2 :mod:`ftplib` --- FTP protocol client
3 =====================================
6 :synopsis: FTP protocol client (requires sockets).
11 single: FTP; ftplib (standard module)
13 This module defines the class :class:`FTP` and a few related items. The
14 :class:`FTP` class implements the client side of the FTP protocol. You can use
15 this to write Python programs that perform a variety of automated FTP jobs, such
16 as mirroring other ftp servers. It is also used by the module :mod:`urllib` to
17 handle URLs that use FTP. For more information on FTP (File Transfer Protocol),
18 see Internet :rfc:`959`.
20 Here's a sample session using the :mod:`ftplib` module::
22 >>> from ftplib import FTP
23 >>> ftp = FTP('ftp.cwi.nl') # connect to host, default port
24 >>> ftp.login() # user anonymous, passwd anonymous@
25 >>> ftp.retrlines('LIST') # list directory contents
27 drwxrwsr-x 5 ftp-usr pdmaint 1536 Mar 20 09:48 .
28 dr-xr-srwt 105 ftp-usr pdmaint 1536 Mar 21 14:32 ..
29 -rw-r--r-- 1 ftp-usr pdmaint 5305 Mar 20 09:48 INDEX
33 >>> ftp.retrbinary('RETR README', open('README', 'wb').write)
34 '226 Transfer complete.'
37 The module defines the following items:
40 .. class:: FTP([host[, user[, passwd[, acct[, timeout]]]]])
42 Return a new instance of the :class:`FTP` class. When *host* is given, the
43 method call ``connect(host)`` is made. When *user* is given, additionally
44 the method call ``login(user, passwd, acct)`` is made (where *passwd* and
45 *acct* default to the empty string when not given). The optional *timeout*
46 parameter specifies a timeout in seconds for blocking operations like the
47 connection attempt (if is not specified, or passed as None, the global
48 default timeout setting will be used).
50 .. versionchanged:: 2.6
54 .. attribute:: all_errors
56 The set of all exceptions (as a tuple) that methods of :class:`FTP`
57 instances may raise as a result of problems with the FTP connection (as
58 opposed to programming errors made by the caller). This set includes the
59 four exceptions listed below as well as :exc:`socket.error` and
63 .. exception:: error_reply
65 Exception raised when an unexpected reply is received from the server.
68 .. exception:: error_temp
70 Exception raised when an error code in the range 400--499 is received.
73 .. exception:: error_perm
75 Exception raised when an error code in the range 500--599 is received.
78 .. exception:: error_proto
80 Exception raised when a reply is received from the server that does not
81 begin with a digit in the range 1--5.
87 Parser for the :file:`.netrc` file format. The file :file:`.netrc` is typically
88 used by FTP clients to load user authentication information before prompting the
91 .. index:: single: ftpmirror.py
93 The file :file:`Tools/scripts/ftpmirror.py` in the Python source distribution is
94 a script that can mirror FTP sites, or portions thereof, using the :mod:`ftplib`
95 module. It can be used as an extended example that applies this module.
103 Several methods are available in two flavors: one for handling text files and
104 another for binary files. These are named for the command which is used
105 followed by ``lines`` for the text version or ``binary`` for the binary version.
107 :class:`FTP` instances have the following methods:
110 .. method:: FTP.set_debuglevel(level)
112 Set the instance's debugging level. This controls the amount of debugging
113 output printed. The default, ``0``, produces no debugging output. A value of
114 ``1`` produces a moderate amount of debugging output, generally a single line
115 per request. A value of ``2`` or higher produces the maximum amount of
116 debugging output, logging each line sent and received on the control connection.
119 .. method:: FTP.connect(host[, port[, timeout]])
121 Connect to the given host and port. The default port number is ``21``, as
122 specified by the FTP protocol specification. It is rarely needed to specify a
123 different port number. This function should be called only once for each
124 instance; it should not be called at all if a host was given when the instance
125 was created. All other methods can only be used after a connection has been
128 The optional *timeout* parameter specifies a timeout in seconds for the
129 connection attempt. If is not specified, or passed as None, the object
130 timeout is used (the timeout that you passed when instantiating the class);
131 if the object timeout is also None, the global default timeout setting will
134 .. versionchanged:: 2.6
138 .. method:: FTP.getwelcome()
140 Return the welcome message sent by the server in reply to the initial
141 connection. (This message sometimes contains disclaimers or help information
142 that may be relevant to the user.)
145 .. method:: FTP.login([user[, passwd[, acct]]])
147 Log in as the given *user*. The *passwd* and *acct* parameters are optional and
148 default to the empty string. If no *user* is specified, it defaults to
149 ``'anonymous'``. If *user* is ``'anonymous'``, the default *passwd* is
150 ``'anonymous@'``. This function should be called only once for each instance,
151 after a connection has been established; it should not be called at all if a
152 host and user were given when the instance was created. Most FTP commands are
153 only allowed after the client has logged in.
156 .. method:: FTP.abort()
158 Abort a file transfer that is in progress. Using this does not always work, but
162 .. method:: FTP.sendcmd(command)
164 Send a simple command string to the server and return the response string.
167 .. method:: FTP.voidcmd(command)
169 Send a simple command string to the server and handle the response. Return
170 nothing if a response code in the range 200--299 is received. Raise an exception
174 .. method:: FTP.retrbinary(command, callback[, maxblocksize[, rest]])
176 Retrieve a file in binary transfer mode. *command* should be an appropriate
177 ``RETR`` command: ``'RETR filename'``. The *callback* function is called for
178 each block of data received, with a single string argument giving the data
179 block. The optional *maxblocksize* argument specifies the maximum chunk size to
180 read on the low-level socket object created to do the actual transfer (which
181 will also be the largest size of the data blocks passed to *callback*). A
182 reasonable default is chosen. *rest* means the same thing as in the
183 :meth:`transfercmd` method.
