[c#] How to download image from url

Is there a way to download an image directly from a url in c# if the url does not have an image format at the end of the link? Example of url:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t34.0-12/10555140_10201501435212873_1318258071_n.jpg?oh=97ebc03895b7acee9aebbde7d6b002bf&oe=53C9ABB0&__gda__=1405685729_110e04e71d969d392b63b27ec4f4b24a

I know how to download the image when the url ends with an image format. Eg:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101219155130/uncyclopedia/images/7/70/Facebooklogin.png

For anyone who wants to download an image WITHOUT saving it to a file:

Image DownloadImage(string fromUrl)
{
    using (System.Net.WebClient webClient = new System.Net.WebClient())
    {
        using (Stream stream = webClient.OpenRead(fromUrl))
        {
            return Image.FromStream(stream);
        }
    }
}

Most of the posts that I found will timeout after a second iteration. Particularly if you are looping through a bunch if images as I have been. So to improve the suggestions above here is the entire method:

public System.Drawing.Image DownloadImage(string imageUrl)
    {
        System.Drawing.Image image = null;

        try
        {
            System.Net.HttpWebRequest webRequest = (System.Net.HttpWebRequest)System.Net.HttpWebRequest.Create(imageUrl);
            webRequest.AllowWriteStreamBuffering = true;
            webRequest.Timeout = 30000;
            webRequest.ServicePoint.ConnectionLeaseTimeout = 5000;
            webRequest.ServicePoint.MaxIdleTime = 5000;

            using (System.Net.WebResponse webResponse = webRequest.GetResponse())
            {

                using (System.IO.Stream stream = webResponse.GetResponseStream())
                {
                    image = System.Drawing.Image.FromStream(stream);
                }
            }

            webRequest.ServicePoint.CloseConnectionGroup(webRequest.ConnectionGroupName);
            webRequest = null; 
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            throw new Exception(ex.Message, ex);

        }


        return image;
    }

It is not necessary to use System.Drawing to find the image format in a URI. System.Drawing is not available for .NET Core unless you download the System.Drawing.Common NuGet package and therefore I don't see any good cross-platform answers to this question.

Also, my example does not use System.Net.WebClient since Microsoft explicitly discourage the use of System.Net.WebClient.

We don't recommend that you use the WebClient class for new development. Instead, use the System.Net.Http.HttpClient class.

Download an image from a URL and write it to a file (cross platform)*

*Without old System.Net.WebClient and System.Drawing.

This method will asynchronously download an image (or any file as long as the URI has a file extension) using the System.Net.Http.HttpClient and then write it to a file, using the same file extension as the image had in the URI.

Getting the file extension

First part of getting the file extension is removing all the unnecessary parts from the URI.
We use Uri.GetLeftPart() with UriPartial.Path to get everything from the Scheme up to the Path.
In other words, https://www.example.com/image.png?query&with.dots becomes https://www.example.com/image.png.

After that, we use Path.GetExtension() to get only the extension (in my previous example, .png).

var uriWithoutQuery = uri.GetLeftPart(UriPartial.Path);
var fileExtension = Path.GetExtension(uriWithoutQuery);

Downloading the image

From here it should be straight forward. Download the image with HttpClient.GetByteArrayAsync, create the path, ensure the directory exists and then write the bytes to the path with File.WriteAllBytesAsync() (or File.WriteAllBytes if you are on .NET Framework)

private async Task DownloadImageAsync(string directoryPath, string fileName, Uri uri)
{
    using var httpClient = new HttpClient();

    // Get the file extension
    var uriWithoutQuery = uri.GetLeftPart(UriPartial.Path);
    var fileExtension = Path.GetExtension(uriWithoutQuery);

    // Create file path and ensure directory exists
    var path = Path.Combine(directoryPath, $"{fileName}{fileExtension}");
    Directory.CreateDirectory(directoryPath);

    // Download the image and write to the file
    var imageBytes = await _httpClient.GetByteArrayAsync(uri);
    await File.WriteAllBytesAsync(path, imageBytes);
}

Note that you need the following using directives.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Net.Http;

Example usage

var folder = "images";
var fileName = "test";
var url = "https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/458291463663386646/592779619212460054/Screenshot_20190624-201411.jpg?query&with.dots";

await DownloadImageAsync(folder, fileName, new Uri(url));

Notes

• It's bad practice to create a new HttpClient for every method call. It is supposed to be reused throughout the application. I wrote a short example of an ImageDownloader(50 lines) with more documentation that correctly reuses the HttpClient and properly disposes of it that you can find here.

Try this it worked for me

Write this in your Controller

public class DemoController: Controller

        public async Task<FileStreamResult> GetLogoImage(string logoimage)
        {
            string str = "" ;
            var filePath = Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/" + SubfolderName);//If subfolder exist otherwise leave.
            // DirectoryInfo dir = new DirectoryInfo(filePath);
            string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(@filePath, "*.*");
            foreach (var fileTemp in filePaths)
            {
                  str= fileTemp.ToString();
            }
                return File(new MemoryStream(System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(str)), System.Web.MimeMapping.GetMimeMapping(str), Path.GetFileName(str));
        }

Here is my view

<div><a href="/DemoController/GetLogoImage?Type=Logo" target="_blank">Download Logo</a></div>

.net Framework allows PictureBox Control to Load Images from url

and Save image in Laod Complete Event

protected void LoadImage() {
 pictureBox1.ImageLocation = "PROXY_URL;}

void pictureBox1_LoadCompleted(object sender, AsyncCompletedEventArgs e) {
   pictureBox1.Image.Save(destination); }

Depending whether or not you know the image format, here are ways you can do it :

Download Image to a file, knowing the image format

using (WebClient webClient = new WebClient()) 
{
   webClient.DownloadFile("http://yoururl.com/image.png", "image.png") ; 
}

Download Image to a file without knowing the image format

You can use Image.FromStream to load any kind of usual bitmaps (jpg, png, bmp, gif, ... ), it will detect automaticaly the file type and you don't even need to check the url extension (which is not a very good practice). E.g:

using (WebClient webClient = new WebClient()) 
{
    byte [] data = webClient.DownloadData("https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t34.0-12/10555140_10201501435212873_1318258071_n.jpg?oh=97ebc03895b7acee9aebbde7d6b002bf&oe=53C9ABB0&__gda__=1405685729_110e04e71d9");

   using (MemoryStream mem = new MemoryStream(data)) 
   {
       using (var yourImage = Image.FromStream(mem)) 
       { 
          // If you want it as Png
           yourImage.Save("path_to_your_file.png", ImageFormat.Png) ; 

          // If you want it as Jpeg
           yourImage.Save("path_to_your_file.jpg", ImageFormat.Jpeg) ; 
       }
   } 

}

Note : ArgumentException may be thrown by Image.FromStream if the downloaded content is not a known image type.

Check this reference on MSDN to find all format available. Here are reference to WebClient and Bitmap.