# FTP question

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [January 25, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747 "2013-01-25T19:41:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cja7928](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@cja7928](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cja7928)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/1 "2013-01-25T19:41:39Z")

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having some trouble getting the python ftp code to work. trying to retrieve a file and getting an error on this line:

s=ftp.retrbinary(‘RETR Test.txt’, open(‘C:\Documents and Settings\cannin\Desktop\Test.txt’,‘wb’).write)

In my app I need to:

#1 edit a text file - write a part number into the text file that is on another drive  
#2 trasfer a program file from the HMI computer to the other drive  
#3 save the file from the other drive back to the HMI computer  
#4 delete the file from the other drive

Can anyone help me with python ftp code examples for these 4 scenarios?

Thank you very much.

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**Author:** ![paul.prescott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@paul.prescott](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul.prescott)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/2 "2013-01-27T21:55:17Z")

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Here’s what I’ve got working for retreiving and sending a text file, with basic FTP error trapping.

This code gets a text file and reads it into a string buffer r:

```auto
from StringIO import StringIO
from ftplib import FTP
try:
	ftp = FTP('ComputerName')
	ftp.login()
	r = StringIO()
	ftp.retrlines('RETR FileName.txt', r.write)
except ftplib.all_errors, e:   
	errorcode_string = str(e).split(None, 1) 
	print "FTP error:"
	print errorcode_string
```

For sending a text file via FTP, I first create a temp file and then send it:

```auto
from ftplib import FTP
import system
filename = system.file.getTempFile(".txt") 
system.file.writeFile(filename, DataForFile) 
try :
	f = open(filename)
	ftp = FTP('ComputerName')
	ftp.login()
	ftp.storlines("STOR FileName.txt",f)
	ftp.close
except ftplib.all_errors, e:   
	errorcode_string = str(e).split(None, 1) 
	print "FTP error:"
	print errorcode_string
```

I hope this helps. Good luck!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cja7928](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@cja7928](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cja7928)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/3 "2013-01-28T23:46:18Z")

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thank you that put me on the right track.

this is what i have so far - Is there a way to retrieve a file defined indirectly, as you can see in the code below I was trying to compile “test.txt” and retrieve it but get file not found as its trying to find a file called “d”

thank you.

import os  
import system  
from ftplib import FTP

ftp = FTP(‘127.0.0.1’)  
ftp.login(’’)

a = “te”  
b = “st”  
c = “.txt”

d = a+b+c

s=ftp.retrbinary(‘RETR “d”’, open(‘C:\Documents and Settings\cannin\Desktop\test2.txt’,‘wb’).write)  
print s  
ftp.close()

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**Author:** ![James.Lorenz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/james.lorenz/32/3290_2.png) [@James.Lorenz](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/James.Lorenz)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/4 "2013-01-29T00:10:09Z")

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String substitution will allow you to refer to a variable:

```auto
s=ftp.retrbinary('RETR %s' % d, open('C:\\Documents and Settings\\cannin\\Desktop\\test2.txt','wb').write)
```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cja7928](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@cja7928](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cja7928)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/5 "2013-01-29T19:55:35Z")

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perfect, thank you. one other question, I havnt been able to find anything on editing a text file. Is it possible to delete or write text into a text file through ignition? for example I need to delete a 5 digit number from a text file and then write a different 5 digit number into the file. thank you.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![James.Lorenz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/james.lorenz/32/3290_2.png) [@James.Lorenz](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/James.Lorenz)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/6 "2013-01-29T20:14:56Z")

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You can bring in the text file as a string using system.file.readFileAsString, use python’s string.replace function to replace the number with a new number, and then write back to the file using system.file.writeFile:

`path = "C:\\Path\\To\\File.txt"
contents = system.file.readFileAsString(path)
contents = contents.replace("00000","11111")
system.file.writeFile(path, contents)`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cja7928](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@cja7928](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cja7928)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ftp-question/5747/7 "2013-01-29T21:35:51Z")

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thank you very much!