GetWritableFileInfo(IEasyUAFileTransfer,UAEndpointDescriptor,UANamedNodeDescriptor) Method

Gets a writable file info object for the specified OPC UA file.

Syntax

Visual Basic
C#
C++/CLI

'Declaration
 
<ExtensionAttribute()>
<NotNullAttribute()>
Public Overloads Shared Function GetWritableFileInfo( _
   ByVal fileTransfer As IEasyUAFileTransfer, _
   ByVal endpointDescriptor As UAEndpointDescriptor, _
   ByVal fileNamedNodeDescriptor As UANamedNodeDescriptor _
) As IWritableFileInfo

'Usage
 
Dim fileTransfer As IEasyUAFileTransfer
Dim endpointDescriptor As UAEndpointDescriptor
Dim fileNamedNodeDescriptor As UANamedNodeDescriptor
Dim value As IWritableFileInfo
 
value = IEasyUAFileTransferExtension.GetWritableFileInfo(fileTransfer, endpointDescriptor, fileNamedNodeDescriptor)

[Extension()]
[NotNull()]
public static IWritableFileInfo GetWritableFileInfo( 
   IEasyUAFileTransfer fileTransfer,
   UAEndpointDescriptor endpointDescriptor,
   UANamedNodeDescriptor fileNamedNodeDescriptor
)

[Extension()]
[NotNull()]
public:
static IWritableFileInfo^ GetWritableFileInfo( 
   IEasyUAFileTransfer^ fileTransfer,
   UAEndpointDescriptor^ endpointDescriptor,
   UANamedNodeDescriptor^ fileNamedNodeDescriptor
)

Parameters

fileTransfer

The OPC UA file transfer object that will perform the operation.

This is typically the EasyUAFileTransferClient object.

The value of this parameter cannot be null (Nothing in Visual Basic).

endpointDescriptor

Endpoint descriptor. Identifies the OPC-UA server.

Because the OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UAEndpointDescriptor has implicit conversions from System.String and System.Uri, in languages that support implicit conversion operators (such as C# or VB.NET), you can simply use a string (representing the endpoint URL, or a so-called OPC UA endpoint descriptor string), or a System.Uri object, in place of this parameter, and the corresponding endpoint descriptor will be constructed automatically. When the implicit conversion operators are not supported (such as with Python.NET), you can use the OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UAEndpointDescriptor.FromString or OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UAEndpointDescriptor.FromUri static method instead.

Also, because the OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Discovery.UAApplicationElement and OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Discovery.UADiscoveryElement have an implicit conversion to OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UAEndpointDescriptor, in languages that support implicit conversion operators (such as C# or VB.NET), you can simply use a OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Discovery.UAApplicationElement or OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Discovery.UADiscoveryElement (results from OPC UA discovery) in place of this parameter, and the corresponding endpoint descriptor will be constructed automatically. When the implicit conversion operators are not supported (such as with Python.NET), you can convert a (non-null) OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Discovery.UAApplicationElement or OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Discovery.UADiscoveryElement to OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UAEndpointDescriptor using the ToUAEndpointDescriptor or ToUAEndpointDescriptor method instead.

If you are using OPC Wizard (for server development), an implicit conversion from OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.EasyUAServerCore can be used in the same way to simply pass the server object in place of this parameter, which will use its OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.EasyUAServerCore.EffectiveServerDescriptor property for the connection.

The value of this parameter cannot be null (Nothing in Visual Basic).

fileNamedNodeDescriptor

A named node descriptor of the OPC UA file.

Because the OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Navigation.UANamedNodeDescriptor has an implicit conversion from OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UANodeDescriptor, in languages that support implicit conversion operators (such as C# or VB.NET), you can simply use a OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.UANodeDescriptor (containing the final node descriptor) in place of this parameter, and the corresponding OPC UA named node descriptor will be constructed automatically. When the implicit conversion operators are not supported (such as with Python.NET), you can use the OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Navigation.UANamedNodeDescriptor.FromUANodeDescriptor static method instead.

The value of this parameter cannot be null (Nothing in Visual Basic).

Return Value

Returns a OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders.IWritableFileInfo object for the specified OPC UA file.

This method never returns null (Nothing in Visual Basic).

Exceptions

Exception Description

Exception	Description
System.ArgumentNullException	A `null` reference (`Nothing` in Visual Basic) is passed to a method that does not accept it as a valid argument. This is a usage error, i.e. it will never occur (the exception will not be thrown) in a correctly written program. Your code should not catch this exception.

System.ArgumentNullException

A null reference (Nothing in Visual Basic) is passed to a method that does not accept it as a valid argument.

This is a usage error, i.e. it will never occur (the exception will not be thrown) in a correctly written program. Your code should not catch this exception.

