Differences
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| 2005-12-23 | 2005-12-23 | ||
| prefer SFTP over SCP (martin) | typos (martin) | ||
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| ===== Installation and Set up ===== | ===== Installation and Set up ===== | ||
| - | The extension is installed by WinSCP [[installation|installer]] by default (the standalone WinSCP application does not include the extension and it cannot be downloaded separatelly). | + | The extension is installed by WinSCP [[installation|installer]] by default (the standalone WinSCP application does not include the extension and it cannot be downloaded separately). |
| If you install the extension you may need to restart your computer to make it operational. | If you install the extension you may need to restart your computer to make it operational. | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
| Here is short explanation: Windows drag&drop mechanics does not allow source application of drag&drop operation to find out easily, where the files are dropped. It is up to target application (Windows Explorer usually) to transfer files to destination. It is rather reasonable, because source application can hardly transfer files to all possible destinations. Keep in mind that you can drop files not only to a directory, but even to ZIP file (or any other archive), remote directory (via FTP, SCP, SFTP...), trash, ... | Here is short explanation: Windows drag&drop mechanics does not allow source application of drag&drop operation to find out easily, where the files are dropped. It is up to target application (Windows Explorer usually) to transfer files to destination. It is rather reasonable, because source application can hardly transfer files to all possible destinations. Keep in mind that you can drop files not only to a directory, but even to ZIP file (or any other archive), remote directory (via FTP, SCP, SFTP...), trash, ... | ||
| - | Obviously even Windows Explorer (or any other target application, like WinZip) cannot download files from any possible source (particulary it does not know SFTP/SCP). | + | Obviously even Windows Explorer (or any other target application, like WinZip) cannot download files from any possible source (particularly it does not know SFTP/SCP). |
| When the extension is not installed, WinSCP uses trick to allow drag&drop downloads. It tells Explorer that the files are in temporary folder (from where Explorer knows how to get the files) and a moment before the Explorer starts to copy files from there, WinSCP downloads the files there. | When the extension is not installed, WinSCP uses trick to allow drag&drop downloads. It tells Explorer that the files are in temporary folder (from where Explorer knows how to get the files) and a moment before the Explorer starts to copy files from there, WinSCP downloads the files there. | ||
| - | To allow direct drag&drop downloads, the shell extension was developed. It misuses Windows Explorer CopyHook's. [[&url(mscopyhook)|CopyHook]] is COM object (DLL library) that is called by Windows Explorer whenever directory (not file) is transfered within file system. When you drag anything from WinSCP, it creates empty dummy folder in temporary directory and pretends that you as user drag that directory. Once your drop it to Windows Explorer, it calls the CopyHook's (including the WinSCP shell extension), telling it what and where was dragged. This way WinSCP knows the actual destination. It cancels the drag&drop operation, so the dummy directory is not copied by Explorer and transfers your actual selection to now-known destination. | + | To allow direct drag&drop downloads, the shell extension was developed. It misuses Windows Explorer CopyHook's. [[&url(mscopyhook)|CopyHook]] is COM object (DLL library) that is called by Windows Explorer whenever directory (not file) is transferred within file system. When you drag anything from WinSCP, it creates empty dummy folder in temporary directory and pretends that you as user drag that directory. Once your drop it to Windows Explorer, it calls the CopyHook's (including the WinSCP shell extension), telling it what and where was dragged. This way WinSCP knows the actual destination. It cancels the drag&drop operation, so the dummy directory is not copied by Explorer and transfers your actual selection to now-known destination. |
| This on the other hand explains why with the extension you cannot drag files to any other application except for the Windows Explorer. No other application would call the CopyHook. | This on the other hand explains why with the extension you cannot drag files to any other application except for the Windows Explorer. No other application would call the CopyHook. | ||