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Dropf: Easy File Uploading

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Dropf (Version: 0.2.8.39926 Beta) attempts to make it easier to manage FTP accounts and share files. It places a box-like hovering icon on the desktop where files can be dragged and dropped into. From there they will be automatically uploaded to the user’s configured FTP space.

dropf

Setting up FTP account(s) comes first. Right click on the box, go to FTP Accounts and then Manage. Fill in the details and set the root and upload path or folder. The paths will be relative to the FTP login path. For example if after logging into your FTP you are at / and want the uploads to go to the root of the example.com folder add / and /example.com for root and upload respectively. dropf checks the connection and creates any folders (for example if the uploads path is example.com/uploads the uploads folder will be created) necessary. Drag and drop a file into the box, it will be uploaded and the url  copied to the clipboard automatically. Dropf also has a Take Screenshot and Upload option where it uploads the (active window) full screen. When uploading multiple files or a folder they will be zipped – if the zip option is checked in the settings – and the url of the .zip file will be copied to the clipboard.

Right click the box to set theme (box shape), opacity and size. The program settings has options to add it to Windows’ Send To menu, make it start with Windows, auto copy uploaded files’ URLs to the clipboard and using one of goo.gl, 2d1.in or is.gd for URL shortening. The program offers to rename files to something ‘standard’, use time stamp naming, encrypt the multi-file zip upload and upload text clipboard items as a .txt file.

A very useful feature of dropf is the upload history, a useful reference. Using the program’s tray icon the dropf box can be hidden. Dropf should work on Windows XP and newer versions.

Note: The beta state of dropf is apparent as the box disappeared at least once when changing its size and opacity.

Comments

5 responses to “Dropf: Easy File Uploading”

  1. Asen Anastassov Avatar
    Asen Anastassov

    I have already tested dropf, it worked with almost all FTP servers (with one exception), but it seems that dropf is not very stable at the moment. There were some crushes after which it was unable to start. Re-installing the application was the only solution. At my machine it disappears as well after changing the default theme and it it never shows again before re-isntalling the application, neither clicking ‘Hide’ nor ‘Show’ helps. At my machine (XP SP3) it did not create Send To context menu item.

    dropf is a nice idea but it cannot be a replacement for a regular FTP client since it cannot download and only upload files, and to one pre-defined folder only for a FTP account. It needs a lot of work to fix its stability issues. Support for some more protocols (SFTP, FTPS, WebDAV and even Dropbox support) would make it more usable. Now it can be used but the user should not touch its Display settings – Theme, Size, Opacity, otherwise it simply disappears.

    A bit similar but far more stable application is Rightload, which has even a portable version:

    http://rightload.org/ – Rightload Home Page
    http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Other-Internet-Related/RightLoad.shtml – Rightload at Softpedia
    http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-SOFTWARE/Internet/FTP-Clients/Rightload-Portable.shtml – Rightload Portable at Softpedia

    If the developer of dropf fixes the present bugs dropf might become a simple, but nice and reliable FTP uploader.

  2. RG Avatar
    RG

    Thanks Asen, you are right. I also think dropf needs a portable version like Rightload. I guess the stability issues can be forgiven considering it’s relatively new. I often hesitate writing about a beta product because sometimes it’s better to wait for a stable release.

  3. Asen Anastassov Avatar
    Asen Anastassov

    In any case dropf is a promising application and I do hope its developer would not abandon it (it happens so many time, SourceForge.net teems with good but abandoned projects) before fixing its stability issues. By the way, it is always interesting and useful reading your reviews, I have discovered many nice applications here, or read reviews about programs already known to me but which I haven’t had the time to test.

    There are many decent FTP clients, both free and commercial (my personal favourite is FTP Rush, which supports all the major FTP protocols has a portable version as well), but unfortunately there are only two that support WebDAV- the abandoned BitKinex and Cyberduck, which I cannot use because of its weird and unhadny one-panel interface. More and more cloud services provide only WebDAV but not FTP access so I have to stick to old-fashioned but powerful BitKinex (if it wasn’t BitKinex I would not use Box.net since WebDAV is the only painless way to access it and upload files). Many users have requested support for WebDAV at FileZilla and WinSCP (the two free and open source giants among the FTP clients) but it seems that the developers are not willing to implement WebDAV support.

  4. RG Avatar
    RG

    Thanks for the kind words Asen.

    Dropf does hold promise, I think software like it does have its place on a desktop and can make for better user experience and efficiency.
    For FTP, my favorite has been WinSCP, I find it more reliable in transfers, although that is not as much an issue anymore because these days uploading one zip or tar instead of the 100s of individual files is easier because of modern control panels or even SSH access. WebDAV support is still a niche for some reason.

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