[SOLVED] FTP Client system.

[Ninjakreborn]

I want something I can setup to allow people to login to a website, and connect to an FTP system.  That will allow them to drag/drop file's in for uploading.  I know it might require some Ajax, but the bulk will be PHP.  What would I search for to find something similar, or where do I need to start, to set something like that up.

I tried googling various terms, but what are they called exactly.  It's where they login, and click a link and it'll do something like launch a mini-explorer or something and from there they can upload there file's via ftp into the system.

There is a client of mine who want's that functionality on there website.

[boo_lolly]

actually i've had the same idea as well. basically, just recreating an ftp client as a web-application instead of a desktop application. ajax will definitely be involved, however, i think there will be very little php.

 

start here:

http://www.maxkiesler.com/index.php/weblog/comments/round_up_of_30_ajax_tutorials/

theres a section on 'drag and drop' ajax tutorials in there. it should help.

 

you may also want to take a look at:

http://www.ecosmear.com/relay/

you may be able to hack the code and work with it.

[Ninjakreborn]

What has always pissed me off, is I could never find straight out ajax tutorials that explain JUST about the request object.

I want to learn how to make the xml request object based on browsers, and then how to pass/recieve ajax data.

Anyone know of good tutorials for that.

[boo_lolly]

this help?

http://www.jibbering.com/2002/4/httprequest.html

[Ninjakreborn]

That was almost it, except this method utilizes the try/catch method.  There was another method I have seen where I had some great examples in a book, but I lost the book.  So I was trying to find an alternative, the general if/else if statement when initializing the check for the xmlHTTP request object.

Do you know of any tutorials that would explain that.

[boo_lolly]

try this one:

http://www.tizag.com/ajaxTutorial/ajaxxmlhttprequest.php

 

not too much documentation, but if that's what you're looking for, i can see if there are other articles that elaborate. all i need is confirmation.

[redbullmarky]

not much to do with PHP, but you could do worse than taking a look at mootools.

 

it'll handle the drag/drop for you, as well as AJAX requests (also look at its manual regarding JSON which i've found tonnes simpler to use).

[Ninjakreborn]

Thanks for this advice, I have moo goo tools, and thanks for the tutorial, I am working with it now.  Thanks again for all the advice.

[Ninjakreborn]

Ok, thanks for all the feedback so far.

Here are the 2 situations I am thinking.

I was thinking a drag/drop interface from desktop to web application (is this even possible).  I looked over drag drop on the web, that's fine.  However I was thinking them dragging something from there computer, over into a form, and it uploading it into the form.  Sort of like the relay link you showed me (I love that functionality).

THe main thing is however, I don't want to step into the drag/drop realm yet.  I have used an ajax framework, but I want to step back to gain an understanding of the "xml request object".  all the tutorials you showed me, and everyone I found online utilize a try/catch method (which I don't like).

I am trying to get a rough idea on the 3 basic functions

1. The create an object function

2. The send a request function

3. The callback function for once the data come's back.

This is the primary theory behind the Ajax concepts, but I am having trouble understanding the general structure needed for this.

Any tutorials on that would be greatly appreciated.  I had a book on it at one point, that pointed it out perfectly, but I don't remember the name.

I have been digging through on line tutorials not (literally the first 15 pages in google, under every search term I could imagine".  I searched

ajax patterns

ajax programming

beginner ajax tutorial

ajax tutorial

ajax tutorials

ajax xmlrequest tutorial

ajax http request tutorial

and everything else I could think of, thanks for any forthcoming feedback.

[Ninjakreborn]

I also noticed this has gotten severely off topic with no relation to PHP, I apologize.  If someone wants go ahead and move it to a more suitable area of the forum's.

[redbullmarky]

dude - if you had bothered to get properly stuck into mootools, or even look for equivalents (like prototype/script.aculo.us), then you'd realise that a) they answer all of your questions and b) how offensive it is to actually take advice on board with a "pretend" thank you, yet dismiss it - this is a waste of people's time.

 

c'mon dude - you've been given the spoon, the microwave, the cutlery and the kitchen sink - how about trying to feed yourself now?

 

if your client wants a site, then spending hours/days researching what they need means you should have knocked it back in the first place - but DEFINITELY not spending that time trying to master the tiny details of AJAX calls or whatever.

[roopurt18]

You need Java applets (or possibly ruby?) to gain access to the user's machine; Javascript has no permissions to browse files, at least not in the way you're thinking of.

[roopurt18]

I could never find straight out ajax tutorials that explain JUST about the request object

 

Googling 'xmlHttpRequest', top hit =>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMLHttpRequest

 

Googling 'xmlHttpRequest w3schools', top hit =>

http://www.w3schools.com/dom/dom_http.asp

[Ninjakreborn]

There was some kind of misunderstanding, there was a specific type of xml request object tutorial.  I can't explain what I wanted.

Red you are off a little on this one.  This wasn't for a paying client, it was for a friend, I had unlimited time and it was just something I was messing around with on the side.  I work my projects, but I do a little bit of studying, and getting into new things on the side.  I understand that it sounds like I am seeking advice and dropping it,but I am not.  No I am not against using MooGoo tool's, or any of the other's that I have seen.  However I don't personally want to spend years using a good third party library of javasript, and never go back and learn how to do the requests myself.  The type of tutorial I was requested was different than either of those you showed me.  What I am looking for is a different explanation, I can't explain it better than that.  I am going to have to find that original book, there is a specific way I want to learn how to do them, where they use three seperate functions, and there's a function for creating the object that's suppose to work in ANY browser.  The original one I saw had about 35 lines of code, just preparing the object, I wanted to see that again, I just have to find the book I was reading with that example.