PySFTP: A Comprehensive Guide with Examples

Python provides various libraries to handle various types of tasks. One such library is pysftp , a simple interface for SFTP sessions (i.e., Secure File Transfer Protocol) in Python. The library wraps paramiko’s SFTP functionality for easier usage and convenience. This article will illustrate how to use the PySFTP library with comprehensive examples.

Installation

Before we begin, we need to install the pysftp library. You can do it using pip, the Python package manager. Please execute the following command in your command prompt or terminal:

pip install pysftp

Establishing an SFTP Connection

The first step in using PySFTP is to establish a connection with the server. Below is a simple example of how to accomplish this:

import pysftp

hostname = "example.com" 
username = "user"
password = "pass"

# Establishing a connection
with pysftp.Connection(hostname, username=username, password=password) as sftp:
    print("Connection successfully established with the server.")

In the example above, we are establishing a connection with the server 'example.com' using the given username and password. The with keyword is used to ensure the session is cleanly closed after we're done with it.

File Transfer

Let's move ahead and see how we can upload and download files from the server. Upload a File:

with pysftp.Connection(hostname, username=username, password=password) as sftp:
    local_path = "path/to/local/file"
    remote_path = "path/on/server"
    sftp.put(local_path, remote_path)
    print("File successfully uploaded to the server.")

In the code snippet above, we used the put() function of the pysftp.Connection object to upload a file located at 'local_path' to the 'remote_path' on the server. Download a File:

with pysftp.Connection(hostname, username=username, password=password) as sftp:
    local_path = "path/to/local/file"
    remote_path = "path/on/server"
    sftp.get(remote_path, local_path)
    print("File successfully downloaded from the server.")

In this snippet, we are using the get() function of the pysftp.Connection object to download a file located at 'remote_path' from the server to the 'local_path' on our local machine.

Working with Directories

You can also create, remove, or navigate through directories on the server. Create a directory:

with pysftp.Connection(hostname, username=username, password=password) as sftp:
    remote_directory_path = "/path/to/directory"
    sftp.mkdir(remote_directory_path)
    print(f"Directory {remote_directory_path} created on the server.")

Remove a directory:

with pysftp.Connection(hostname, username=username, password=password) as sftp:
    remote_directory_path = "/path/to/directory"
    sftp.rmdir(remote_directory_path)
    print(f"Directory {remote_directory_path} removed from the server.")

Navigate through directories:

with pysftp.Connection(hostname, username=username, password=password) as sftp:
    remote_directory_path = "/path/to/directory"
    sftp.chdir(remote_directory_path)
    print(f"Changed the current working directory to {remote_directory_path} on the server.")

In the examples above, mkdir() , rmdir() , and chdir() functions of the pysftp.Connection object are used to create, remove, and change the current working directory, respectively.

Conclusion

PySFTP is a straightforward and effective way to interact with SFTP servers using Python. While the examples given above cover some of the basics, the library provides numerous other features for managing and manipulating remote files and directories. For a full list of PySFTP's capabilities, it's recommended to refer to the official documentation.