Unicode C++

Remove a Remote Directory on an SFTP Server

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.RemoveDir method, which deletes a remote directory. The only argument is the directory path.

Background: Most SFTP servers refuse to remove a directory that is not empty, so deleting a populated tree means removing its files and subdirectories first — the inverse of building a path level by level. There is no single "recursive delete" in the SFTP protocol; a client implements it by listing, descending, and removing bottom-up.

Chilkat Unicode C++ Downloads

Download Chilkat for Unicode C++

Unicode C++

#include <CkSFtpW.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    bool success = false;

    //  Demonstrates the SFtp.RemoveDir method, which deletes a remote directory.  The only argument
    //  is the directory path.

    CkSFtpW sftp;

    //  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
    int port = 22;
    success = sftp.Connect(L"sftp.example.com",port);
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",sftp.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    //  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.
    const wchar_t *password = L"mySshPassword";

    success = sftp.AuthenticatePw(L"mySshLogin",password);
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",sftp.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    success = sftp.InitializeSftp();
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",sftp.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    //  Delete a remote directory.  Most SFTP servers require the directory to be empty first.
    success = sftp.RemoveDir(L"subdir/oldfolder");
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",sftp.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    wprintf(L"Directory removed.\n");

    sftp.Disconnect();
    }