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DataFlex

Poll an SSH Channel for Incoming Data

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Demonstrates the Chilkat Ssh.ChannelPoll method, which polls a channel for incoming messages, waiting at most the given number of milliseconds. The first argument is the channel number and the second is the poll timeout; pass 0 for a nonblocking poll.

The integer return value is -1 on error, -2 if nothing arrived before the timeout, 0 if EOF or channel close was processed, or — when greater than 0 — the total bytes currently buffered for the channel (not the bytes newly received by this call).

Background: ChannelPoll gives you an explicit, per-call wait, which is what an event loop or responsive UI needs — poll briefly, do other work, poll again. Importantly, the timeout you pass governs the wait: shorter ReadTimeoutMs or IdleTimeoutMs values do not cut it short. A -2 return simply means nothing new arrived, which is normal when polling.

Chilkat DataFlex Downloads

DataFlex
Use ChilkatAx-win32.pkg

Procedure Test
    Boolean iSuccess
    Handle hoSsh
    Integer iSshPort
    String sPassword
    Integer iChannelNum
    Integer iPollTimeoutMs
    Integer iResult
    String sOutput
    String sTemp1
    Boolean bTemp1

    Move False To iSuccess

    //  Demonstrates the Ssh.ChannelPoll method, which polls a channel for incoming messages, waiting
    //  at most the given number of milliseconds.  The 1st argument is the channel number and the 2nd
    //  is the poll timeout.  Pass 0 for a nonblocking poll.

    Get Create (RefClass(cComChilkatSsh)) To hoSsh
    If (Not(IsComObjectCreated(hoSsh))) Begin
        Send CreateComObject of hoSsh
    End

    Move 22 To iSshPort
    Get ComConnect Of hoSsh "ssh.example.com" iSshPort To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess = False) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    //  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.
    Move "mySshPassword" To sPassword

    Get ComAuthenticatePw Of hoSsh "mySshLogin" sPassword To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess = False) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    Get ComOpenSessionChannel Of hoSsh To iChannelNum
    If (iChannelNum < 0) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    //  Start a shell WITHOUT requesting a PTY.  Without a PTY the shell sees it is connected to a
    //  raw data pipe and enters non-interactive mode: it suppresses the command prompt, does not
    //  echo typed commands back, and skips interactive login scripts.  The output is therefore
    //  clean and easily parseable -- but because no prompt is ever sent, code must not wait for
    //  one.  Instead, have each command print a predictable marker, or wait for EOF / channel close.
    Get ComSendReqShell Of hoSsh iChannelNum To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess = False) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    Get ComChannelSendString Of hoSsh iChannelNum "date" + (character(10)) "utf-8" To iSuccess
    If (iSuccess = False) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    //  Wait up to 3 seconds for channel data.
    Move 3000 To iPollTimeoutMs
    //  The return value is: -1 on error, -2 if nothing arrived before the timeout, 0 if EOF or
    //  channel close was processed, or the total number of buffered bytes when greater than 0.
    Get ComChannelPoll Of hoSsh iChannelNum iPollTimeoutMs To iResult
    If (iResult = -1) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    If (iResult = -2) Begin
        Showln "No channel data arrived before the timeout."
    End

    If (iResult = 0) Begin
        Showln "EOF or channel close was processed.  Buffered data may still remain."
    End

    If (iResult > 0) Begin
        Showln "Total bytes buffered: " iResult
    End

    Get ComGetReceivedText Of hoSsh iChannelNum "utf-8" To sOutput
    Get ComLastMethodSuccess Of hoSsh To bTemp1
    If (bTemp1 = False) Begin
        Get ComLastErrorText Of hoSsh To sTemp1
        Showln sTemp1
        Procedure_Return
    End

    Showln sOutput

    Send ComDisconnect To hoSsh


End_Procedure