Misleading global variable
import os
import zipfile
import ConfigParser
import ftputil
import shutil
import tempfile
import time


def download_files():
    # Alvin: Think of a better variable name
    file_list = ftp.listdir(downloads)
    for filename in file_list:
        # Alvin should be ftp.path.join
        source = os.path.join(downloads, filename)
        target = os.path.join(temp_path, filename)
        ftp.download(source, target)

def zipping_files():
    dirlist = os.listdir(temp_path)
    global filepath
    filepath = os.path.join(temp_path, 'part2b.zip')
    # Alvin: find better name for zip_name
    global zip_name
    zip_name = zipfile.ZipFile(filepath, 'w')
    # Alvin: try not to use built-in names as variable names
    for list in dirlist:
        # Alvin: file_path, absolute_path
        get_file = os.path.join(temp_path, list)
        zip_name.write(get_file, 'part2b\' + list)

def upload_files():
    ftp.upload(filepath, uploads + '/part2b.zip')

def main():
    # Alvin: Do not use globals.
    # Alvin: remove useless and above all misleading comments

    global temp_path
    temp_path = tempfile.mkdtemp()


    config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
    config.readfp(open('config.ini'))
    server = config.get('main', 'Server')
    username = config.get('main', 'Username')
    password = config.get('main', 'Password')

    global uploads
    uploads = config.get('main', 'Upload folder')

    global downloads
    downloads = config.get('main', 'Download folder')

    #connect to ftp
    global ftp
    # Alvin: open ftp connection when you only need it.
    ftp = ftputil.FTPHost(server, username, password)

    try:
        download_files()
        zipping_files()
        upload_files()

    finally:
        ftp.close()
        zip_name.close()
        shutil.rmtree(temp_path, 'true')

    print "Successfully transferred files."
    print ""
    print "This will close in 5 seconds. . . . ."
    time.sleep(5)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

try:
    download_files(downloads, temp_path)
    zipping_files(temp_path)
    upload_files(ftp)

def download_files(downloads, temp_path):

def zipping_files(temp_path):

def upload_files(ftp):

import os
import zipfile
import ConfigParser
import ftputil
import shutil
import tempfile
import time


def download_files(downloads, temp_path, server, username, password):
    ftp = ftputil.FTPHost(server, username, password)
    file_list = ftp.listdir(downloads)
    for filename in file_list:
        source = os.path.join(downloads, filename)
        target = os.path.join(temp_path, filename)
        ftp.download(source, target)
    ftp.close()

def zipping_files(temp_path):
    file_list = os.listdir(temp_path)
    filepath = os.path.join(temp_path, 'part2b.zip')
    zip_file = zipfile.ZipFile(filepath, 'w')
    for filename in file_list:
        file_path = os.path.join(temp_path, filename)
        zip_file.write(file_path, 'part2b\' + filename)
    zip_file.close()

def upload_files(uploads, temp_path, server, username, password):
    ftp = ftputil.FTPHost(server, username, password)
    filepath = os.path.join(temp_path, 'part2b.zip')
    ftp.upload(filepath, uploads + '/part2b.zip')
    ftp.close()

def main():

    temp_path = tempfile.mkdtemp()

    config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
    config.readfp(open('config.ini'))
    server = config.get('main', 'Server')
    username = config.get('main', 'Username')
    password = config.get('main', 'Password')
    uploads = config.get('main', 'Upload folder')
    downloads = config.get('main', 'Download folder')

    try:
        download_files(downloads, temp_path, server, username, password)
        zipping_files(temp_path)
        upload_files(uploads, temp_path, server, username, password)

    finally:
        shutil.rmtree(temp_path, 'true')

    print "Successfully transferred files."
    print ""
    print "This will close in 5 seconds. . . . ."
    time.sleep(5)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()