The most current and currently recommended way to download .NET Framework, .NET Standard or .NET Core files from the Internet is the HttpClient class.
To use the HttpClient class, the NuGet package System.Net.Http is required.
1<PackageReference Include="System.Net.Http" Version="4.3.4" />
1
2public class DownloadFileSample
3{
4 // define HttpClient as static and re-use instance
5 private static readonly HttpClient _httpClient = new HttpClient();
6
7 public async Task<YourReturnHere> DownloadFile(string url)
8 {
9 // executes a HTTP "GET" request
10 HttpResponseMessage response = await _httpClient.GetAsync(url);
11
12 // download contents as string
13 string responseBody = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
14
15 // download contents as byte array
16 string responseBody = await response.Content.ReadAsByteArrayAsync();
17
18 // use contents as stream
19 string responseBody = await response.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync();
20 }
21}
As you can see, the HttpClient or the Response offers several ways to handle the content: String, Byte Array or directly as stream. Make sure to use the appropriate way at this point. This improves performance.
Author
BEN ABT
Ben is a Principal Software Engineer at Medialesson.de, with a strong focus on .NET and Microsoft Azure. In his professional role, he designs and builds highly scalable platforms for hybrid and cloud-based scenarios. He also advises companies and C-levels on migrating to the sovereign cloud.
He runs myCSharp.de, the largest and most active German-speaking C# community forum, actively contributes to both his own and external open-source projects, and regularly shares his knowledge through his blog, at community events, conferences, and as a writer for technical magazines.
Comments