Remarks

Among other uses, the returned object can be passed to OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders.MappedFileProvider.MapFile of the OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders.MappedWritableFileProvider.

This method does not make any OPC UA operation, and does not throw the usual OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.OperationModel.UAException. You can therefore always safely use it to obtain the result interface. All OPC UA operations are made later, on the returned object, and also operation-related exceptions are thrown at that time.

An exception is not thrown if the file does not exist; rather, it will be thrown the first time the object's properties are accessed or its methods are called.

The file metadata in the file info object is a snapshot taken at the time the metadata was first accessed. It does not reflect further changes to the metadata, even if you read it repeatedly later.

The returned writable file info object allows operations that modify the file contents or the file system. If you do not perform such operations and only need read-only operations, such as test for file existence, and opening it for read-only access, it is recommended that obtain the Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.IFileInfo interface instead, by calling the GetFileInfo2(IEasyUAFileTransfer,UAEndpointDescriptor,UANamedNodeDescriptor) method. This way, you will be protected against calling a method that makes some modifications accidentally.

Accessing OPC UA files and directories over the abstract file provider model (based on Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.IFileProvider, Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders.IFileInfo, OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders.IDirectoryContents2 and their "writable" counterparts), which is what this method does, is highly recommended over the other, lower-level methods. Once you obtained the generalized interface in the file provider model, operations on files and directories can be performed using just names and paths, without having to deal with OPC UA nodes and references.

This is an extension method (info: C#, VB.NET). In languages that have support for extensions methods (such as C# and VB.NET), you can use the extension method as if it were a regular method on the object that is its first parameter. In other languages (such as with Python.NET), you will call the extension as a static method, and pass it the object on which it acts as its first parameter.

Example

CSharp
VB.NET
Python

// Shows how to write data into a section of an OPC UA file, using the file provider model.
//
// Find all latest examples here: https://opclabs.doc-that.com/files/onlinedocs/OPCLabs-OpcStudio/Latest/examples.html .
// OPC client and subscriber examples in C# on GitHub: https://github.com/OPCLabs/Examples-QuickOPC-CSharp .
// Missing some example? Ask us for it on our Online Forums, https://www.opclabs.com/forum/index ! You do not have to own
// a commercial license in order to use Online Forums, and we reply to every post.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders;
using OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA;
using OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.FileTransfer;

namespace UADocExamples.FileProviders._WritableFileInfo
{
    class Write
    {
        public static void Main1()
        {
            // Unified Automation .NET based demo server (UaNETServer/UaServerNET.exe)
            UAEndpointDescriptor endpointDescriptor = "opc.tcp://localhost:48030";

            // A node that represents an instance of OPC UA FileType object.
            UANodeDescriptor fileNodeDescriptor = "nsu=http://www.unifiedautomation.com/DemoServer/ ;s=Demo.Files.TextFile";
            
            // Instantiate the file transfer client object
            var fileTransferClient = new EasyUAFileTransferClient();

            Console.WriteLine("Getting writable file info...");
            IWritableFileInfo writableFileInfo = fileTransferClient.GetWritableFileInfo(endpointDescriptor, fileNodeDescriptor);
            // From this point onwards, the code is independent of the concrete realization of the file provider, and would
            // be identical e.g. for files in the physical file system, if the corresponding file provider was used.

            // Open the file, write a section of it, and close it.
            try
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Opening file...");
                using (Stream stream = writableFileInfo.CreateWriteStream(FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite))
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Writing file section...");
                    byte[] data = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("TEXT FROM FILE TRANSFER CLIENT EXAMPLE. Demonstrates writing a section of a file. <<<");
                    stream.Write(data, 0, data.Length);

                    Console.WriteLine("Closing file...");
                    // Disposing of the stream closes the file.
                }
            }
            // Methods in the file provider model throw IOException and other exceptions, but not UAException.
            catch (Exception exception)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"*** Failure: {exception.GetBaseException().Message}");
                return;
            }

            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine("Finished...");
        }
    }
}

' Shows how to write data into a section of an OPC UA file, using the file provider model.
'
' Find all latest examples here: https://opclabs.doc-that.com/files/onlinedocs/OPCLabs-OpcStudio/Latest/examples.html .
' OPC client and subscriber examples in VB.NET on GitHub: https://github.com/OPCLabs/Examples-QuickOPC-VBNET .
' Missing some example? Ask us for it on our Online Forums, https://www.opclabs.com/forum/index ! You do not have to own
' a commercial license in order to use Online Forums, and we reply to every post.

