Get Files
Description
Retrieves files from a directory on a remote FTP server.
The activity returns a collection of File References and summary information about the files found.
Optionally, the activity can traverse subdirectories and filter files using a wildcard file name pattern.
Common Capabilities
Process Data Support
This activity supports dynamic configuration using variables from the Process Data drawer.
You can bind values from Model Data, Form Data, System Data, Enterprise Variables, and Activity Outputs.
Learn more → Using Process Data
Design-Time Configuration
Connection Name
The name of the configured FTP connection used to authenticate with the remote server.
If no connection exists, click Add Connection to create one inline.
Folder
The folder to enumerate.
You can provide either:
- A Folder Reference returned by a previous activity.
- A Remote Path identifying a folder on the FTP server.
Examples:
//reports/reports/2024
When a remote path is used, you can browse the remote directory structure using the path browser, which connects through the selected FTP connection.
Recursive
When enabled, the activity traverses all nested folders and returns files from the entire hierarchy.
When disabled, only files directly within the specified folder are returned.
Defaults to off.
File Name Pattern
An optional wildcard pattern used to filter files by name.
Leave empty to return all files.
| Wildcard | Behavior |
|---|---|
* | Matches any sequence of characters |
? | Matches any single character |
Examples
| Pattern | Matches |
|---|---|
*.csv | All CSV files |
report_?.pdf | report_1.pdf, report_A.pdf, and similar names |
data_*_2024.xlsx | Any file starting with data_ and ending with _2024.xlsx |
Pattern matching is case-insensitive.
Wait All Incoming
Controls how this activity behaves when multiple incoming execution paths converge.
Determines whether the activity executes when:
- any incoming path completes, or
- all relevant paths have completed before execution
Learn more → Execution Control
On Error
Defines how the workflow behaves if this activity encounters a runtime error.
Supported strategies include Fault, Continue, Suspend, and Retry.
Output
File References
A collection of File References, one for each matching file. File References are an IB-X file system abstraction and can be passed directly to other activities that accept file inputs, regardless of the underlying storage provider.
Each File Reference includes:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The file name (for example, january.csv). |
| Full Path | The complete path of the file on the FTP server. |
| Size | The file size in bytes. May be empty if the FTP server does not provide this information. |
| Last Modified | UTC date and time the file was last modified. May be empty if the FTP server does not provide this information. |
File Count
The total number of files returned after applying the folder, recursive, and file name pattern filters.
Remarks
- The activity retrieves file information but does not download file contents.
- Metadata availability depends on the FTP server implementation.
- Some FTP servers may not provide file size or modification date information.
- Recursive listings may take significantly longer to complete when processing large directory hierarchies.
- The order of returned files depends on the FTP server and is not guaranteed.