First download and connect to your server through your FTP client – We are going to use FileZilla to unzip files using FTP
1. Download and install the free FTP client FileZilla below
Visit the download page and click Download FileZilla Client
2. Open FileZilla and enter your FTP server’s host address, username, and password
If your hosting company gives you a specific port number then be sure to enter that as well.
3. Click the Quickconnect button to connect to your server
Transferring Files Through FTP
4. Once you are connected to your server, you can transfer files between your computer and the server by dragging and dropping them between the two panels in FileZilla.
To upload a file to the server, drag and drop it from the left panel (your computer) to the right panel (the server).
To download a file from the server, drag and drop it from the right panel (the server) to the left panel (your computer).
Zip or Unzip Files Using FTP
FileZilla cannot zip or unzip files on the server by itself. However, you can use a PHP script to zip or unzip files using FTP. This script works for ZIP, RAR and GZ files.
5. Copy the code below, paste it into a new notepad file and save the file as unzipper.php
The file name does not matter. If you decide to name it something else just make sure your saved file ends with .php
<?php
/**
* The Unzipper extracts .zip or .rar archives and .gz files on webservers.
* It's handy if you do not have shell access. E.g. if you want to upload a lot
* of files (php framework or image collection) as an archive to save time.
* As of version 0.1.0 it also supports creating archives. Unzip files using ftp.
*
* @author Andreas Tasch, at[tec], attec.at
* @license GNU GPL v3
* @package attec.toolbox
* @version 0.1.1
*/
define('VERSION', '0.1.1');
$timestart = microtime(TRUE);
$GLOBALS['status'] = array();
$unzipper = new Unzipper;
if (isset($_POST['dounzip'])) {
// Check if an archive was selected for unzipping.
$archive = isset($_POST['zipfile']) ? strip_tags($_POST['zipfile']) : '';
$destination = isset($_POST['extpath']) ? strip_tags($_POST['extpath']) : '';
$unzipper->prepareExtraction($archive, $destination);
}
if (isset($_POST['dozip'])) {
$zippath = !empty($_POST['zippath']) ? strip_tags($_POST['zippath']) : '.';
// Resulting zipfile e.g. zipper--2016-07-23--11-55.zip.
$zipfile = 'zipper-' . date("Y-m-d--H-i") . '.zip';
Zipper::zipDir($zippath, $zipfile);
}
$timeend = microtime(TRUE);
$time = round($timeend - $timestart, 4);
/**
* Class Unzipper
*/
class Unzipper {
public $localdir = '.';
public $zipfiles = array();
public function __construct() {
// Read directory and pick .zip, .rar and .gz files.
if ($dh = opendir($this->localdir)) {
while (($file = readdir($dh)) !== FALSE) {
if (pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_EXTENSION) === 'zip'
|| pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_EXTENSION) === 'gz'
|| pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_EXTENSION) === 'rar'
) {
$this->zipfiles[] = $file;
}
}
closedir($dh);
if (!empty($this->zipfiles)) {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('info' => '.zip or .gz or .rar files found, ready for extraction');
}
else {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('info' => 'No .zip or .gz or rar files found. So only zipping functionality available.');
}
}
}
/**
* Prepare and check zipfile for extraction.
*
* @param string $archive
* The archive name including file extension. E.g. my_archive.zip.
* @param string $destination
* The relative destination path where to extract files.
*/
public function prepareExtraction($archive, $destination = '') {
// Determine paths.
if (empty($destination)) {
$extpath = $this->localdir;
}
else {
$extpath = $this->localdir . '/' . $destination;
// Todo: move this to extraction function.
if (!is_dir($extpath)) {
mkdir($extpath);
}
}
// Only local existing archives are allowed to be extracted.
if (in_array($archive, $this->zipfiles)) {
self::extract($archive, $extpath);
}
}
/**
* Checks file extension and calls suitable extractor functions.
*
* @param string $archive
* The archive name including file extension. E.g. my_archive.zip.
* @param string $destination
* The relative destination path where to extract files.
*/
public static function extract($archive, $destination) {
$ext = pathinfo($archive, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
switch ($ext) {
case 'zip':
self::extractZipArchive($archive, $destination);
break;
case 'gz':
self::extractGzipFile($archive, $destination);
break;
case 'rar':
self::extractRarArchive($archive, $destination);
break;
}
}
/**
* Decompress/extract a zip archive using ZipArchive.
