help: downloading online files with perl

[kk]

Hi,
I am trying to write a script that downloads a file from a website everyday.
Can I just use the copy command (i.e. use File::Copy)? Does it support URI?
I wrote something like below, but it does not seem to work.

use File::Copy;
copy(www.abc.com\abc.pdf, "C:\myfolder\") or die "File cannot be copied.";

Is there a better way to do this?

Sorry, it seems like a very easy thing to do, but I am doing something
wrong...

Thank you

 

[Jürgen Exner]

I am trying to write a script that downloads a file from a website
everyday.

Your Question is Asked Frequently:
"How do I fetch an HTML file?"

Can I just use the copy command (i.e. use File::Copy)?
No.

Does it support URI?

Well, of course not. A URI can be anything, not just a simple file.

I wrote something like below, but it does not seem to
work.
use File::Copy;
copy(www.abc.com\abc.pdf, "C:\myfolder\") or die "File cannot be
copied.";
Is there a better way to do this?

Yes. As explained in the FAQ.

jue

 

[Verizon]

Hi,
I am trying to write a script that downloads a file from a website
everyday. Can I just use the copy command (i.e. use File::Copy)? Does it
support URI? I wrote something like below, but it does not seem to work.

use File::Copy;
copy(www.abc.com\abc.pdf, "C:\myfolder\") or die "File cannot be copied.";

Is there a better way to do this?

Sorry, it seems like a very easy thing to do, but I am doing something
wrong...

Thank you

Have a look at LWP (lib-www-perl). You'll probably need to do an HTTP
request, but it supports ftp, gopher and local file systems using this
module. I haven't tried this with what you're trying to do so I don't have
any examples, but I have used LWP to retrieve HTTP pages.

Craig