A very simple protocol based on SOCKET API

SFTP(RFC 913) is a simple file transfer protocol. It fills the need of people wanting a protocol that allows them to transfer and manage files over networks. SFTP supports user access control, file transfers, directory listing, directory changing, file renaming and deleting.

VSFTP is used by opening a TCP connection to the remote hosts' VSFTP port (50001 decimal). You then send VSFTP commands and wait for replies. VSFTP commands sent to the remote server are always 4 ASCII letters (of any case) followed by a space, the argument(s), and a NULL. The argument can sometimes be null in which case the command is just 4 characters followed by NULL. Replies from the server are always a response character followed immediately by an ASCII message string terminated by a NULL. A reply can also be just a response character and a NULL.

command : cmd [SPACE args] NULL

cmd : USER!PASS!LIST!RETR!KILL!DONE

response : response-code [message] NULL

response-code: +|-|!|#

message can contain CRLF

Commands that can be sent to the server are listed below. The server replies to each command with one of the possible response codes listed under each message. Along with the response, the server should optionally return a message explaining the error in more detail. Example message texts are listed but do not have to be followed. All characters used in messages are ASCII.