TechNote (Archived)

FTP data transfer mode

Transfer modes in Dreamweaver

Files are transferred by one of two methods in Dreamweaver: ASCII and binary. Dreamweaver 2.0 transfers files in binary mode by default, but there is a limited workaround that provides for the transfer of files in ASCII mode. Dreamweaver 3 and higher transfer files in ASCII or binary mode automatically, depending on the file type. However, in Dreamweaver 3 or higher, the default transfer mode can be set to a different mode by editing a file in the Configuration folder. Setting a transfer mode in Dreamweaver 2 and Dreamweaver 3 and higher is described below.

Setting a transfer mode in Dreamweaver 2

Dreamweaver 2 provides a workaround to the default binary mode of transferring files so that files can be transferred in ASCII mode.

To transfer a file in ASCII mode in Dreamweaver 2.0:

Open the Site FTP log in Windows:
In the Site window, choose Window > Site FTP Log.

or

Open the Site FTP log in Macintosh:
In the Document window, choose Window > Site FTP Log.
Enter "type a" (without the quotes) in the FTP Command line and then press Enter (or Return). The next file transfer sent will be in ASCII mode.

Note: This process will need to be repeated for each file before it can uploaded in ASCII mode.

For more information on how to transfer data to users working on a UNIX system, see Sharing HTML documents with UNIX users (TechNote 13548).

Setting a transfer mode in Dreamweaver 3 and higher

In most cases, files should be sent in the mode chosen by Dreamweaver 3 or higher. However, to change the transfer mode, open the FTPExtensionMap.txt file located in the Configuration folder inside the Dreamweaver application folder. Opening this file in a simple text editor allows you to view the settings for each file extension type. To change a file's transfer mode, simply replace the word BINARY with the word ASCII or vice-versa. Then save the FTPExtensionMap.txt file.

Additional Information

The current versions of Dreamweaver do not allow transfer in macbinary mode. Another FTP client should be used if macbinary mode transfer is required.