ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

File eXchange Protocol

Okay, so you know how you like to share your toys with your friends? Well, sometimes grown-ups need to share things too, but instead of toys, they share computer files.

When they want to share a file with someone else, they use something called a file exchange protocol. A protocol is just a fancy word for a set of rules they have to follow when they share files.

Think of it like this: you and your friend want to share your crayons. To make sure everything is fair and no one gets upset, you might say "okay, we'll take turns using each color and we'll make sure to put them back in the box when we're done." That's like the set of rules for sharing files.

There are lots of different file exchange protocols, but they all have a few things in common. They make sure files are sent and received correctly, that they're not intercepted by bad guys who might want to steal them, and that they're not changed in any way along the way.

One example of a file exchange protocol is called FTP, which stands for File Transfer Protocol. It's like a special messenger that carries the files from one computer to another. When your grown-up friends use FTP, they have to make sure they have the right address (kind of like a house number) to send the files to, and they might need a secret password to make sure only the right person can open the files.

So that's basically what a file exchange protocol is - a set of rules to make sure sharing computer files is safe and fair, just like sharing toys!