CkPython

Get a Directory Listing as XML

Demonstrates the Chilkat Ftp2.GetXmlDirListing method, which retrieves a directory listing and returns the parsed entries as an XML document rooted at <remoteDir>, with a <file> element per entry. The only argument is the listing pattern; an empty string lists the current directory.

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

Background: This is the parse-friendly listing: Chilkat has already interpreted the server's raw LIST output — whatever its format — into consistent XML with names, sizes, dates, and types as elements. That spares you from writing format-specific parsers and is the right choice when a program, rather than a person, consumes the listing. Load the result into a Chilkat.Xml object to iterate the entries.

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import sys
import chilkat

success = False

#  Demonstrates the Ftp2.GetXmlDirListing method, which returns a directory listing as a parsed
#  XML document.  The only argument is the listing pattern; an empty string lists the current
#  remote directory.

ftp = chilkat.CkFtp2()

ftp.put_Hostname("ftp.example.com")
ftp.put_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.put_Password("myPassword")

success = ftp.Connect()
if (success == False):
    print(ftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

success = ftp.ChangeRemoteDir("public_html")
if (success == False):
    print(ftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  The XML is rooted at <remoteDir>, with <file> elements for each entry.  This is easier to
#  parse programmatically than the raw text listing.
xml = ftp.getXmlDirListing("*.html")
if (ftp.get_LastMethodSuccess() == False):
    print(ftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

print(xml)

#  The XML can be loaded into a Chilkat.Xml object for further processing.

success = ftp.Disconnect()
if (success == False):
    print(ftp.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()