file from the server and store the data in a file on the local system. On the other hand, the GetData method will download a file from the server and store the contents of that file in a string or byte array. This gives your program the flexibility of handling the data either on disk or in memory, depending on the best needs of your application. If your program needs to transfer multiple files at once, there are the GetMultipleFiles and PutMultipleFiles methods which will automatically download or upload two or more files in a single function call.

File Management

In addition to transferring files, the FTP control can be used to manage files on the server. Methods are provided to delete, rename and move files between directories. For servers that support specific protocol extensions, advanced features such as getting or setting a remote file's modification time or access permissions are also supported. If the server supports site-specific commands, you can also send custom commands to the server and then process the information that it returns.

This control can also be used to manage directories as well as files on the server. The application can open a directory and return a list of the files that it contains, as well as create new directories and delete empty ones. It automatically recognizes a number of different directory listing formats, including those typically used on UNIX and Linux based systems, Windows server platforms and VMS systems.

Secure Connections

The SocketTools FTP control supports secure connections using SSL, TLS and SSH. Data is encrypted using industry standard protocols, protecting both the client authentication credentials and the file data that is being transferred. Enabling the security features in your application is typically as simple as setting a single property or specifying an additional connection option. SocketTools supports strong encryption up to 256 bits and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher, among several others. The data encryption is handled transparently, with no special knowledge required on your part, and does not depend on any external third-party libraries. SocketTools also supports both implicit and explicit SSL sessions, as well as authentication using client certificates. With broad server compatibility and the ability to dynamically adjust its feature set based on the type of server that it is connected to, the FTP control provides reliable connections to secure servers, ensuring that your data is always protected.

SocketTools ActiveX Edition

The SocketTools ActiveX Edition includes ActiveX controls that can be used with a wide variety of visual programming languages, such as Visual Basic 6.0 and PowerBuilder. The controls can be placed on a form using a visual designer, or they can be referenced and created dynamically without a form. They can also be created as automation objects, which allows them to be used with scripting languages such as VBScript. In addition to this FTP control, the SocketTools Visual Edition includes controls for a wide variety of protocols, including everything you need to create Internet enabled applications quickly and easily.
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