Useful Scripts

Uploading single file involves so little commands that it is enough to provide them on command line, saving writing a script file:

winscp.com /command "option batch abort" "option confirm off" "open user@example.com" "put examplefile.txt /home/user/" "exit"

However you may want to use a script file anyway, so you can later expand it:

option batch abort
option confirm off
open user@example.com
put examplefile.txt /home/user/
exit

To run the script use following command (proving you have saved the script to file example.txt):

winscp.com /script=example.txt

You can use any available scripting language you have on the local host to generate appropriate WinSCP script. Following example uses PHP language:

option batch abort
option confirm off
open session
get /home/user/examplefile.txt *.<?=date("YmdHis")?>.txt
exit

When executed, the generated WinSCP script file may look like:

option batch abort
option confirm off
open session
get /home/user/examplefile.txt *.20060605090825.txt
exit

Now pass the generated script file as input to WinSCP:

php -q download.php | winscp.com /script="%temp%\download.tmp"

If you do not have a scripting language on the local host, you can use remote-side script (like shell script). This approach requires opening separate shell session to invoke remote-side scripting.

option batch abort
option confirm off
open session
# Make copy of the remote file to temporary timestamped file.
# Also add unique extension to easily find the file in the temporary directory.
call cp /home/user/examplefile.txt /tmp/examplefile.`date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S`.unique
# Download all the files with the unique extension.
# There should be only one, the one just created.
# While downloading, remove the unique extension.
get /tmp/*.unique *.
# Remove the temporary file.
rm /tmp/*.unique
exit

You may use following Windows script host JavaScript code (example.js):

// Configuration
 
// Local path to download to (keep trailing slash)
var LOCALPATH = "c:\\downloaded\\";
// Remote path to search in (keep trailing slash)
var REMOTEPATH = "/home/user/";
// Mask of files to search for
var FILEMASK = "*.*";
// Session to connect to
var SESSION = "session";
// Path to winscp.com
var WINSCP = "c:\\program files\\winscp\\winscp.com";
 
var filesys = WScript.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject");
var shell = WScript.CreateObject("wscript.shell");
   
var logfilepath = filesys.GetSpecialFolder(2) + "\\" + filesys.GetTempName() + ".xml";
 
var exec;
 
// run winscp to get list of file in the remote directory into XML log
exec = shell.Exec("\"" + WINSCP + "\" /log=\"" + logfilepath + "\"");
exec.StdIn.Write(
    "option batch abort\n" +
    "open \"" + SESSION + "\"\n" +
    "ls \"" + REMOTEPATH + FILEMASK + "\"\n" +
    "exit\n");
 
// wait until the script finishes
while (!exec.StdOut.AtEndOfStream)
{
    WScript.Echo(exec.StdOut.ReadAll());
}
 
if (exec.ExitCode != 0)
{
    WScript.Echo("Error retrieving list of files");
    WScript.Quit(1);
}
 
// look for log file
var logfile = filesys.GetFile(logfilepath);
 
if (logfile == null)
{
    WScript.Echo("Cannot find log file");
    WScript.Quit(1);
}
 
// parse XML log file
var doc = new ActiveXObject("MSXML2.DOMDocument");
doc.async = false;
doc.load(logfilepath);
 
doc.setProperty("SelectionNamespaces", 
    "xmlns:w='http://winscp.net/schema/session/1.0'");
 
var nodes = doc.selectNodes("//w:file");
 
// find the latest file
var filenameLatest = null;
var modificationLatest = null;
for (var i = 0; i < nodes.length; ++i)
{
    var filename = nodes[i].selectSingleNode("w:filename/@value");
    var modification = nodes[i].selectSingleNode("w:modification/@value");
    if ((filename != null) &&
        (filename.value != ".") &&
        (filename.value != "..") &&
        (modification != null))
    {
        // can compare timestamps stringwise
        if ((modificationLatest == null) ||
            (modificationLatest < modification.value))
        {
            modificationLatest = modification.value;
            filenameLatest = filename.value;
        }
    }
}
 
// no file in the log
if (filenameLatest == null)
{
    WScript.Echo("No file found");
    WScript.Quit(0);
}
 
// run winscp to download the latest file
exec = shell.Exec("\"" + WINSCP + "\"");
exec.StdIn.Write(
    "option batch abort\n" +
    "option confirm off\n" +
    "open \"" + session + "\"\n" +
    "get \"" + REMOTEPATH + filenameLatest + "\" \"" + LOCALPATH + "\"\n" +
    "exit\n");
 
// wait until the script finishes
while (!exec.StdOut.AtEndOfStream)
{
    WScript.Echo(exec.StdOut.ReadAll());
}
 
if (exec.ExitCode != 0)
{
    WScript.Echo("Error downloading " + filenameLatest);
    WScript.Quit(1);
}

Run the script with command:

cscript /nologo example.js

WinSCP does not support move command for local files. Instead you can combine WinSCP script with batch file:

option batch abort
option confirm off
# Connect
open session
# Upload the files
put *.*

Launch the above script from batch file like the one below:

winscp.com /script=example.txt
if errorlevel 1 goto error

echo Upload succeeded, moving local files
move *.* c:\backup\
exit

:error
echo Upload failed, keeping local files

You may want to have script that synchronizes any local directory with a same-named subdirectory of fixed remote path, e.g.:

• c:\www\gallery with /home/user/www/gallery;
• c:\documents and settings\martin\www\forum with /home/user/www/forum.

Such script is particularly useful for integrating with Windows Explorer’s ‘Send To’ menu.

First create wrapper batch file to store the paths you want to synchronize into environment variables (change /home/user/www/ to remote path root you want to synchronize against):

set LOCAL=%1
set REMOTE="/home/user/www/%~n1%~x1"
winscp.com /script=example.txt

The script example.txt may look like:

# Being intended for interactive session, we are not enabling batch mode
# Connect
open session
# Synchronize paths provided via environment variables
synchronize remote %LOCAL% %REMOTE%

Then you can make a shortcut to the batch file:

• When placed on desktop, you can drop any local directory to it to start synchronization;
• When placed to c:\documents and settings\username\sendto, you can use //Send To > Your Shortcut’' from context menu of any local directory.

• Guide to automation;
• Guide to advanced scripting.