PHP FTP

Key FTP Functions

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect(
  "ftp.example.com");
?>

<?php
ftp_login($conn, 
  "user", "pass");
?>

<?php
ftp_put($conn, "remote.txt",
  "local.txt", FTP_ASCII);
?>

<?php
ftp_get($conn, "local.txt",
  "remote.txt", FTP_ASCII);
?>

🔹 Connecting to FTP Server

Establish FTP connection using ftp_connect() with server address, then authenticate with ftp_login() using credentials. Always check if connection and login succeed before performing operations. Use ftp_ssl_connect() for secure connections when available.

<?php
// Connect to FTP server
$ftp_server = "ftp.example.com";
$ftp_user = "username";
$ftp_pass = "password";

$conn = ftp_connect($ftp_server);

if($conn) {
    $login = ftp_login($conn, $ftp_user, $ftp_pass);
    
    if($login) {
        echo "Successfully connected to FTP!";
    } else {
        echo "Login failed!";
    }
} else {
    echo "Connection failed!";
}
?>

🔹 Uploading Files

Upload files to remote FTP server using ftp_put(). Specify local file path, remote destination, and transfer mode (FTP_ASCII for text, FTP_BINARY for images/binaries). Returns true on success, enabling automated file deployment and backup systems.

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn, "username", "password");

// Upload a file
$local_file = "document.txt";
$remote_file = "uploads/document.txt";

if(ftp_put($conn, $remote_file, $local_file, FTP_ASCII)) {
    echo "File uploaded successfully!";
} else {
    echo "Upload failed!";
}

ftp_close($conn);
?>

🔹 Downloading Files

Download files from FTP server using ftp_get(). Provide local destination path, remote file path, and transfer mode. Essential for retrieving backups, downloading reports, or synchronizing files from remote servers to your local system.

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn, "username", "password");

// Download a file
$remote_file = "data/report.pdf";
$local_file = "downloads/report.pdf";

if(ftp_get($conn, $local_file, $remote_file, FTP_BINARY)) {
    echo "File downloaded successfully!";
} else {
    echo "Download failed!";
}

ftp_close($conn);
?>

🔹 Listing Directory Contents

List files and directories on FTP server using ftp_nlist() for simple names or ftp_rawlist() for detailed information. This helps you browse remote directories, verify uploads, and build file management interfaces for FTP operations.

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn, "username", "password");

// List files in directory
$files = ftp_nlist($conn, "/public_html");

echo "Files on server:\n";
foreach($files as $file) {
    echo "- " . $file . "\n";
}

ftp_close($conn);
?>

🔹 Creating Directories

Create new directories on FTP server using ftp_mkdir(). Returns the directory name on success or false on failure. Useful for organizing uploaded files, creating dated backup folders, or setting up new project structures remotely.

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn, "username", "password");

// Create a new directory
$new_dir = "/public_html/uploads";

if(ftp_mkdir($conn, $new_dir)) {
    echo "Directory created: " . $new_dir;
} else {
    echo "Failed to create directory!";
}

ftp_close($conn);
?>

🔹 Deleting Files

Remove files from FTP server using ftp_delete(). Provide the full path to the file you want to delete. Returns true on success. Use carefully as deletion is permanent. Always verify file paths before deletion operations.

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn, "username", "password");

// Delete a file
$file_to_delete = "/public_html/old_file.txt";

if(ftp_delete($conn, $file_to_delete)) {
    echo "File deleted successfully!";
} else {
    echo "Failed to delete file!";
}

ftp_close($conn);
?>

🔹 Renaming Files

Rename or move files on FTP server using ftp_rename(). Provide old and new file paths. This can rename files in place or move them to different directories. Useful for organizing files or implementing versioning systems.

<?php
$conn = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn, "username", "password");

// Rename a file
$old_name = "/public_html/temp.txt";
$new_name = "/public_html/final.txt";

if(ftp_rename($conn, $old_name, $new_name)) {
    echo "File renamed successfully!";
} else {
    echo "Failed to rename file!";
}

ftp_close($conn);
?>