What Does FTP Stand For?
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• What does FTP stand for?

One thing is for certain – if it's even related to computers, there will be technical issues and acronyms involved at some point. One of the problems common to new website owners.

Unfortunately we all run across this problem early enough while we are still all excited and terrified learning on how to build a website when you encounter and realize that you need an FTP program and you are left wondering... What does FTP stand for? The Definition of FTP: FTP stands for - File Transfer Protocol. As you can see and common to most of these acronyms, it is understandable why the acronyms are preferable to their spelled out full names.

• Why do you need to familiarize yourself with FTP?

The answer is obvious to all who have ever had to build a site one computer and had to move the files to another computer. As most webmaster know by now, you definitely have to move files form point A to point B somehow – and FTP is probably the most efficient way to make this happen.

FTP is actually comprised of two parts. There is a client side portion and a server side to the software. In a way, it's like having someone talk to you on the phone while writing down everything you say. You (the client) make a request (i.e. – transfer this file) and the listener (the server) takes the request down and carries it out.

• What does FTP stand for - Advanced.

Now that we know what FTP stand for let us understand a bit further how FTP clients work behind the scenes as you move files from one computer to another,

The request which you make for instance, to copy a file from one computer to another is done by something called the "PUT" function (as in PUT this over here). This usually happens behind the scenes. For instance, you make the web page and then PUT the file onto your web server. If you want to move a file from the remote computer to the local one, you instead use the GET command – again, this is done behind the scenes by your client software or the free FTP software that are available for download.

Most FTP clients work using a graphical interface, making them easy to use even by the less than technically minded. You can drag and drop with these programs and need never deal with the infrastructure behind it. However, it is good to know what's going on under the surface sometimes, especially when things go wrong. You can use the command line interface for more detailed information (the "DOS Box" on Windows or a terminal window on Linux).

Knowing how these commands are used, including the command line can be very helpful in diagnosing problems where the graphical interface is unhelpful.

Of course, you can move files by means other than FTP. Your web browser, for instance, does this all the time. Whenever you click on a link or type in a URL, there is essentially a file transfer going on.

You can also in some cases email files or web pages from your computer to the server, then open it on the remote server using an email client installed there. Of course, this means that you must have access to the server. However, there are a lot of ways to do this; there are plenty of built in utilities in most operating systems and also plenty of commercially available remote access software.

• What does FTP stand for - Conclusion.

It is good of course to know about these other alternatives just incase your favorite FTP isn't working for you. If you have more than one way to get the job done, it is easier to tell what the matter is when something goes wrong right?

The more of these acronyms you educate yourself like understanding "what does FTP stand for" the easier, faster and less stressful you'll have getting things done for you.