*
* @param $archive
* @param $destination
*/
public static function extractZipArchive($archive, $destination) {
// Check if webserver supports unzipping.
if (!class_exists('ZipArchive')) {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Your PHP version does not support unzip functionality.');
return;
}
$zip = new ZipArchive;
// Check if archive is readable.
if ($zip->open($archive) === TRUE) {
// Check if destination is writable
if (is_writeable($destination . '/')) {
$zip->extractTo($destination);
$zip->close();
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('success' => 'Files unzipped successfully');
}
else {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Directory not writeable by webserver.');
}
}
else {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Cannot read .zip archive.');
}
}
/**
* Decompress a .gz File.
*
* @param string $archive
* The archive name including file extension. E.g. my_archive.zip.
* @param string $destination
* The relative destination path where to extract files.
*/
public static function extractGzipFile($archive, $destination) {
// Check if zlib is enabled
if (!function_exists('gzopen')) {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Your PHP has no zlib support enabled.');
return;
}
$filename = pathinfo($archive, PATHINFO_FILENAME);
$gzipped = gzopen($archive, "rb");
$file = fopen($destination . '/' . $filename, "w");
while ($string = gzread($gzipped, 4096)) {
fwrite($file, $string, strlen($string));
}
gzclose($gzipped);
fclose($file);
// Check if file was extracted.
if (file_exists($destination . '/' . $filename)) {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('success' => 'File unzipped successfully.');
// If we had a tar.gz file, let's extract that tar file.
if (pathinfo($destination . '/' . $filename, PATHINFO_EXTENSION) == 'tar') {
$phar = new PharData($destination . '/' . $filename);
if ($phar->extractTo($destination)) {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('success' => 'Extracted tar.gz archive successfully.');
// Delete .tar.
unlink($destination . '/' . $filename);
}
}
}
else {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error unzipping file.');
}
}
/**
* Decompress/extract a Rar archive using RarArchive.
*
* @param string $archive
* The archive name including file extension. E.g. my_archive.zip.
* @param string $destination
* The relative destination path where to extract files.
*/
public static function extractRarArchive($archive, $destination) {
// Check if webserver supports unzipping.
if (!class_exists('RarArchive')) {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Your PHP version does not support .rar archive functionality. <a class="info" href="http://php.net/manual/en/rar.installation.php" target="_blank">How to install RarArchive</a>');
return;
}
// Check if archive is readable.
if ($rar = RarArchive::open($archive)) {
// Check if destination is writable
if (is_writeable($destination . '/')) {
$entries = $rar->getEntries();
foreach ($entries as $entry) {
$entry->extract($destination);
}
$rar->close();
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('success' => 'Files extracted successfully.');
}
else {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Directory not writeable by webserver.');
}
}
else {
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('error' => 'Error: Cannot read .rar archive.');
}
}
}
/**
* Class Zipper
*
* Copied and slightly modified from http://at2.php.net/manual/en/class.ziparchive.php#110719
* @author umbalaconmeogia
*/
class Zipper {
/**
* Add files and sub-directories in a folder to zip file.
*
* @param string $folder
* Path to folder that should be zipped.
*
* @param ZipArchive $zipFile
* Zipfile where files end up.
*
* @param int $exclusiveLength
* Number of text to be exclusived from the file path.
*/
private static function folderToZip($folder, &$zipFile, $exclusiveLength) {
$handle = opendir($folder);
while (FALSE !== $f = readdir($handle)) {
// Check for local/parent path or zipping file itself and skip.
if ($f != '.' && $f != '..' && $f != basename(__FILE__)) {
$filePath = "$folder/$f";
// Remove prefix from file path before add to zip.
$localPath = substr($filePath, $exclusiveLength);
if (is_file($filePath)) {
$zipFile->addFile($filePath, $localPath);
}
elseif (is_dir($filePath)) {
// Add sub-directory.
$zipFile->addEmptyDir($localPath);
self::folderToZip($filePath, $zipFile, $exclusiveLength);
}
}
}
closedir($handle);
}
/**
* Zip a folder (including itself).
*
* Usage:
* Zipper::zipDir('path/to/sourceDir', 'path/to/out.zip');
*
* @param string $sourcePath
* Relative path of directory to be zipped.
*
* @param string $outZipPath
* Relative path of the resulting output zip file.
