Read a file's content from a remote webserver using the HttpWebRequest class

The HttpWebRequest class allows you to programatically make web requests against an HTTP server.

This code shows how to read a file's content from a remote webserver using the HttpWebRequest class.

Visual basic :

If Not (IsPostBack) Then
  Try
      Dim fr As System.Net.HttpWebRequest
      Dim targetURI As New Uri("http://weblogs.asp.net/farazshahkhan")

      fr = DirectCast(System.Net.HttpWebRequest.Create(targetURI), System.Net.HttpWebRequest)
      'In the above code http://weblogs.asp.net/farazshahkhan is used as an example
      'it can be a different domain with a different filename and extension
      If (fr.GetResponse().ContentLength > 0) Then
          Dim str As New System.IO.StreamReader(fr.GetResponse().GetResponseStream())
          Response.Write(str.ReadToEnd())
          str.Close();
      End If

  Catch ex As System.Net.WebException
      Response.Write("File does not exist.")
  End Try
End If

C# :

if (!(IsPostBack))
{
   try
   {
       System.Net.HttpWebRequest fr;
       Uri targetUri = new Uri("http://weblogs.asp.net/farazshahkhan");
       fr = (System.Net.HttpWebRequest)System.Net.HttpWebRequest.Create(targetUri);
       //In the above code http://weblogs.asp.net/farazshahkhan is used as an example
       //it can be a different domain with a different filename and extension
       if ((fr.GetResponse().ContentLength > 0))
       {
           System.IO.StreamReader str = new System.IO.StreamReader(fr.GetResponse().GetResponseStream());
           Response.Write(str.ReadToEnd());
           if (str != null) str.Close();
       }
   }
   catch (System.Net.WebException ex)
   {
       Response.Write("File does not exist.");
   }
}