WebClient.DownloadData Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.Net

Assembly:

System.Net.WebClient.dll

Downloads the resource as a Byte array from the URI specified.

Overloads

DownloadData(String)	Downloads the resource as a Byte array from the URI specified.
DownloadData(Uri)	Downloads the resource as a Byte array from the URI specified.

DownloadData(String)

Source:

WebClient.cs

Downloads the resource as a Byte array from the URI specified.

public:
 cli::array <System::Byte> ^ DownloadData(System::String ^ address);

public byte[] DownloadData (string address);

member this.DownloadData : string -> byte[]

Public Function DownloadData (address As String) As Byte()

Parameters

address

String

The URI from which to download data.

Returns

Byte[]

A Byte array containing the downloaded resource.

Exceptions

ArgumentNullException

The address parameter is null.

WebException

The URI formed by combining BaseAddress and address is invalid.

-or-

An error occurred while downloading data.

NotSupportedException

The method has been called simultaneously on multiple threads.

Examples

The following code example requests data from a server and displays the data returned. It assumes that remoteUri contains a valid URI for the requested data.

Console::Write( "\nPlease enter a URI (e.g. http://www.contoso.com): " );
String^ remoteUri = Console::ReadLine();

// Create a new WebClient instance.
WebClient^ myWebClient = gcnew WebClient;
// Download home page data.
Console::WriteLine( "Downloading {0}", remoteUri );
// Download the Web resource and save it into a data buffer.
array<Byte>^ myDataBuffer = myWebClient->DownloadData( remoteUri );

// Display the downloaded data.
String^ download = Encoding::ASCII->GetString( myDataBuffer );
Console::WriteLine( download );

Console::WriteLine( "Download successful." );

Console.Write("\nPlease enter a URI (for example, http://www.contoso.com): ");
string remoteUri = Console.ReadLine();

// Create a new WebClient instance.
WebClient myWebClient = new WebClient();
// Download home page data.
Console.WriteLine("Downloading " + remoteUri);                        
// Download the Web resource and save it into a data buffer.
byte[] myDataBuffer = myWebClient.DownloadData (remoteUri);

// Display the downloaded data.
string download = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(myDataBuffer);
Console.WriteLine(download);
                    
Console.WriteLine("Download successful.");

Console.Write(ControlChars.Cr + "Please enter a Url(for example, http://www.msn.com): ")
Dim remoteUrl As String = Console.ReadLine()
' Create a new WebClient instance.
Dim myWebClient As New WebClient()
' Download the home page data.
Console.WriteLine(("Downloading " + remoteUrl))
' DownloadData() method takes a 'uriRemote.ToString()' and downloads the Web resource and saves it into a data buffer.
Dim myDatabuffer As Byte() = myWebClient.DownloadData(remoteUrl)

' Display the downloaded data.
Dim download As String = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(myDataBuffer)
Console.WriteLine(download)

Console.WriteLine("Download successful.")

Remarks

Caution

WebRequest, HttpWebRequest, ServicePoint, and WebClient are obsolete, and you shouldn't use them for new development. Use HttpClient instead.

The DownloadData method downloads the resource with the URI specified by the address parameter. This method blocks while downloading the resource. To download a resource and continue executing while waiting for the server's response, use one of the DownloadDataAsync methods.

If the BaseAddress property is not an empty string ("") and address does not contain an absolute URI, address must be a relative URI that is combined with BaseAddress to form the absolute URI of the requested data. If the QueryString property is not an empty string, it is appended to address.

This method uses the RETR command to download an FTP resource. For an HTTP resource, the GET method is used.

Note

This member outputs trace information when you enable network tracing in your application. For more information, see Network Tracing in .NET Framework.

DownloadData(Uri)

Source:

WebClient.cs

Downloads the resource as a Byte array from the URI specified.

public:
 cli::array <System::Byte> ^ DownloadData(Uri ^ address);

public byte[] DownloadData (Uri address);

member this.DownloadData : Uri -> byte[]

Public Function DownloadData (address As Uri) As Byte()

Parameters

address

Uri

The URI represented by the Uri object, from which to download data.

Returns

Byte[]

A Byte array containing the downloaded resource.

Exceptions

ArgumentNullException

The address parameter is null.

Remarks

Caution

WebRequest, HttpWebRequest, ServicePoint, and WebClient are obsolete, and you shouldn't use them for new development. Use HttpClient instead.

The DownloadData method downloads the resource with the URI specified by the address parameter. This method blocks while downloading the resource. To download a resource and continue executing while waiting for the server's response, use one of the DownloadDataAsync methods.

If the BaseAddress property is not an empty string ("") and address does not contain an absolute URI, address must be a relative URI that is combined with BaseAddress to form the absolute URI of the requested data. If the QueryString property is not an empty string, it is appended to address.

This method uses the RETR command to download an FTP resource. For an HTTP resource, the GET method is used.

Note

This member outputs trace information when you enable network tracing in your application. For more information, see Network Tracing in .NET Framework.