How to download a file from a website in C#

Question

Is it possible to download a file from a website in Windows Application form and put it into a certain directory?

Answer 1

With the WebClient class:

using System.Net;
//...
WebClient Client = new WebClient ();
Client.DownloadFile("http://i.stackoverflow.com/Content/Img/stackoverflow-logo-250.png", @"C:\folder\stackoverflowlogo.png");

Answer 2

Use WebClient.DownloadFile:

using (WebClient client = new WebClient())
{
    client.DownloadFile("http://csharpindepth.com/Reviews.aspx", 
                        @"c:\Users\Jon\Test\foo.txt");
}

Answer 3

You may need to know the status during the file download or use credentials before making the request.

Here is an example that covers these options:

Uri ur = new Uri("http://remotehost.do/images/img.jpg");

using (WebClient client = new WebClient()) {
    //client.Credentials = new NetworkCredential("username", "password");
    String credentials = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("Username" + ":" + "MyNewPassword"));
    client.Headers[HttpRequestHeader.Authorization] = $"Basic {credentials}";

    client.DownloadProgressChanged += WebClientDownloadProgressChanged;
    client.DownloadDataCompleted += WebClientDownloadCompleted;
    client.DownloadFileAsync(ur, @"C:\path\newImage.jpg");
}

And the callback's functions implemented as follows:

void WebClientDownloadProgressChanged(object sender, DownloadProgressChangedEventArgs e)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Download status: {0}%.", e.ProgressPercentage);

    // updating the UI
    Dispatcher.Invoke(() => {
        progressBar.Value = e.ProgressPercentage;
    });
}

void WebClientDownloadCompleted(object sender, DownloadDataCompletedEventArgs e)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Download finished!");
}

(Ver 2) - Lambda notation: other possible option for handling the events

client.DownloadProgressChanged += new DownloadProgressChangedEventHandler(delegate(object sender, DownloadProgressChangedEventArgs e) {
    Console.WriteLine("Download status: {0}%.", e.ProgressPercentage);

    // updating the UI
    Dispatcher.Invoke(() => {
        progressBar.Value = e.ProgressPercentage;
    });
});

client.DownloadDataCompleted += new DownloadDataCompletedEventHandler(delegate(object sender, DownloadDataCompletedEventArgs e){
    Console.WriteLine("Download finished!");
});

(Ver 3) - We can do better

client.DownloadProgressChanged += (object sender, DownloadProgressChangedEventArgs e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine("Download status: {0}%.", e.ProgressPercentage);

    // updating the UI
    Dispatcher.Invoke(() => {
        progressBar.Value = e.ProgressPercentage;
    });
};

client.DownloadDataCompleted += (object sender, DownloadDataCompletedEventArgs e) => 
{
    Console.WriteLine("Download finished!");
};

(Ver 4) - Or

client.DownloadProgressChanged += (o, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Download status: {e.ProgressPercentage}%.");

    // updating the UI
    Dispatcher.Invoke(() => {
        progressBar.Value = e.ProgressPercentage;
    });
};

client.DownloadDataCompleted += (o, e) => 
{
    Console.WriteLine("Download finished!");
};

Answer 4

Sure, you just use a HttpWebRequest.

Once you have the HttpWebRequest set up, you can save the response stream to a file StreamWriter(Either BinaryWriter, or a TextWriter depending on the mimetype.) and you have a file on your hard drive.

EDIT: Forgot about WebClient. That works good unless as long as you only need to use GET to retrieve your file. If the site requires you to POST information to it, you'll have to use a HttpWebRequest, so I'm leaving my answer up.

Answer 5

You can use this code to Download file from a WebSite to Desktop:

using System.Net;

WebClient client = new WebClient ();
client.DownloadFileAsync(new Uri("http://www.Address.com/File.zip"), Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop) + "File.zip");

Answer 6

Try this example:

public void TheDownload(string path)
{
  System.IO.FileInfo toDownload = new System.IO.FileInfo(HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath(path));

  HttpContext.Current.Response.Clear();
  HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition",
             "attachment; filename=" + toDownload.Name);
  HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Content-Length",
             toDownload.Length.ToString());
  HttpContext.Current.Response.ContentType = "application/octet-stream";
  HttpContext.Current.Response.WriteFile(patch);
  HttpContext.Current.Response.End();
} 

The implementation is done in the follows:

TheDownload("@"c:\Temporal\Test.txt"");

Source: http://www.systemdeveloper.info/2014/03/force-downloading-file-from-c.html

Answer 7

Also you can use DownloadFileAsync method in WebClient class. It downloads to a local file the resource with the specified URI. Also this method does not block the calling thread.

Sample:

    webClient.DownloadFileAsync(new Uri("http://www.example.com/file/test.jpg"), "test.jpg");

For more information:

http://csharpexamples.com/download-files-synchronous-asynchronous-url-c/