How to upload a file to ftp directory using PHP

For some projects, we need to upload a file into another ftp server. In this post we will show a simple procedure and description about uploading a file to a ftp using PHP.

Prerequisites

You should have the ftp locations and credentials.

Step 1:

Start PHP script with tag ()
<?php //codes starts here>

Step 2:

Specify the ftp location in a variable. Location could be a domain like "ftp.domain.com" or also could be a IP address like "121.233.45.12".
$server="ftp.domain.com";

Step 3:

Store user name of ftp server in a variable.
$ftp_user_name="username";

Step 4:

Store password of ftp server in a variable.
$ftp_user_pass="password";

Step 5:

Store the destination location of the file you want to upload. If you want to store the file into the root directory of the ftp, then just mention the name of uploaded file only. But if you want to upload it to a specific folder then, mention the full path and filename. For example, we will use the "In" directory to upload the file with name "example.txt". (Remember, if you upload two files with same name, then second one will replace the first file.)
$dest="In/example.txt";

Step 6:

Store the source location in a variable. If you want to upload a file which is located at the directory from where the upload script is located, then mention only the file name. But, if your file is in another directory, then you have to mention the full path with file name. For example, We will upload a file situated in "files/example.txt". "files" is the name of the directory where "example.txt" file is located.
$source="files/example.txt";

Step 7:

Establish the connection, store the information of the connection in a variable. We will use ftp_connect($server) function. As we stored server location in the variable "$server".
$connection=ftp_connect($server);

Step 8:

Login into the ftp server and store information into a variable.
$login=ftp_login($connection, $ftp_user_name, $ftp_user_pass);

Step 9:

This is portion is not obligatory. But, I always use this line to my code for successful ftp file transfer. I suggest you to add this line to your script.
$login=ftp_pasv($connection, true);

Step 10:

Upload the file now. There are two different format of file to upload. They are "FTP_ASCII" and "FTP_BINARY". If you upload a text file, any of them you can use based on your text format "ASCII" or "UTF". But, if you upload a file like "zip" or other, use "FTP_BINARY" format.
$upload=ftp_put($connection, $dest, $source, FTP_ASCII);

Step 11:

Now upload is complete, close the ftp connection if you don't have any other ftp actions. If you have other tasks with this same ftp server just after the upload of the file, then you should not establish connection again.
ftp_close($connection);

Step 12:

End the PHP tag.
?>

This is a simple tutorial of ftp file upload. But, you have to extend codes based on the requirements of your project. Every steps show lines of a single script.

ftp Based Banking API Integrations

Lots of financial organizations use ftp as the mean of money transferring gateway to reduce remittance cost. Usually they have a ftp server to which their clients have different user credential to get access. At least two different directories remain as default in every user's ftp directory named as "In" and "Out". Some of these money transferring agencies have their own format of text for getting order of financial activity, some of them doesn't have any, but they usually make contact with their client for understanding each other. For executing a money transfer or any other financial activity client should get access to the ftp directory and add a text order file in ftp "In" directory. Companies simultaneously checks every client's ftp "In" directories for checking new orders manually or automatically and if they find any new file, then they starts to execute the order.

Every text order file has a portion where it saves the current status of the execution of the order. For a new order client keep the status as "Pending" or "0:Pending". When the financial organization, to which this order came, receives the order and starts to execute they changes the status as "Processing" or something like that. After the completion of the order, they copy the file and saves it to ftp "Out" directory with status changed to "Successfully transferred" or something like that.

The client also simultaneously checks the ftp "Out" directory for knowing if the order is completed. They check files manually or by their server's CRON job of script which automatically checks the ftp directory. When they find a new text file at "Out" directory, they checks relevant order text files name to check which order is completed. Ordered organization usually keeps the name same to the text "order" file when they completes the specific order and save a completion text file to "Out" folder.

Please See Also:

1. How to create Text File using PHP
2. How to upload a file to ftp directory using PHP

This is the rough procedure of ftp based banking. I will share some codes that is needed to configure a ftp based banking API integration to a client's system next.