Loading file contents from FTP to ListBox

Question

I face an error when I try to load a contents of a file from FTP to ListBox.

Form1 (Photo1)

Ftp Home Including All Ftp Server File's (Photo2)

Error issue (Photo3), Error Happen When Press in "Ann File" (Button)

Form1 Code (Form Class)

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Net

Public Class Form1

    Dim client As New Net.WebClient
    Dim streamreaddder As IO.StreamReader

    Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

    End Sub

    Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        ListBox1.Items.Clear()
        Dim ftp As FtpWebRequest =
            DirectCast(WebRequest.Create("ftp://Example.com/Ann.txt/"), FtpWebRequest)
        ftp.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.ListDirectory
        Dim ftpFiles As New ArrayList()
        ftp.Credentials = New NetworkCredential("*****", "****")
        Dim Response As FtpWebResponse = ftp.GetResponse()
        Dim responseStream As Stream = Response.GetResponseStream()
        Dim reader = New StreamReader(responseStream)

        While Not (reader.EndOfStream)
           ftpFiles.Add(reader.ReadLine())
        End While
        For Each file In ftpFiles
          ListBox1.Items.Add(file)
        Next
        reader.Close()
        responseStream.Close()
        Response.Close()
    End Sub

End Class

Only I want to load my FTP file (Ann.txt) in my listbox .

Error details:

System.Net.WebException
HResult=0x80131509
Message=The remote server returned an error: (550) File unavailable (e.g., file not found, no access).
Source=System
StackTrace:
at System.Net.FtpWebRequest.SyncRequestCallback(Object obj)
at System.Net.FtpWebRequest.RequestCallback(Object obj)
at System.Net.CommandStream.Dispose(Boolean disposing)
at System.IO.Stream.Close()
at System.IO.Stream.Dispose()
at System.Net.ConnectionPool.Destroy(PooledStream pooledStream)
at System.Net.ConnectionPool.PutConnection(PooledStream pooledStream, Object owningObject, Int32 creationTimeout, Boolean canReuse)
at System.Net.FtpWebRequest.FinishRequestStage(RequestStage stage)
at System.Net.FtpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at WindowsApp1.Form1.Button2_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Users\Ahmad\AppData\Local\Temporary Projects\WindowsApp1\Form1.vb:line 72
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(IntPtr dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.WindowsFormsApplicationBase.OnRun()
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.WindowsFormsApplicationBase.DoApplicationModel()
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.ApplicationServices.WindowsFormsApplicationBase.Run(String[] commandLine)
at WindowsApp1.My.MyApplication.Main(String[] Args) in :line 81

Answer 1

To read a file contents, you have to use DownloadFile method, not ListDirectory:

Dim request As FtpWebRequest = WebRequest.Create("ftp://example.com/path/Ann.txt")
request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.DownloadFile
request.Credentials = New NetworkCredential("username", "password")

Using response As FtpWebResponse = request.GetResponse(),
      stream As Stream = response.GetResponseStream(),
      reader As StreamReader = New StreamReader(stream)
    While Not reader.EndOfStream
        ListBox1.Items.Add(reader.ReadLine())
    End While
End Using

---

Also note:

• the use of Using statement;
• no need for intermediate ArrayList().

---

Due to crappy implementation of the Stream returned by .GetResponseStream, the code will not work correctly if the last line is not terminated by a new line. Working this around would require much more complicate code. See also StreamReader ReadLine throwing disposed exception rather than returning null (not exactly the same problem, but similar).