Alfs FTP Plugin - VS Code FTP Extension

A user-friendly FTP plugin for Visual Studio Code that provides seamless FTP integration with visual feedback and automatic synchronization features.

Quick Start

1. Install the extension
2. Create ftp-settings.json in your project root
3. Use keyboard shortcuts:
   • Ctrl+Alt+U - Upload file
   • Ctrl+Alt+D - Download file
   • Ctrl+Alt+C - Configure settings

Key Features

• 🚀 One-click connection with auto-connect option
• 📂 Easy file and folder upload/download with progress indication
• 🎨 Visual status indicators:
  • 🔵 Blue (#0066cc): Files that are newer locally and need to be uploaded
  • 🟠 Orange (#ff8c00): Files that exist only on the server
  • ⚪ Normal: Files that are in sync
• 🎯 Icon indicators in FTP Explorer:
  • 🔌 Connect: Establish FTP connection
  • ❌ Disconnect: Close FTP connection
  • ⬆️ Upload: Upload selected file/folder
  • ⬇️ Download: Download selected file/folder
  • 📝 Debug: Show debug log
  • ➡️ Toggle: Expand/collapse all folders
• ⏱️ Automatic timestamp synchronization
• 🔄 Bi-directional synchronization
• 🔍 Integrated debug view
• 📱 Clean and intuitive UI
• 🖱️ Double-click to open files directly
• 📊 Progress bars for all operations

Security Notes

• ⚠️ Don't store sensitive data in version control
• 🚫 Add ftp-settings.json to your .gitignore
• 🔒 Use FTPS when possible
• 👤 Use an FTP user with minimal required permissions

Getting Started

1. Create an ftp-settings.json in your project root:

{
    "host": "ftp.example.com",
    "user": "username",
    "password": "password",
    "port": 21,
    "secure": false,
    "root": "/",
    "name": "FTP Server",
    "ignoreCertificateErrors": true,
    "rejectUnauthorized": false,
    "showFileActions": true,
    "compareTimestamps": true,
    "ui": {
        "newerLocalColor": "#0066cc",
        "showIcons": true
    }
}

Configuration Options

• host: FTP server hostname
• user: Username for authentication
• password: Password for authentication
• port: FTP port (default: 21)
• secure: Use FTPS (default: false)
• root: Root directory on server (default: "/")
• name: Display name for the connection
• ignoreCertificateErrors: Ignore SSL certificate errors
• rejectUnauthorized: Reject unauthorized SSL certificates
• showFileActions: Show upload/download icons
• compareTimestamps: Enable timestamp comparison
• ui.newerLocalColor: Color for newer local files
• ui.showIcons: Show file type icons

UI Customization

Configure the visual appearance in ftp-settings.json:

{
    "ui": {
        "newerLocalColor": "#0066cc",  // Color for files that need upload
        "showIcons": true              // Show file type icons
    }
}

The colors are also customizable through VS Code's color customization:

• ftpExplorer.modifiedFile: Color for files that are newer locally
• ftpExplorer.missingLocalFile: Color for files that don't exist locally

2. Open the FTP Explorer view in the sidebar
3. Click the connect button or wait for auto-connect
4. Start working with your files!

Features in Detail

Visual File Status

• Blue files: Indicate local changes that need to be uploaded
• Orange files: Show server-only files that aren't downloaded yet
• Normal files: In sync between local and server

File Operations

• Upload: Click the upload icon next to any local file
• Download: Click the download icon next to any server file
• Open: Double-click any file to open it in the editor
• Bulk Operations: Upload/download entire folders with progress tracking

Navigation

• Expand/Collapse All: Toggle all folders with one click
• Auto-refresh: View updates automatically after operations
• Debug Log: Quick access to operation details

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• alfsftpplugin.autoConnect: Enable/disable automatic connection on startup
• alfsftpplugin.defaultPort: Set the default FTP port (default: 21)

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.87.0 or newer
• Active FTP server connection
• Basic FTP server credentials

Known Issues

Please report issues on our GitHub repository

Release Notes

0.1.2

• Fixed color status not updating in root directory
• Improved file status synchronization
• Better visual feedback

0.1.1

• Keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+Alt+U/D/C)
• Auto-actions configuration
• Enhanced documentation
• Improved security notes
• Better troubleshooting guide

0.1.0

• Initial release
• Basic FTP functionality
• Visual file status indicators
• Auto-connect feature
• Timestamp synchronization
• Debug view
• Folder expansion toggle

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on our GitHub repository.

License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.

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Enjoy seamless FTP integration with Alfs FTP Plugin!

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+Alt+U - Upload file
• Ctrl+Alt+D - Download file
• Ctrl+Alt+C - Configure FTP settings

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the debug output (Debug icon in FTP Explorer)
2. Verify your ftp-settings.json configuration
3. Check your connection settings
4. Create an issue on GitHub if the problem persists