186 .. method:: FTP.retrlines(command[, callback])
188 Retrieve a file or directory listing in ASCII transfer mode. *command*
189 should be an appropriate ``RETR`` command (see :meth:`retrbinary`) or a
190 command such as ``LIST``, ``NLST`` or ``MLSD`` (usually just the string
191 ``'LIST'``). The *callback* function is called for each line, with the
192 trailing CRLF stripped. The default *callback* prints the line to
196 .. method:: FTP.set_pasv(boolean)
198 Enable "passive" mode if *boolean* is true, other disable passive mode. (In
199 Python 2.0 and before, passive mode was off by default; in Python 2.1 and later,
200 it is on by default.)
203 .. method:: FTP.storbinary(command, file[, blocksize, callback])
205 Store a file in binary transfer mode. *command* should be an appropriate
206 ``STOR`` command: ``"STOR filename"``. *file* is an open file object which is
207 read until EOF using its :meth:`read` method in blocks of size *blocksize* to
208 provide the data to be stored. The *blocksize* argument defaults to 8192.
209 *callback* is an optional single parameter callable that is called
210 on each block of data after it is sent.
212 .. versionchanged:: 2.1
213 default for *blocksize* added.
215 .. versionchanged:: 2.6
216 *callback* parameter added.
219 .. method:: FTP.storlines(command, file[, callback])
221 Store a file in ASCII transfer mode. *command* should be an appropriate
222 ``STOR`` command (see :meth:`storbinary`). Lines are read until EOF from the
223 open file object *file* using its :meth:`readline` method to provide the data to
224 be stored. *callback* is an optional single parameter callable
225 that is called on each line after it is sent.
227 .. versionchanged:: 2.6
228 *callback* parameter added.
231 .. method:: FTP.transfercmd(cmd[, rest])
233 Initiate a transfer over the data connection. If the transfer is active, send a
234 ``EPRT`` or ``PORT`` command and the transfer command specified by *cmd*, and
235 accept the connection. If the server is passive, send a ``EPSV`` or ``PASV``
236 command, connect to it, and start the transfer command. Either way, return the
237 socket for the connection.
239 If optional *rest* is given, a ``REST`` command is sent to the server, passing
240 *rest* as an argument. *rest* is usually a byte offset into the requested file,
241 telling the server to restart sending the file's bytes at the requested offset,
242 skipping over the initial bytes. Note however that RFC 959 requires only that
243 *rest* be a string containing characters in the printable range from ASCII code
244 33 to ASCII code 126. The :meth:`transfercmd` method, therefore, converts
245 *rest* to a string, but no check is performed on the string's contents. If the
246 server does not recognize the ``REST`` command, an :exc:`error_reply` exception
247 will be raised. If this happens, simply call :meth:`transfercmd` without a
251 .. method:: FTP.ntransfercmd(cmd[, rest])
253 Like :meth:`transfercmd`, but returns a tuple of the data connection and the
254 expected size of the data. If the expected size could not be computed, ``None``
255 will be returned as the expected size. *cmd* and *rest* means the same thing as
256 in :meth:`transfercmd`.
259 .. method:: FTP.nlst(argument[, ...])
261 Return a list of files as returned by the ``NLST`` command. The optional
262 *argument* is a directory to list (default is the current server directory).
263 Multiple arguments can be used to pass non-standard options to the ``NLST``
267 .. method:: FTP.dir(argument[, ...])
269 Produce a directory listing as returned by the ``LIST`` command, printing it to
270 standard output. The optional *argument* is a directory to list (default is the
271 current server directory). Multiple arguments can be used to pass non-standard
272 options to the ``LIST`` command. If the last argument is a function, it is used
273 as a *callback* function as for :meth:`retrlines`; the default prints to
274 ``sys.stdout``. This method returns ``None``.
277 .. method:: FTP.rename(fromname, toname)
279 Rename file *fromname* on the server to *toname*.
282 .. method:: FTP.delete(filename)
284 Remove the file named *filename* from the server. If successful, returns the
285 text of the response, otherwise raises :exc:`error_perm` on permission errors or
286 :exc:`error_reply` on other errors.
289 .. method:: FTP.cwd(pathname)
291 Set the current directory on the server.
294 .. method:: FTP.mkd(pathname)
296 Create a new directory on the server.
299 .. method:: FTP.pwd()
301 Return the pathname of the current directory on the server.
304 .. method:: FTP.rmd(dirname)
306 Remove the directory named *dirname* on the server.
309 .. method:: FTP.size(filename)
311 Request the size of the file named *filename* on the server. On success, the
312 size of the file is returned as an integer, otherwise ``None`` is returned.
313 Note that the ``SIZE`` command is not standardized, but is supported by many
314 common server implementations.
317 .. method:: FTP.quit()
319 Send a ``QUIT`` command to the server and close the connection. This is the
320 "polite" way to close a connection, but it may raise an exception of the server
321 reponds with an error to the ``QUIT`` command. This implies a call to the
322 :meth:`close` method which renders the :class:`FTP` instance useless for
323 subsequent calls (see below).
326 .. method:: FTP.close()
328 Close the connection unilaterally. This should not be applied to an already
329 closed connection such as after a successful call to :meth:`quit`. After this
330 call the :class:`FTP` instance should not be used any more (after a call to
331 :meth:`close` or :meth:`quit` you cannot reopen the connection by issuing
332 another :meth:`login` method).