Difference between FileStream and WebClient

Question

So, I'm actually trying to setup a Wopi Host for a Web project.

I've been working with this sample (the one from Shawn Cicoria, if anyone knows this), and he provides a whole code sample which tells you how to build the links to use your Office Web App servers with some files.

My problem here, is that his sample is working with files that are ON the OWA server, and i need it to work with online files (like http://myserv/res/test.docx. So when he reads his file content, he's using this :

var stream = new FileStream(myFile, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
responseMessage.Content = new StreamContent(stream);

But that ain't working on "http" files, so i changed it with this :

byte[] tmp;
using (WebClient client = new WebClient())
{
    client.Credentials = CredentialCache.DefaultNetworkCredentials;
    tmp = client.DownloadData(name);
}
responseMessage.Content = new ByteArrayContent(tmp);

which IS compiling. And with this sample, i managed to open excel files in my office web app, but words and powerpoint files aren't opened. So, here's my question.

Is there a difference between theses two methods, which could alter the content of the files that i'm reading, despite the fact that the WebClient alows "online reading" ?

Sorry for the unclear post, it's not that easy to explain such a problem x) I did my best.

Thanks four your help !

Answer 1

Is there a difference between theses two methods, which could alter the content of the files that i'm reading, despite the fact that the WebClient allows "online reading"

FileStream open a file handle to a file placed locally on disk, or a remote disk sitting elsewhere inside a network. When you open a FileStream, you're directly manipulating that particular file.

On the other hand, WebClient is a wrapper around the HTTP protocol. It's responsibility is to construct HTTP request and response messages, allowing you to conveniently work with them. It has no direct knowledge of a resources such as a file, or particularly where it's located. All it knows is to construct message complying with the specification, sends a request and expects a response.