Download a text file from an FTP server, using the ASCII transfer mode.

First, connect to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) FTP server.

ftpobj = ftp('ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov')

ftpobj = 

  FTP Object
     host: ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov
     user: anonymous
      dir: /
     mode: binary

The default transfer mode is binary. When you download a text file, you can use ASCII mode instead so that newline characters are converted correctly.

Set the transfer mode to ASCII. To show the current transfer mode, display the FTP object.

ascii(ftpobj)
ftpobj

ftpobj = 

  FTP Object
     host: ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov
     user: anonymous
      dir: /
     mode: ascii

Download a text file and close the connection.

mget(ftpobj,'README.txt');
close(ftpobj)

Display the beginning of README.txt. To read the copy of README.txt downloaded to your computer, use the fileread function.

readme = fileread('README.txt');
readme(1:95)

ans = 
    '                 Welcome to the 
         NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)'

FTP service courtesy of the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). See the NCEI Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Copyright for NCEI terms of service.