OS/2 e-Zine! - FTP Browser v1.6

FTP Browser v1.6 - by Pankaj Sarin

The best description of FTP Browser comes from its own help file:

"FTP Browser is a powerful and intuitive FTP solution for OS/2 Warp that features drag and drop, server to server and directory tree transfers across a variety of hosts."

And FTP Browser is just that -- it is one of the most intuitive programs I have ever seen for OS/2 -- one which takes full advantage of the Workplace Shell. However, just because it is easy to use does not mean that it compromises on features -- it satisfies the most basic needs of any FTP user, such as GET and PUT, as well as more advanced requirements, such as remote management of files and specifying firewalls.

Installation

The installation of FTP Browser is rather straightforward, even though it does not use the standard IBM Software Installer. The process simply involves unzipping the archive and running INSTALL.EXE. The installation program automatically detects if you have a previous version of the program and installs to the appropriate directory; otherwise, you just specify the directory you wish to install to.

[FTP Browser Folder graphic] Once installed, FTP Browser creates four icons for you: "Purchase", information on how to register FTP Browser; "FTP Browser", the icon to start the program itself; "Manual", which is a very useful help file; and "ReadMe.Txt", the ubiquitous readme file which provides some quick hints on using the program.

Running the program

Starting FTP Browser gives you the site manager (GIF, 10k). As you can see, the program imitates the Desktop folder paradigm. A very useful toolbar is also included; notice that this toolbar has ToolTips (the hovering hint box in the screenshot). This is something I feel many developers forget to include but which is very useful, as users don't have to keep guessing what icons stand for.

In the pane on the left side of the site manager, you create "folders" within the program to contain your FTP sites. In the right pane, you add icons for the actual FTP sites to be stored in the folders. The program comes with some FTP sites already preset in the "OS/2 Sites" folder, which is very handy.

All of the objects in FTP Browser are right-mouse-button clickable, meaning that a menu pops up (GIF, 10k) when you click the RMB. What is interesting about this menu is that you have an option to "Create desktop icon", which will actually create an icon on the Desktop so that you can connect directly to the site without having to start FTP Browser first.

Connecting to a site is very easy: you just double click on the site name (you can also open multiple sites or even multiple folders at one time) from FTP Browser or from the Desktop! If the site is busy, FTP Browser automatically tries to connect again until it succeeds. After connecting, you get a details view of the files on the site (GIF, 7.8k). Uploading and downloading files is also very easy: to upload (PUT) a file, just drag and drop the file from the Desktop to FTP Browser; to download (GET) a file, you do just the opposite and drag to the Desktop folder you want to place the file in. If the folder you want to upload from or download to is not currently open, you can just type the name of the directory in a text box, then click on the "Open folder" icon and the folder will quickly open for you.

There is also a convenient "Queue" feature (GIF, 5.6k), or list of files waiting to be transferred, for users who prefer to sort out their transfers and do them all en masse. Adding to and editing the queue is done with the click of a button on the toolbar and is very straightforward.

As for the on-line help, frankly it is not even required because of FTP Browser's ease of use. However, if you do need to use it, the help is thoughtfully organized and easy to understand.

Performance

FTP Browser is not just one of the nicest looking FTP apps on any platform, it is also very stable and efficient. The program ran well on the test system and file transfers were simple and quick. I never experienced any crashes, hangs or other inconveniences while using this application.

Drawbacks

One of the very few negative aspects of FTP Browser that I came across is that while uploading or downloading files that already exist on the target system (GIF, 2.5k), you have to manually click on the "Replace" or "Skip" button for every file. It is possible to turn off all confirmation dialogs, but it would be much more convenient if a "Replace All" or "Skip All" button was present as well.

Also, the ability to drag and drop WPS FTP objects to FTP Browser or FTP Browser objects to the Desktop without having to click on "Create Desktop Icon" would be very useful and make FTP Browser even more integrated into the WPS.

Summary

Pros	Cons
User-friendly interface	No drag and drop of FTP objects from/to Desktop/FTP Browser
Powerful features	No "Replace All" option when uploading/downloading files
Great use of Workplace Shell
Speedy program

FTP Browser v1.6 is probably the best FTP browser for OS/2. It has almost every feature you could imagine, while still being easy to use and innovative. Overall, the program is very well thought out and polished, extremely solid and snappy too. FTP Browser v1.6 earns a rating of five out of five!

FTP Browser v1.6
by Jason Rushton
download from the OS/2 Supersite (ZIP, 444k)
Registration: US$23.00

Pankaj Sarin is currently a student at the University of Rochester.

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