Download a File from an SFTP Server

See more SFTP Examples

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.DownloadFileByName method, which downloads a remote file to a local path in a single call. The first argument is the remote file path and the second is the local file path.

Note: This example uses relative local paths, which are resolved against the application's current working directory. Absolute local paths may also be used. Supply the paths appropriate to your own environment.

Background: The download counterpart to UploadFileByName: it opens, streams, and closes the remote file in one call, without a memory limit on the transfer size. When PreserveDate is set, the remote file's last-modified time is applied to the local copy, which matters for incremental-sync logic that compares timestamps.

Chilkat C Downloads

Download Chilkat for C

#include <C_CkSFtp.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    BOOL success;
    HCkSFtp sftp;
    int port;
    const char *password;

    success = FALSE;

    //  Demonstrates the SFtp.DownloadFileByName method, which downloads a remote file to a local path
    //  in one call.  The 1st argument is the remote file path and the 2nd is the local file path.

    sftp = CkSFtp_Create();

    //  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
    port = 22;
    success = CkSFtp_Connect(sftp,"sftp.example.com",port);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        return;
    }

    //  Normally you would not hard-code the password in source.  You should instead obtain it
    //  from an interactive prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
    password = "mySshPassword";

    success = CkSFtp_AuthenticatePw(sftp,"mySshLogin",password);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        return;
    }

    success = CkSFtp_InitializeSftp(sftp);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        return;
    }

    //  Download a remote file to the local filesystem.
    success = CkSFtp_DownloadFileByName(sftp,"subdir/report.pdf","qa_output/report.pdf");
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        return;
    }

    printf("Downloaded.\n");

    CkSFtp_Disconnect(sftp);


    CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);

    }