Delphi ActiveX

Check if an FTP Listing Entry is a Symbolic Link

Demonstrates the Chilkat Ftp2.GetIsSymbolicLink method, which returns whether a cached directory-listing entry is a symbolic link. The only argument is a zero-based index. This information is available only when the server's listing format reports it.

Background: Symbolic links matter because following one can lead outside the expected directory or into a cycle, so recursive operations often need to identify and skip them. Unlike the file/directory distinction, symlink information is not always present — only listing formats that mark links (typically Unix-style LIST output) expose it, and this returns false when the server does not.

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var
success: Integer;
ftp: TChilkatFtp2;
n: Integer;
i: Integer;
name: WideString;

begin
success := 0;

//  Demonstrates the Ftp2.GetIsSymbolicLink method, which returns whether a cached directory-listing
//  entry is a symbolic link.  The only argument is a zero-based index.  This information is only
//  available when the server's listing format reports it.

ftp := TChilkatFtp2.Create(Self);

ftp.Hostname := 'ftp.example.com';
ftp.Username := 'myFtpLogin';

//  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.
ftp.Password := 'myPassword';

success := ftp.Connect();
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(ftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

success := ftp.ChangeRemoteDir('public_html');
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(ftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  GetDirCount retrieves the directory listing on the first call and returns the number of
//  entries.  A negative return indicates failure.
n := ftp.GetDirCount();
if (n < 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(ftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

for i := 0 to n - 1 do
  begin
    name := ftp.GetFilename(i);
    if (ftp.GetIsSymbolicLink(i)) then
      begin
        Memo1.Lines.Add('[LINK] ' + name);
      end
    else
      begin
        Memo1.Lines.Add('       ' + name);
      end;
  end;

success := ftp.Disconnect();
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(ftp.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;