WebDAV

WebDAV stands for "Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning". It is an extension of the HTTP protocol that allows users to collaboratively edit and manage files located on a web server. It is possible with WebDAV, for example, to upload files to the server or to rename files on the server.

BSCW supports the WebDAV protocol as server, so that from a WebDAV client, i.e. a client application that also supports the WebDAV protocol, it is possible to browse your workspaces, open documents, edit them, write them back to the server, move them, etc.

Probably the most interesting applications that support WebDAV are Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer and the Office package, which we will limit ourselves to in the following description (see www.webdav.org for other applications that also support WebDAV). If you access your BSCW server from these applications via WebDAV, you have the following advantages:

•      Your BSCW workspaces appear as web folders of Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer. You may navigate in the workspaces as usual with Windows Explorer.

•      You can perform the actions you are familiar with on the displayed objects using the right mouse button or also using drag-and-drop (e.g. copy, paste, delete).

•      You may open Microsoft Office documents directly from a Web folder with the corresponding Office application starting automatically. After editing the document, you may use 'Save' or 'Save as...' to write the edited document directly back to your BSCW server. No intermediate saving and uploading is required anymore.

To connect to a BSCW server using WebDAV on Windows 7, you first have to make sure that the "WebClient" service is enabled, which is disabled by default. You check the status and enable this service as follows:

•      Select "Control Panel" from the Start menu and click "Administrative Tools"; double-click "Computer Management" in the following window.

•      Double-click Services and Applications in the details pane.

•      Double-click on "Services".

•      Scroll down, right-click WebClient, and then click Properties.

•      Click Automatic in the Startup Type list box.

•      Click on [Apply].

•      In the Service Status section, click Start.

•      Click on [OK].

To connect to a BSCW server, proceed as follows:

•      Open the "Computer" folder (either by double-clicking the corresponding icon on your desktop, from Windows Explorer or from the Start menu).

•      Open the context menu by right-clicking on an empty space of the window and select "Add network address".

•      The "Add a network address" wizard opens. Confirm with [Next].

•      Confirm the selection "Select a custom network address" by clicking [Next].

•      In the field "Internet or network address" enter the URL of your BSCW server (e.g. https://Ihr-BSCW-Server/sec/bscw.cgi) and confirm with [Next].

•      Enter your BSCW username and password in the login window.

•      Enter a name for the new network address (e.g. "BSCW server") and confirm with [Next].

•      Activate the option "Open this network address after clicking 'Finish'" and click [Finish].

If the new network address has been successfully created in the folder 'computer', you have access to your BSCW server via it. Your personal workspace ('workspaces from username') is accessible via the folder alias 'home'. You may now access documents in BSCW via Windows Explorer and upload or download documents by copy and paste or drag-and-drop. Violations of document name restrictions in BSCW are automatically corrected.

If the method described above does not work (e.g. because the dialog for entering username and password keeps appearing), please refer to the BSCW website (http://www.bscw.de/) under "Frequently Asked Questions" for troubleshooting advice regarding the WebDAV connection.

Since Microsoft has partially implemented the WebDAV protocol in a way that is not RFC-compliant, the following previously known problems of the WebDAV extension arise:

•      The dialog boxes and error messages are sometimes misleading.

•      Spaces and special characters in BSCW object names are displayed incorrectly in the Web folder view of Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer.

•      The parent directory is displayed in the current directory.

•      Drag-and-drop within the same directory copies the file.

Attention: To terminate the WebDAV connection to BSCW, it is not sufficient to close the browser or remove your WebDAV folders - the network connection is still active with your username. If someone else now wants to set up WebDAV on your local system for his username, your personal workspaces will open even though you entered correct credentials. To avoid this, log off under your Windows username ("start > shutdown... > log off your username") and log on again. This measure is necessary if other people have access to your local computer.