PHP and MySQL®: Create-Modify-Reuse

Chapter 6. Ajax File Manager

A file manager allows a user to do exactly what its name implies — manage files. All graphical desktop systems come with some type of file manager. In fact, you're probably familiar with some of the well-known managers such as Microsoft Explorer on the Windows platform, Finder on Mac OS X, and the open-source Konqueror and Nautilus on Linux. These may not be very flashy and exciting programs, but they do help people perform essential file-related tasks nevertheless. Users quickly grow accustomed to their system's file manager and using it quickly becomes second nature.

However, the same user who feels comfortable managing local files on his or her machine might feel uneasy downloading a new program to do the same tasks on a remote server. I doubt photo-sharing web sites like Flickr would be as popular as they are if the only way members could upload photos was by using an FTP client. Instead, sites often offer a variety of ways to transfer and manage files — one of which is a web-based file manager.

In this chapter, you will build a web-based file manager that will allow users to transfer files between the server and their computers. Users will also be able to rename and delete files and create, rename, and delete directories. The utility can be integrated into your web site to offer people more flexibility in how they manage their remote files.