Lua

List a Remote Directory on an SFTP Server

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.ReadDirListing method, which reads all remaining entries from an open directory handle into an SFtpDir object. The first argument is the handle returned by OpenDir and the second is the SFtpDir that receives the listing. The example iterates the entries with NumFilesAndDirs and FileAt, reading each SFtpFile's Filename, IsDirectory, Size64, and LastModifiedTimeStr.

Background: Listing a directory is a three-part operation: OpenDir gets a handle, ReadDirListing pulls every entry into an SFtpDir in one call, and the handle is then closed. Each entry is an SFtpFile carrying that item's name, type, size, timestamps, owner, and permission flags — a single stat covering what several separate GetFile* calls would return. The entries come back in the server's own order rather than sorted; use SFtpDir.Sort if you need a particular ordering. Note that a listing normally includes the . and .. entries, which most code skips.

Chilkat Lua Downloads

Download Chilkat for Lua

Lua

local chilkat = require("chilkat")

-- Demonstrates the SFtp.ReadDirListing method, which reads all remaining entries from an open
-- directory handle into an SFtpDir object.  The 1st argument is the handle (from OpenDir) and
-- the 2nd is the SFtpDir that receives the listing.

local sftp = chilkat.SFtp.new()

-- Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
local port = 22
local success = sftp:connect("sftp.example.com", port)
if not success then
    print(sftp.last_error_text)
    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.
local password = "mySshPassword"

success = sftp:authenticate_pw("mySshLogin", password)
if not success then
    print(sftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

success = sftp:initialize_sftp()
if not success then
    print(sftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Open the remote directory to be listed.  OpenDir returns a handle string.
local handle = sftp:open_dir("subdir")
if not sftp.last_method_success then
    print(sftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Read all directory entries into an SFtpDir object.
local dirListing = chilkat.SFtpDir.new()
success = sftp:read_dir_listing(handle, dirListing)
if not success then
    print(sftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- The listing has been read, so the directory handle can be closed now.
success = sftp:close_handle(handle)
if not success then
    print(sftp.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Iterate the entries.  Entries are in server order (Chilkat does not sort the listing).
local n = dirListing.num_files_and_dirs
print("Directory contains " .. n .. " entries:")

local fileObj = chilkat.SFtpFile.new()
for i = 0, n - 1 do
    -- FileAt fills the SFtpFile object with the entry at the given index.
    success = dirListing:file_at(i, fileObj)
    if not success then
        print(dirListing.last_error_text)
        return
    end

    if fileObj.is_directory then
        print("  [DIR]  " .. fileObj.filename)
    else
        -- Size64 is a 64-bit size; LastModifiedTimeStr is the modification time as text.
        print("  " .. fileObj.filename .. "  (" .. fileObj.size64 .. " bytes, modified " .. fileObj.last_modified_time_str .. ")")
    end
end

sftp:disconnect()