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text
Imports OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders
Imports OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA
Imports OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.FileTransfer

Namespace FileProviders._WritableFileInfo

    Friend Class Write

        Public Shared Sub Main1()

            ' Unified Automation .NET based demo server (UaNETServer/UaServerNET.exe)
            Dim endpointDescriptor As UAEndpointDescriptor = "opc.tcp://localhost:48030"

            ' A node that represents an instance of OPC UA FileType object.
            Dim fileNodeDescriptor As UANodeDescriptor =
                "nsu=http://www.unifiedautomation.com/DemoServer/ ;s=Demo.Files.TextFile"

            ' Instantiate the file transfer client object
            Dim fileTransferClient = New EasyUAFileTransferClient

            Console.WriteLine("Getting writable file info...")
            Dim writableFileInfo As IWritableFileInfo =
                fileTransferClient.GetWritableFileInfo(endpointDescriptor, fileNodeDescriptor)
            ' From this point onwards, the code is independent of the concrete realization of the file provider, and would
            ' be identical e.g. for files in the physical file system, if the corresponding file provider was used.

            ' Open the file, write a section of it, and close it.
            Try
                Console.WriteLine("Opening file...")
                Using stream As Stream = writableFileInfo.CreateWriteStream(FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite)
                    Console.WriteLine("Writing file section...")
                    Dim data As Byte() = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("TEXT FROM FILE TRANSFER CLIENT EXAMPLE. Demonstrates writing a section of a file. <<<")
                    stream.Write(data, 0, data.Length)

                    Console.WriteLine("Closing file...")
                    ' Disposing of the stream closes the file.
                End Using

                ' Methods in the file provider model throw IOException and other exceptions, but not UAException.
            Catch exception As Exception
                Console.WriteLine("*** Failure: {0}", exception.GetBaseException.Message)
                Exit Sub
            End Try

            Console.WriteLine()
            Console.WriteLine("Finished...")
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

# Shows how to write data into a section of an OPC UA file, using the file provider model.
#
# Find all latest examples here: https://opclabs.doc-that.com/files/onlinedocs/OPCLabs-OpcStudio/Latest/examples.html .
# OPC client and subscriber examples in Python on GitHub: https://github.com/OPCLabs/Examples-QuickOPC-Python .
# Missing some example? Ask us for it on our Online Forums, https://www.opclabs.com/forum/index ! You do not have to own
# a commercial license in order to use Online Forums, and we reply to every post.
# The QuickOPC package is needed. Install it using "pip install opclabs_quickopc".
import opclabs_quickopc

# Import .NET namespaces.
from System import *
from System.IO import *
from System.Text import *
from OpcLabs.BaseLib.Extensions.FileProviders import *
from OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA import *
from OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.FileTransfer import *
from OpcLabs.EasyOpc.UA.Navigation import *


# Unified Automation .NET based demo server (UaNETServer/UaServerNET.exe).
endpointDescriptor = UAEndpointDescriptor('opc.tcp://localhost:48030')

# A node that represents an OPC UA file system (a root directory).
fileNodeDescriptor = UANodeDescriptor('nsu=http://www.unifiedautomation.com/DemoServer/ ;s=Demo.Files.TextFile')

# Instantiate the file transfer client object.
fileTransferClient = EasyUAFileTransferClient()

print('Getting writable file info...')
writableFileInfo = IEasyUAFileTransferExtension.GetWritableFileInfo(fileTransferClient,
                                                                    endpointDescriptor,
                                                                    UANamedNodeDescriptor(fileNodeDescriptor))
# From this point onwards, the code is independent of the concrete realization of the file provider, and would
# be identical e.g. for files in the physical file system, if the corresponding file provider was used.

# Open the file, write a section of it, and close it.
stream = None
try:
    print('Opening file...')
    stream = writableFileInfo.CreateWriteStream(FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite)

    print('Writing file section...')
    data = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes('TEXT FROM FILE TRANSFER CLIENT EXAMPLE. Demonstrates writing a section of a file. '
                                  '<<<')
    stream.Write(data, 0, data.Length)

    print('Closing file...')
    # Disposing of the stream (in the 'finally' block) closes the file.

# Methods in the file provider model throw IOException and other exceptions, but not UAException.
except Exception as exception:
    print('*** Failure: ' + exception.GetBaseException().Message)
    exit()

finally:
    stream and stream.Dispose()

print()
print('Finished.')

Requirements

Target Platforms: .NET Framework: Windows 10 (selected versions), Windows 11 (selected versions), Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2022; .NET: Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows

Reference

IEasyUAFileTransferExtension Class
IEasyUAFileTransferExtension Members
Overload List
GetFileInfo2(IEasyUAFileTransfer,UAEndpointDescriptor,UANamedNodeDescriptor) Method
GetWritableDirectoryContents(IEasyUAFileTransfer,UAEndpointDescriptor,UANamedNodePath) Method

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