SQL Server

Read the Target of a Symbolic Link

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.ReadLink method, which returns the target path stored in a remote symbolic link. The only argument is the link path. The example then resolves the target to an absolute path with RealPath.

Background: ReadLink returns the raw string stored in the link exactly as it was created — which may be relative, absolute, or even dangling — without resolving it. That distinction matters: to learn where a link actually leads you follow it with RealPath, which canonicalizes the path on the server. Reading the raw target is the right choice when you need to inspect or preserve the link itself rather than its destination.

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-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    DECLARE @iTmp0 int
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    DECLARE @success int
    SELECT @success = 0

    --  Demonstrates the SFtp.ReadLink method, which returns the target path stored in a remote
    --  symbolic link.  The only argument is the link path.

    DECLARE @sftp int
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.SFtp', @sftp OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    --  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
    DECLARE @port int
    SELECT @port = 22
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'Connect', @success OUT, 'sftp.example.com', @port
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        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.
    DECLARE @password nvarchar(4000)
    SELECT @password = 'mySshPassword'

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'AuthenticatePw', @success OUT, 'mySshLogin', @password
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'InitializeSftp', @success OUT
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    --  Read the target of a symbolic link.  The returned value is the raw target string stored in
    --  the link; it is not canonicalized and can be relative or absolute.
    DECLARE @target nvarchar(4000)
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'ReadLink', @target OUT, 'subdir/latest.log'
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastMethodSuccess', @iTmp0 OUT
    IF @iTmp0 = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    PRINT 'The link points to: ' + @target

    --  To resolve it to an absolute path, pass it to RealPath.
    DECLARE @absTarget nvarchar(4000)
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'RealPath', @absTarget OUT, @target, ''
    EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastMethodSuccess', @iTmp0 OUT
    IF @iTmp0 = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    PRINT 'Absolute target: ' + @absTarget

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'Disconnect', NULL

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp


END
GO