*/
public static function zipDir($sourcePath, $outZipPath) {
$pathInfo = pathinfo($sourcePath);
$parentPath = $pathInfo['dirname'];
$dirName = $pathInfo['basename'];
$z = new ZipArchive();
$z->open($outZipPath, ZipArchive::CREATE);
$z->addEmptyDir($dirName);
if ($sourcePath == $dirName) {
self::folderToZip($sourcePath, $z, 0);
}
else {
self::folderToZip($sourcePath, $z, strlen("$parentPath/"));
}
$z->close();
$GLOBALS['status'] = array('success' => 'Successfully created archive ' . $outZipPath);
}
}
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>File Unzipper + Zipper</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<style type="text/css">
<!--
body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
line-height: 150%;
}
label {
display: block;
margin-top: 20px;
}
fieldset {
border: 0;
background-color: #EEE;
margin: 10px 0 10px 0;
}
.select {
padding: 5px;
font-size: 110%;
}
.status {
margin: 0;
margin-bottom: 20px;
padding: 10px;
font-size: 80%;
background: #EEE;
border: 1px dotted #DDD;
}
.status--ERROR {
background-color: red;
color: white;
font-size: 120%;
}
.status--SUCCESS {
background-color: green;
font-weight: bold;
color: white;
font-size: 120%
}
.small {
font-size: 0.7rem;
font-weight: normal;
}
.version {
font-size: 80%;
}
.form-field {
border: 1px solid #AAA;
padding: 8px;
width: 280px;
}
.info {
margin-top: 0;
font-size: 80%;
color: #777;
}
.submit {
background-color: #378de5;
border: 0;
color: #ffffff;
font-size: 15px;
padding: 10px 24px;
margin: 20px 0 20px 0;
text-decoration: none;
}
.submit:hover {
background-color: #2c6db2;
cursor: pointer;
}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p class="status status--<?php echo strtoupper(key($GLOBALS['status'])); ?>">
Status: <?php echo reset($GLOBALS['status']); ?><br/>
<span class="small">Processing Time: <?php echo $time; ?> seconds</span>
</p>
<form action="" method="POST">
<fieldset>
<h1>Archive Unzipper</h1>
<label for="zipfile">Select .zip or .rar archive or .gz file you want to extract:</label>
<select name="zipfile" size="1" class="select">
<?php foreach ($unzipper->zipfiles as $zip) {
echo "<option>$zip</option>";
}
?>
</select>
<label for="extpath">Extraction path (optional):</label>
<input type="text" name="extpath" class="form-field" />
<p class="info">Enter extraction path without leading or trailing slashes (e.g. "mypath"). If left empty current directory will be used.</p>
<input type="submit" name="dounzip" class="submit" value="Unzip Archive"/>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<h1>Archive Zipper</h1>
<label for="zippath">Path that should be zipped (optional):</label>
<input type="text" name="zippath" class="form-field" />
<p class="info">Enter path to be zipped without leading or trailing slashes (e.g. "zippath"). If left empty current directory will be used.</p>
<input type="submit" name="dozip" class="submit" value="Zip Archive"/>
</fieldset>
</form>
<p class="version">Unzipper version: <?php echo VERSION; ?></p>
</body>
</html>Special thanks to ndeet for providing the script on GitHub.
6. Upload the unzipper.php file to your server using FileZilla. Upload it to the same directory as the file you want to zip or unzip.
7. Open a web browser and visit the url where your php script is
If you uploaded the php script to your root folder you can get to the script by adding your own domain to the link below and pasting the link into your web browser.
http://www.yourdomain.com/unzipper.php
If the script was uploaded to another folder just add your folder name into the link below.
http://www.yourdomain.com/foldername/unzipper.php
Using the script to zip and unzip files using FTP
Once you click on the link to take you to the script you should see something that looks like this:
8. Use the script to easily zip or unzip the file you want altered
To unzip a file using the script simply go to the Archive Unzipper and use the drop down box to choose the file you want extracted. Once the file is chosen you can click Unzip Archive to extract the files to the same folder. If you want to extract the files to a different folder enter the path to where you want the files unzipped using the Extraction path box.
To zip a file go to the Archive Zipper and enter the path to be zipped into the text box. Make sure to not use any leading or trailing slashes when entering the path. Once you have entered the path just click Zip Archive and you are done.
Congratulations! You have now learned how to easily zip and unzip files using FTP.
