At the request of some listeners, today we cover a very basic (but necessary) topic. Use an FTP program. We will do it with Filezilla, which is free.
In a simple way, and speaking in silver, we can say that this software (as well as others doing the same) allows us to connect to the hard drive of our server (where the web is hosted, in our hosting company) and manage what is there, which is basically usually:
- Add files: For example, if we want , we must upload there all the files and folders that we have previously downloaded from WordPress.org and unzipped.
- Modify files: Sometimes we will want to modify files of our , such as functions.php or style.css. Or even our own custom. With FileZilla and the help of a text editor, we can do it without any problem.
- Delete files: Just delete them from the server. We can delete files, folders or both.
Download FileZilla
Obviously before starting we must download FileZilla. Do it from , which is this:
It works for both PC and Mac, it is free and does not require registrations, cards or any other history. Be careful that you do not end up on another suspicious website.
Once you have downloaded it, you simply run it and that’s it. There is nothing to highlight at this point, because it has no secret.
Connect with FTP using FileZilla
The first and most important thing is to connect to your server. Without this you can’t do anything at all, because without access we can’t do any of the above.
To do this, FileZilla makes it extremely easy for us. We only have to fill in these three fields:
As you can see, it couldn’t be simpler. The fields in question are:
- Host: Usually it will be something like ftp.domain.combut it can also be another name, or even the IP of the server, something like 184.43.129.767.
- username: The username to access the FTP. This information must be given to you by your hosting company. Be careful, because it does not have to be the same user that you have to access your control panel of the hosting company.
- Password: Exactly the same as the username. It is given to you by your hosting company, and it does not have to be the same as the access to the control panel.
- Port: We will leave this blank unless your hosting company tells you otherwise.
Now you hit the magical blue “Quickconnect” button and you’re done. We’ll be “in” now. And we will be presented with four basic screens or areas.
Do not be stressed by all this information, it is very simple once you know what corresponds to each screen.
those of the left are the local ones, and those of the right those of our server, on the hard drive of our hosting.
The superiors are the structure of directories, of folders. And the lower are the files and folders of the directory in which we are at the moment.
So now that we know what we have, let’s see what we can do.
Upload files by FTP using FileZilla
This is extremely easy, and there are tons of ways to do it, but the easiest is to simply select any file on the left, and drag it to the right. Or if we prefer, right-click on the file we want, and select the “Upload” option.
As you can see, very easy, it has no secret. This system also works the other way. We can drag files from right to left, or by right-clicking on them and selecting “Download”. In this way we will be downloading it from the server to our computer.
So far so good, but what if I now want to edit a file? Modify a few lines of text, code, or anything else?
Edit files by FTP using FileZilla
Well, first of all we must clarify that FileZilla No is a file editor. In fact, most FTP programs are not, with few exceptions. Only drive files up and down, but do not edit them. For that we need a file editor.
And if the question is which editor do we use?, the answer is “It depends on the type of file”. In the same way that you open .doc files with Word, .xls with Excel, or .numbers with Numbers, you must edit those files with the corresponding software.
That said, it is true that in most cases, if we are working with FTP we are going to have to edit a CSS, HTML or PHP file. And the good news is that any word processor will help us to do that. Even the same notebook of our operating system can be used.
But if you want some special one for code (to put the color code, group it, help you when programming, etc.) I recommend, or, both free and very good. Try the one you want, or even both, and keep the one you like best. But as I say, this is all optional.
So, if we want to modify a file, we will simply click with the right mouse button on it, and select the “Open/Edit” option.
Once we do that, our editor will open. And we will be able to modify the file, as if we were doing it on our computer. We simply make the changes, and then we click on save.
But watch out! After saving the changes we will have one last step. FileZilla will have detected that this file has been modified, and will ask us if we want to upload it to the server. Since in reality, the file we were editing is in a temporary folder on our computer. So, when we return to FileZilla, we will see this notice:
We just have to say yes, and that’s it. File modified and uploaded, changes made, all set. We already know how to edit files via FTP.
Delete files by FTP using FileZilla
I suppose that by now you will no longer have any doubts about how to delete files, right? But just in case, I’ll tell you. We simply have to click with the right mouse button and hit “Delete”. It will ask us for confirmation to delete it, we say “Yes”, and that’s it.
There’s much more (much, much)
Obviously, an FTP file manager does much more than just that, and combined with a good editor, even more. Or as he commented before, there are even some editor managerswhich do both.
So if you want me to take a course in file management and editing via FTPwhether it’s with FileZilla, Coda, NetBeans, Notepad++, or any other software, just tell me and I’ll add it to all .
And if you have any questions, you already know that you can contact us through the support tab of the .
Well, so far today’s tutorial. See you in the next tutorial. Until then… Very good morning!
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