C++

Create a Symbolic Link on an SFTP Server

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server. The first argument is the link target and the second is the new symbolic-link path.

Background: A symbolic link stores a path that points at another location, so it can span directories or filesystems and can even point at something that does not exist. A common use is a stable name like latest.log that is repointed at each day's file. Argument order is a frequent source of confusion — the target comes first, the new link path second — and note that how the target string is interpreted (relative to what) is up to the server's implementation.

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C++

#include <CkSFtp.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    bool success = false;

    //  Demonstrates the SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server.  The 1st
    //  argument is the link target and the 2nd is the new symbolic-link path.

    CkSFtp sftp;

    //  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
    int port = 22;
    success = sftp.Connect("sftp.example.com",port);
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << sftp.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        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.
    const char *password = "mySshPassword";

    success = sftp.AuthenticatePw("mySshLogin",password);
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << sftp.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    success = sftp.InitializeSftp();
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << sftp.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    //  Create a symbolic link "subdir/latest.log" that points at "subdir/2026-07-23.log".  The
    //  server's SFTP implementation determines how the target path is interpreted.
    success = sftp.SymLink("subdir/2026-07-23.log","subdir/latest.log");
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << sftp.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    std::cout << "Symbolic link created." << "\r\n";

    sftp.Disconnect();
    }