"FTP is for transfering files, it has no ability to compare them."

Correction; 

ftp perlmonks.com
Connected to perlmonks.com.
220 perlmonks.com FTP Server (Version ...) ready.
Name (perlmonks.com:joebloe):root
331 Password required for root.
Passoword:
230 User root logged in.
ftp> siz
(remote-file)
Usage: siz remote-file
^D
221 Goodbye.

[download]

"but I am not sure how to compare a local file to a file in the remote server without downloading."

Please see above -- the ftp command is: siz
which you can "compare" to, as you requested. However, if you wish to compare file contents. It is possible, but is more elaborate, and depends on the ftp servers capabilities.

--Chris

¡λɐp ʇɑəɹ⅁ ɐ əʌɐɥ puɐ ʻꜱdləɥ ꜱᴉɥʇ ədoH

In reply to Re^2: Retrieve SNP information from UCSC genome browser by taint
in thread Retrieve SNP information from UCSC genome browser by ammalu89

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