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Download a File Using URLDownloadToCacheFile

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25 Oct 20023 min read 193.8K   7.7K   68   38
A sample to demonstrate how to use URLDownloadToCacheFile and IBindStatusCallback.

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Introduction

You can use WinInet to download a file from the Internet. But the easier way is to use the ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() or ::URLDownloadToFile() functions. The URL functions combine the capabilities of asynchronous monikers and URL monikers into easy-to-use functions. By using these functions, you do not have to worry about the protocols used to transfer the files, such as HTTP, FTP. In the simplest case, all you have to do is to pass them the URL. ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() downloads data into the Internet cache and returns the file name of the cache location for retrieving the bits. ::URLDownloadToFile() downloads bits from the Internet and saves them to a file. However, they are blocking functions. Even though the data is downloaded asynchronously the functions do not return until all the data is downloaded. You can choose to be notified of progress through a notification callback.

This sample demonstrates how to use the ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() function to download a file from the Internet without blocking the user interface. The use of the ::URLDownloadToFile() function is similar. The sample is an MFC dialog-based application that creates a worker thread to perform the download task.

The user is supposed to enter the URL in the URL edit box and then press the Download button. The CUrlFileDlg::OnOK() will be called since the ID of the Download button is IDOK. The CUrlFileDlg::OnOK() retrieves the URL string from the URL edit box and checks its validity using the ::IsValidURL() function. The second parameter of the ::IsValidURL() function is expected to be of the LPCWSTR type. Here, the T2CW conversion macro is used. For more information about MBCS/Unicode Conversion Macros, see the MFC Technical Note "TN059: Using MFC MBCS/Unicode Conversion Macros". If the URL is valid (but it is not necessarily correct), a worker thread is created by calling ::AfxBeginThread(). The controlling function for the worker thread is a static member function of CUrlFileDlg - CUrlFileDlg::Download(), which calls ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() and posts a user-defined message WM_USER_ENDDOWNLOAD to the dialog box after ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() returns. The message-handler function for WM_USER_ENDDOWNLOAD waits until the worker thread terminates, then deletes the CWinThread object. It also displays the name of the downloaded file. The last parameter of ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() is the address of the caller's IBindStatusCallback interface. ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() calls this interface's IBindStatusCallback::OnProgress() method on a connection activity, including the arrival of data. Implementing IBindStatusCallback::OnProgress() allows a caller to implement a user interface or other progress monitoring functionality. It also allows the download operation to be canceled by returning E_ABORT from the IBindStatusCallback::OnProgress() call. The implementation of the IBindStatusCallback interface is the CBSCallbackImpl class. The CBSCallbackImpl::OnProgress() sends a user-defined message WM_USER_DISPLAYSTATUS to the dialog box to display the progress messages. It also uses the ::WaitForSingleObject() function to check the current state of the event object, which is set to the signaled state when the user has pressed the Stop button (the same button as the Download button) during downloading. If the event object is in the signaled state, the CBSCallbackImpl::OnProgress() returns E_ABORT to cancel the download operation.

Note that the following setting affects the behavior of ::URLDownloadToCacheFile() just like the Internet Explorer browser.

Check Control Panel/Internet/General/Temporary Internet files/Settings/Check for newer versions of stored pages

License

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Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralAuthentication and URLDownloadToCacheFile Pin
JohnFx7-Mar-06 6:29
JohnFx7-Mar-06 6:29 
GeneralCheck the status Wether Connect to the internet or not Pin
Kutti Ra30-Sep-05 16:07
Kutti Ra30-Sep-05 16:07 
QuestionUsing thru proxy ? Pin
darthmaul11-May-04 4:07
darthmaul11-May-04 4:07 
AnswerRe: Using thru proxy ? Pin
Chen Su11-May-04 6:21
Chen Su11-May-04 6:21 
GeneralRe: Using thru proxy ? Pin
darthmaul12-May-04 1:58
darthmaul12-May-04 1:58 
GeneralRe: Using thru proxy ? Pin
Chen Su12-May-04 6:33
Chen Su12-May-04 6:33 
GeneralRe: Using thru proxy ? Pin
Anonymous31-Aug-04 11:04
Anonymous31-Aug-04 11:04 
GeneralHandling errors of URL download ! Pin
Anonymous28-Apr-04 3:33
Anonymous28-Apr-04 3:33 
QuestionHow to implemet IBindStatusCallback Pin
Member 8651655-Feb-04 12:40
Member 8651655-Feb-04 12:40 
AnswerRe: How to implemet IBindStatusCallback Pin
Chen Su5-Feb-04 13:18
Chen Su5-Feb-04 13:18 
GeneralRe: How to implemet IBindStatusCallback Pin
Member 463620110-Feb-04 4:11
Member 463620110-Feb-04 4:11 
GeneralRe: How to implemet IBindStatusCallback Pin
Chen Su10-Feb-04 8:24
Chen Su10-Feb-04 8:24 
Generalnews.yahoo.com failed to download Pin
Anonymous27-Jan-03 22:27
Anonymous27-Jan-03 22:27 

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