File Mask questions

I'm new to WinSCP, as I've been using WS_FTP Pro for years.
There are two features that would be very helpful, and perhaps
I'm just not seeing how to do this in WinSCP:

1. Is there a way to associate the File Mask wish a particular Site Bookmark?
So that any time you switch to that directory, it automatically assigns
a specific file mask. Upon switching to other directories the file mask
should NOT be applied.

2. How can I apply a remote mask in 'Site Manager' so that it only
retrieves the items that match the mask? I have a directory with over 80,000
images, and it takes a long time to download them all upon connection.
This is a Linux server, and somehow, WS_FTP Pro is able to only retrieve
the files that match the file mask, which greatly speeds up the display.

eQuilter wrote:

1. Is there a way to associate the File Mask wish a particular Site Bookmark?
So that any time you switch to that directory, it automatically assigns
a specific file mask. Upon switching to other directories the file mask
should NOT be applied.

You can configure a site- or directory- specific transfer settings preset:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/ui_transfer_preset

2. How can I apply a remote mask in 'Site Manager' so that it only
retrieves the items that match the mask? I have a directory with over 80,000
images, and it takes a long time to download them all upon connection.
This is a Linux server, and somehow, WS_FTP Pro is able to only retrieve
the files that match the file mask, which greatly speeds up the display.

What protocol?

Thank you prikryl, protocol is standard FTP.

I also don't understand how the ui_transfer_preset works.
Where do you specify the conditions under which the preset
is applied??? For instance, I want the preset to apply
a file mask ONLY when a specific remote directory is loaded.

eQuilter wrote:

Thank you prikryl, protocol is standard FTP.

With the FTP it might be possible. Actually the standard FTP does not allow that. But I believe that some FTP servers are capable of filtering the listing.

eQuilter wrote:

I also don't understand how the ui_transfer_preset works.
Where do you specify the conditions under which the preset
is applied??? For instance, I want the preset to apply
a file mask ONLY when a specific remote directory is loaded.

Just put the path to the Remote directory mask box.
You can navigate to the folder, go to preferences and use the Current button to have the path filled for you (you will probably want to clear the local path filter then).

Perhaps I'm not understanding what box to which you're referring. I don't see anything like what you're describing for a 'Use Current' box. Please see my attached screen capture of the Transfer Preset dialog box.

Please advise.

Also, my Linux box is capable of filtering the listing, as WS_FTP Pro successfully retrieves ONLY the files that match the File Mask, so I can read the directory with thousands of files very quickly.

That's it. Just check the Automatically select this preset when.

OK, I checked the "Automatically select this preset when" box, and then I wasn't sure where to enter my file mask for this directory. So I guessed in the 'Other' box??? I entered *.gif there, but it doesn't mask the results.

Also, how can we get WinSCP to ONLY retrieve the files that match the mask, rather than retrieving all 80,000 files and then applying the mask?

eQuilter wrote:

OK, I checked the "Automatically select this preset when" box, and then I wasn't sure where to enter my file mask for this directory. So I guessed in the 'Other' box??? I entered *.gif there, but it doesn't mask the results.

This is about "Is there a way to associate the File Mask wish a particular Site Bookmark?" not about the filter.

Also, how can we get WinSCP to ONLY retrieve the files that match the mask, rather than retrieving all 80,000 files and then applying the mask?

WinSCP does not support that. There's actually no standard in FTP protocol for that as I wrote already above.

Hello again.

1. I don't understand how to associate a file mask with a bookmark. Can you please advise with the step by step, as I'm finding the process confusing.

2. WS_FTP Pro issues this command: LIST *.gif
Can WinSCP issue this command?

eQuilter wrote:

1. I don't understand how to associate a file mask with a bookmark. Can you please advise with the step by step, as I'm finding the process confusing.

You cannot a file mask with a bookmark. But you can create transfer settings preset with the file mask, that's automatically selected, when you enter a directory that matches a "remote directory" autoselection rule of the preset.

2. WS_FTP Pro issues this command: LIST *.gif
Can WinSCP issue this command?

As I wrote already, WinSCP does not support this, as it violates FTP protocol. Though as it seems that this violation is rather common, we will consider implementing it. What makes this problematic is that the file mask is evaluated on the server, so the syntax will be server-specific. The server would not support all the patterns that WinSCP does, what will make this confusing to users. Also there's no way to detect if the server supports the masks at all.

Thanks for considering the "LIST *.gif" command.

Can you please give me a step by step to create transfer settings preset with the file mask?