Objective-C

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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Objective-C

#import <CkoFtp2.h>
#import <NSString.h>

BOOL success = NO;

//  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.

CkoFtp2 *ftp = [[CkoFtp2 alloc] init];

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 == NO) {
    NSLog(@"%@",ftp.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

success = [ftp ChangeRemoteDir: @"public_html"];
if (success == NO) {
    NSLog(@"%@",ftp.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

//  NLST returns names only (no sizes, dates, or types).  "*.txt" sends NLST *.txt.
NSString *xml = [ftp NlstXml: @"*.txt"];
if (ftp.LastMethodSuccess == NO) {
    NSLog(@"%@",ftp.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

NSLog(@"%@",xml);

success = [ftp Disconnect];
if (success == NO) {
    NSLog(@"%@",ftp.LastErrorText);
    return;
}