List all files inside ftp zip?

[Dibbie]

Im trying to display in a textbox, all the files inside a zip folder that is located on a ftp server.
How might I do that?

This is the code now, which works for the file being on the local machine, how might I modify it to work for "URI's", according to VB.

Public Function checkFilesInFolder(ByVal folderPath As String) As List(Of String)
        Dim fileList As List(Of String) = New List(Of String)()

        Try
            ' make a reference to a directory
            Dim di As New IO.DirectoryInfo(folderPath)
            Dim diar1 As IO.FileInfo() = di.GetFiles()
            Dim file As IO.FileInfo

            'list the names of all files in the specified directory
            For Each file In diar1
                RichTextBox1.Text = vbNewLine & file.Name
                fileList.Add(file.Name)
            Next
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.Message)
        End Try

        Return fileList
    End Function

If I where to put the FTP web address it will tell me it cant work with URI's, and I assume its because "IO" is for local files only, and not remote/server files.

[ident]

You will need to download the file and extract it. Search the forum there are loads examples. As for unzip use the Ionic.Zip dll.

[Dibbie]

There isnt any other way? Because it seems having to download a zip file of a unknown size (for example, larger zip files) then unzipping them to read its contents, display it, then delete the file would take a lengthy time for the program to do all that in (virtually) 1 second.
Also, my program will list files to download, and before they choose to download the file or not, they can see the contents of that file (which would be a zip), to see if they need/want it or not. Having the program download it anyway to show the content, then delete it, and ask them "Do you want to download this file from the server?" Seems kind of... Weird?

[techgnome]

well, that's the way it works...
What you could do (if it's feasible) is to have a text file that lists the contents of the zip file(s)... then you could jsut grab that (yes, you'll need to download it, but d/l a text file would be far faster than bringing down the zip file) and then list the contents of it.

-tg

[TnTinMN]

There isnt any other way?

Not that I know of. You are up against the ZIP file structure. Its "central directory record" is stored at the end of the file.

[SJWhiteley]

Not that I know of. You are up against the ZIP file structure. Its "central directory record" is stored at the end of the file.

To clarify, you don't need to unzip it, just download it.

[Dibbie]

Alright, thanks for the replies, ill try it