How to download a file from a URL in C#?

Question

What is a simple way of downloading a file from a URL path?

Answer 1

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

Here it is, an example that covers these options. Lambda notation and String interpolation has been used:

using System.Net;
// ...

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

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

    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!");
    };

    client.DownloadFileAsync(ur, @"C:\path\newImage.jpg");
}