API and Plug-In architecture
- Entend 3D-FTP with your own Plug-ins
Free 3D-FTP Plug-In SDK
The 3D-FTP Plug-In SDK includes documentation and sample code
to help you to create small programs that extend the 3D-FTP functionality.
These programs are called Plug-Ins. You can also control 3D-FTP
from Visual Basic Scripts. These .vbs scripts are simple text
files that are interpreted at run-time, so no compilation is needed.
Read more below.
We have made big improvements on the SDK documentation and sample
code, and documentation is now available as Acrobat file (PDF).
If you are interested on creating Plug-Ins yourself, start by
downloading this SDK. The SDK includes sample code and documentation
in WinHelp format for easy reference. Unzip with directory info
so that samples are put into their own subdirectories.
Make sure that you have 3D-FTP 6.01 or newer when using this
SDK.
Plug-In Gallery
Plug-In Gallery where you can download free plug-ins with source
code and upload your own Plug-Ins for others to download. Click
here to enter Plug-In Gallery.
API Overview
3D-FTP includes an API architecture that gives you full programmatical
control over 3D-FTP. The API is based on COM standards and you
can use your favorite programming language to command 3D-FTP,
like Visual Basic, Visual Basic Scriptinh, VC++, Excel, Word,
etc. The API also allows you to create Plug-In programs, like
'Synchronize Directories', 'Show Total Directory Size', 'Custom
FTP Command Toolbar', 'Unattended Transfer Automation w/ Send
Pager Msg if Download Errors' etc. Only your imagination is the
limit.
Here is a small sample of Visual Basic app that uses 3D-FTP API.
This program transfers all files in ftp.3dftp.com/pub/ to c:\temp
directory:
Set FTP=CreateObject("Ftp.API")
FTP.Connect("ftp.3dftp.com")
FTP.ChDir(REMOTE_DIR, "/pub/")
FTP.ChDir(LOCAL_DIR, "c:\temp")
FTP.AddToQueue(REMOTE_DIR, "*")
FTP.TransferQueue()
FTP.Disconnect()
Set FTP=Nothing
Controlling 3D-FTP from .vbs script
You can also control 3D-FTP with simple script files. These .vbs
script files (vbs=Visual Basic Scripting) are text files that
can be created with any text editor, like Notepad. The vbs support
is installed on all Windows 98/Me/2000/XP systems, plus on all
computers that have Internet Explorer 5 or later installed.
The following vbs script connects to the FTP server:
Set FTP=CreateObject("FTP.API")
While FTP.IsAppLoadingComplete = False
Wend
Ret=FTP.ShowWindow(1)
Ret=FTP.ConnectEx("ftp.funet.fi",21,"anonymous","u@a.fi")
Save this code to Connect.vbs file and run it by double
clicking its filename in Windows Explorer. That's it, no compilations
or programming environments are needed.
The SDK includes more instructions on how to create vbs scripts.
Events from 3D-FTP actions
Plug-Ins receives events of different 3D-FTP actions, like CONNECTED,
DIR_CHANGED, DOWNLOAD_COMPLETE etc. and Plug-Ins can update their
displays according to these events.
Plug-In Menu
The 3D-FTP contains new Plug-Ins menu. This menu contains all
installed Plug-Ins and makes it easy to run them. Plug-Ins can
also be flagged with AutoStart flag, and these Plug-Ins are started
automatically on 3D-FTP startup.
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