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PureBasic

Create a Symbolic Link on an SFTP Server

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Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server. The first argument is the link target and the second is the new symbolic-link path.

Background: A symbolic link stores a path that points at another location, so it can span directories or filesystems and can even point at something that does not exist. A common use is a stable name like latest.log that is repointed at each day's file. Argument order is a frequent source of confusion — the target comes first, the new link path second — and note that how the target string is interpreted (relative to what) is up to the server's implementation.

Chilkat PureBasic Downloads

PureBasic
IncludeFile "CkSFtp.pb"

Procedure ChilkatExample()

    success.i = 0

    ;  Demonstrates the SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server.  The 1st
    ;  argument is the link target and the 2nd is the new symbolic-link path.

    sftp.i = CkSFtp::ckCreate()
    If sftp.i = 0
        Debug "Failed to create object."
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    ;  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
    port.i = 22
    success = CkSFtp::ckConnect(sftp,"sftp.example.com",port)
    If success = 0
        Debug CkSFtp::ckLastErrorText(sftp)
        CkSFtp::ckDispose(sftp)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    ;  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.
    password.s = "mySshPassword"

    success = CkSFtp::ckAuthenticatePw(sftp,"mySshLogin",password)
    If success = 0
        Debug CkSFtp::ckLastErrorText(sftp)
        CkSFtp::ckDispose(sftp)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    success = CkSFtp::ckInitializeSftp(sftp)
    If success = 0
        Debug CkSFtp::ckLastErrorText(sftp)
        CkSFtp::ckDispose(sftp)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    ;  Create a symbolic link "subdir/latest.log" that points at "subdir/2026-07-23.log".  The
    ;  server's SFTP implementation determines how the target path is interpreted.
    success = CkSFtp::ckSymLink(sftp,"subdir/2026-07-23.log","subdir/latest.log")
    If success = 0
        Debug CkSFtp::ckLastErrorText(sftp)
        CkSFtp::ckDispose(sftp)
        ProcedureReturn
    EndIf

    Debug "Symbolic link created."

    CkSFtp::ckDisconnect(sftp)


    CkSFtp::ckDispose(sftp)


    ProcedureReturn
EndProcedure