Lua

Get FTP Filenames as XML (NLST)

Demonstrates the Chilkat Ftp2.NlstXml method, which sends NLST and returns the matching names in XML form. The only argument is appended literally; an empty string sends a bare NLST and a value like *.txt sends NLST *.txt.

Tip: Code to parse the returned XML can be generated at Chilkat Tools.

Background: NLST is the lightweight listing command: it returns only names, with none of the sizes, dates, or type information that LIST provides. That makes it fast and simple when a bare list of filenames is all you need — for example to drive a batch of downloads. Wrapping the result as XML gives you a clean, uniform structure to iterate regardless of how the server formats the raw NLST reply.

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Lua

local chilkat = require("chilkat")

-- Demonstrates the Ftp2.NlstXml method, which sends NLST and returns the matching names in XML
-- form.  The only argument is appended literally; an empty string sends a bare NLST.

local ftp = chilkat.Ftp2.new()

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"

local success = ftp:connect()
if not success then
    print(ftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

success = ftp:change_remote_dir("public_html")
if not success then
    print(ftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- NLST returns names only (no sizes, dates, or types).  "*.txt" sends NLST *.txt.
local xml = ftp:nlst_xml("*.txt")
if not ftp.last_method_success then
    print(ftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

print(xml)

success = ftp:disconnect()
if not success then
    print(ftp.last_error_text)
    return
end