(Node.js) SFTP Read Text File to String

Demonstrates how to download a text file from an SSH server directly into a string variable.

Install Chilkat for Node.js and Electron using npm at Chilkat npm packages for Node.js Chilkat npm packages for Electron on Windows, Linux, MacOSX, and ARM

var os = require('os');
if (os.platform() == 'win32') {  
    if (os.arch() == 'ia32') {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-win-ia32');
    } else {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-win64'); 
    }
} else if (os.platform() == 'linux') {
    if (os.arch() == 'arm') {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-arm');
    } else if (os.arch() == 'x86') {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-linux32');
    } else {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-linux64');
    }
} else if (os.platform() == 'darwin') {
    if (os.arch() == 'arm64') {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-mac-m1');
    } else {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node21-macosx');
    }
}

function chilkatExample() {

    // This example assumes the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    var sftp = new chilkat.SFtp();

    // Set some timeouts, in milliseconds:
    sftp.ConnectTimeoutMs = 5000;
    sftp.IdleTimeoutMs = 15000;

    // Connect to the SSH server.  
    // The standard SSH port = 22
    // The hostname may be a hostname or IP address.
    var hostname = "sftp.example.com";
    var port = 22;
    var success = sftp.Connect(hostname,port);
    if (success !== true) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Authenticate with the SSH server.  Chilkat SFTP supports
    // both password-based authenication as well as public-key
    // authentication.  This example uses password authenication.
    success = sftp.AuthenticatePw("myLogin","myPassword");
    if (success !== true) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // After authenticating, the SFTP subsystem must be initialized:
    success = sftp.InitializeSftp();
    if (success !== true) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Open a file on the server:
    var handle;
    handle = sftp.OpenFile("hamlet.xml","readOnly","openExisting");
    if (sftp.LastMethodSuccess !== true) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Get the total size of this file (in bytes)
    var bFollowLinks = false;
    var bIsHandle = true;
    var numBytes;

    // bFollowLinks is ignored because we are passing a handle
    // and not a remote filename.
    // There are alternative methods for handling file sizes
    // greater than 32-bit.  (See the reference documentation.)
    numBytes = sftp.GetFileSize32(handle,bFollowLinks,bIsHandle);
    if (numBytes < 0) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // The charset indicates the character encoding of the text
    // file on the SSH server.   Setting the charset correctly
    // allows the Chilkat SFTP component to correctly interpret
    // the bytes that represent the characters.
    var charset;
    charset = "ansi";
    var fileContents;
    fileContents = sftp.ReadFileText(handle,numBytes,charset);
    if (sftp.LastMethodSuccess !== true) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }
    else {
        console.log("Received file:");
        console.log(fileContents);
    }

    // Close the file.
    success = sftp.CloseHandle(handle);
    if (success !== true) {
        console.log(sftp.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    console.log("Success.");

}

chilkatExample();