Explaining Default Store and Basic Slide Funtionality

[Kylen Brackster <ca...@hotmail.com>]

Hi,

I am new to WebDAV and Slide.  I've been reading the content on the Slide 
and Wiki websites so that I can understand how this technology works, but I 
am still vague about some basic things.  I've been able to get Tomcat 
working with Slide and have experimented creating containers, 
upload,download,check-in/out etc. using WebDAV Explorer.  This was pretty 
easy, but now I want to integrate Slide with my application.

My application allows users to create and save files in the C:\Docs folder 
on the same machine where Tomcat is installed.  When a user creates a 
document, the location of the document is stored into a database along with 
the rights associated with it.  My goal is to have these files accessible 
through Slide for users/roles who have the proper access rights.  I will 
create my own UI so I will have some control over user actions.

I've experimented using WebDAV Explorer and have uploaded some files from 
the C:\Docs folder to the Slide store.  There exists a folder, 
\Tomcat\bin\store, where the container I created exists along with the files 
I've uploaded.  The uploaded files are placed into the "content" folder and 
_1.0 is appended to the file name.

Q: When files are uploaded using Slide, does it make a copy and place it in 
the store or does it reference the file that resides at C:\Docs?   Does it 
make sense for my application to continue storing files at C:\Docs or does 
it make sense store them somewhere in the Tomcat directory?

I will build my own client interface that shows all documents that a user 
has access to. When the user selects a document to view/edit, I will query 
my database to determine what rights he/she has (read-only, rw,...) before 
permitting the action.  I believe in order to do this, that I must disable 
Slide's ACL, correct? Or, would it best to assign the same rights to the 
container document after uploading it to the store?  If I were to disable 
Slide's ACL, would someone using a 3rd party WebDAV client, such as WebDAV 
Explorer, be able to gain access to the documents - since they would not be 
using my application which permits/denies access to the resource?

One more thing: The Jakarta Slide Website demonstrates how to add a new user 
using the WebDAV Explorer.  I would like my application to create new users. 
  Is this possible?  Do you have any tips or comments about how to do this?

It is probably obvious that I don't understand Slide very much so I want to 
thank you in advance for any education you can provide.  Feel free to offer 
any implementation suggestions, especially if you think I am approaching my 
implementation incorrectly.

Thank you very much.



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RE: Explaining Default Store and Basic Slide Funtionality

[Michael Oliver <ol...@alariussystems.com>]

Let me try to shed some light, see my comments below.

Michael Oliver
CTO
Alarius Systems LLC
6800 E. Lake Mead Blvd, #1096
Las Vegas, NV 89156
Phone:(702)643-7425
Fax:(702)974-0341
*Note new email changed from oliverm@matrix-media.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Kylen Brackster [mailto:catfink@hotmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 11:34 AM
To: slide-user@jakarta.apache.org
Subject: Explaining Default Store and Basic Slide Funtionality

Hi,

I am new to WebDAV and Slide.  I've been reading the content on the Slide 
and Wiki websites so that I can understand how this technology works, but I 
am still vague about some basic things.  I've been able to get Tomcat 
working with Slide and have experimented creating containers, 
upload,download,check-in/out etc. using WebDAV Explorer.  This was pretty 
easy, but now I want to integrate Slide with my application.

My application allows users to create and save files in the C:\Docs folder 
on the same machine where Tomcat is installed.  When a user creates a 
document, the location of the document is stored into a database along with 
the rights associated with it.  My goal is to have these files accessible 
through Slide for users/roles who have the proper access rights.  I will 
create my own UI so I will have some control over user actions.

I've experimented using WebDAV Explorer and have uploaded some files from 
the C:\Docs folder to the Slide store.  There exists a folder, 
\Tomcat\bin\store, where the container I created exists along with the files

I've uploaded.  The uploaded files are placed into the "content" folder and 
_1.0 is appended to the file name.

Q: When files are uploaded using Slide, does it make a copy and place it in 
the store or does it reference the file that resides at C:\Docs?   Does it 
make sense for my application to continue storing files at C:\Docs or does 
it make sense store them somewhere in the Tomcat directory?
[Mike Oliver>>] Remember that slide's servlet is receiving a byte[] from the
WebDAV client and NOT a reference to the original location.  If you want
your application to store documents in a slide repository then your
application should act as a WebDAV client and let Slide store (and version)
the documents and stop storing them on the filesystem.

I will build my own client interface that shows all documents that a user 
has access to. When the user selects a document to view/edit, I will query 
my database to determine what rights he/she has (read-only, rw,...) before 
permitting the action.  I believe in order to do this, that I must disable 
Slide's ACL, correct? 
[Mike Oliver>>] Well since slide does ALL of that already, you would be
making work for yourself, if you use the Slide ACLs then slide will control
who can see, edit, etc. and you don't have to do that work.

Or, would it best to assign the same rights to the 
container document after uploading it to the store?  If I were to disable 
Slide's ACL, would someone using a 3rd party WebDAV client, such as WebDAV 
Explorer, be able to gain access to the documents - since they would not be 
using my application which permits/denies access to the resource?
[Mike Oliver>>] We have our applications talking to slide through a client
helper application we derived from the Slide Client webdavresource class.


One more thing: The Jakarta Slide Website demonstrates how to add a new user

using the WebDAV Explorer.  I would like my application to create new users.

  Is this possible?  Do you have any tips or comments about how to do this?

[Mike Oliver>>] Well there are lots of ways to skin that cat, we use JAAS
and LDAP for our users directly through Tomcat and that works very well.

It is probably obvious that I don't understand Slide very much so I want to 
thank you in advance for any education you can provide.  Feel free to offer 
any implementation suggestions, especially if you think I am approaching my 
implementation incorrectly.

Thank you very much.



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