SFTP Read Text File to String

Demonstrates how to download a text file from an SSH server directly into a string variable.

Download Chilkat 32-bit SSH / SFTP ActiveX (.msi)

Download All 32-bit Chilkat ActiveX Components (.zip)

Download All 64-bit Chilkat ActiveX Components (.zip)

uses
    Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
    Dialogs, StdCtrls,
    CHILKATSSHLib_TLB,
    OleCtrls;

...

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
sftp: TChilkatSFtp;
success: Integer;
port: Integer;
hostname: String;
handle: String;
bFollowLinks: Integer;
bIsHandle: Integer;
numBytes: Integer;
charset: String;
offset32: Integer;
fileContents: String;

begin
//  Important: It is helpful to send the contents of the
//  sftp.LastErrorText property when requesting support.

sftp := TChilkatSFtp.Create(Self);

//  Any string automatically begins a fully-functional 30-day trial.
success := sftp.UnlockComponent('Anything for 30-day trial');
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  Set some timeouts, in milliseconds:
sftp.ConnectTimeoutMs := 5000;
sftp.IdleTimeoutMs := 15000;

//  Connect to the SSH server.
//  The standard SSH port = 22
//  The hostname may be a hostname or IP address.

hostname := 'www.my-ssh-server.com';
port := 22;
success := sftp.Connect(hostname,port);
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  Authenticate with the SSH server.  Chilkat SFTP supports
//  both password-based authenication as well as public-key
//  authentication.  This example uses password authenication.
success := sftp.AuthenticatePw('myLogin','myPassword');
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  After authenticating, the SFTP subsystem must be initialized:
success := sftp.InitializeSftp();
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  Open a file on the server:

handle := sftp.OpenFile('hamlet.xml','readOnly','openExisting');
if (Length(handle) = 0 ) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  Get the total size of this file (in bytes)
bFollowLinks := 0;
bIsHandle := 1;

//  bFollowLinks is ignored because we are passing a handle
//  and not a remote filename.
//  There are atlernative methods for handling file sizes
//  greater than 32-bit.  (See the reference documentation.)
numBytes := sftp.GetFileSize32(handle,bFollowLinks,bIsHandle);
if (numBytes < 0) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  The charset indicates the character encoding of the text
//  file on the SSH server.   Setting the charset correctly
//  allows the Chilkat SFTP component to correctly interpret
//  the bytes that represent the characters.

charset := 'ansi';
offset32 := 0;

fileContents := sftp.ReadFileText32(handle,offset32,numBytes,charset);
if (Length(fileContents) = 0 ) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end
else
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add('Received file:');
    Memo1.Lines.Add(fileContents);
  end;

//  Close the file.
success := sftp.CloseHandle(handle);
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    ShowMessage(sftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

ShowMessage('Success.');
end;