WebDAV Client 3

3.14.7 · active · verified Sat Apr 11

WebDAV Client 3 is a Python library designed for interacting with WebDAV servers. It provides an easy-to-use interface for common WebDAV operations such as listing, uploading, downloading, copying, moving, and deleting files and directories. This package is a continuation of the original `designerror/webdav-client-python` but leverages the popular `requests` library for HTTP communication instead of `PyCURL`. It is actively maintained, with the current version being `3.14.7`.

Warnings

gotcha In versions prior to `3.14.7`, inconsistent path quoting for `webdav.root` and URN handling could lead to `RemoteResourceNotFound` errors or incorrect file operations. Ensure your `webdav_hostname` is consistently formatted, especially regarding trailing slashes.
Fix: Upgrade to `webdavclient3==3.14.7` or later. Carefully review and test path constructions, ensuring consistent quoting and proper `webdav_hostname` configuration.
gotcha Older versions of `webdavclient3` could raise a `KeyError` if the HTTP response from the WebDAV server was missing the `Content-Length` header, which might occur with certain server implementations or empty files.
Fix: Upgrade to `webdavclient3==3.14.7` or later, which includes a fix for this issue.
gotcha Frequent `RemoteResourceNotFound` errors can occur, particularly with services like Nextcloud or when the `webdav_hostname` is not precisely configured. Sometimes the base URL needs to include specific paths (e.g., `remote.php/dav/files/<username>`), or API calls like `client.list()` might require the username in the path (e.g., `client.list('/username/')`). Disabling checks (`client.webdav.disable_check = True`) might work as a workaround but should be used cautiously.
Fix: Verify the exact `webdav_hostname` format required by your specific WebDAV server. Consult the server's documentation for pathing conventions. Experiment with including user-specific paths in the `webdav_hostname` or directly in method calls.
gotcha If your WebDAV server requires HTTP Digest Authentication, using `webdavclient3` with default options (which rely on `requests`'s basic authentication) may result in `401 Unauthorized` errors. `requests` does not handle Digest Auth automatically without explicit configuration.
Fix: You may need to manually configure `requests` to use `HTTPDigestAuth` within the client's session, or switch the WebDAV server to use HTTP Basic Authentication if securely appropriate.
gotcha Setting `client.verify = False` disables SSL certificate verification. While useful for testing with self-signed certificates, this can expose your application to man-in-the-middle attacks in production environments.
Fix: Avoid `client.verify = False` in production. Ensure your WebDAV server uses a valid, trusted SSL certificate. If using a custom CA, configure the `requests` session (accessed via `client.session`) to trust your certificate bundle.

Install

pip install webdavclient3 Install with pip

Imports

Client
```
from webdav3.client import Client
```
WebDavException
```
from webdav3.client import WebDavException
```
For custom exception handling.

Quickstart

Initializes a WebDAV client, lists root directory contents, and demonstrates creating a new directory. Credentials should be provided via environment variables for security, or directly in the `options` dictionary.

import os
from webdav3.client import Client

# Configure these environment variables or replace with actual values
WEBDAV_HOSTNAME = os.environ.get('WEBDAV_HOSTNAME', 'https://webdav.example.com')
WEBDAV_LOGIN = os.environ.get('WEBDAV_LOGIN', 'your_username')
WEBDAV_PASSWORD = os.environ.get('WEBDAV_PASSWORD', 'your_password')

options = {
    'webdav_hostname': WEBDAV_HOSTNAME,
    'webdav_login': WEBDAV_LOGIN,
    'webdav_password': WEBDAV_PASSWORD
}

try:
    client = Client(options)
    
    # Optional: To skip SSL certificate verification (USE WITH CAUTION IN PROD)
    # client.verify = False 

    # Example 1: List contents of the root directory
    print(f"Listing contents of {WEBDAV_HOSTNAME}:")
    items = client.list()
    if items:
        for item in items:
            print(f"- {item.name} (type: {item.type}, size: {item.size})")
    else:
        print("No items found or directory is empty.")

    # Example 2: Create a directory
    new_dir = 'test_directory_from_python'
    if not client.check(new_dir):
        client.mkdir(new_dir)
        print(f"Directory '{new_dir}' created.")
    else:
        print(f"Directory '{new_dir}' already exists.")

    # Example 3: Upload a file (assuming 'local_file.txt' exists)
    # with open('local_file.txt', 'rb') as f:
    #    client.upload_file('remote_file.txt', f)
    #    print("File uploaded.")

except Exception as e:
    print(f"An error occurred: {e}")

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