word docs on web server

[Graham]

Hi

Users of our web application should have the ability to
view and modify Word documents that reside on our web
server. I.e. They will click on a link on a web page that
will invoke Word and pull the document from the server. I
want them to be able to edit the document and hit save -
so that the document goes back to the web server. Is this
possible?
(I can do something similar to this from Windows Explorer
when storing documents in the "My Web Sites on MSN"
folder.)

Note that I can pull the document from the Server by
simply specifying the URL of the doc and Word will open.
However, the doc is readonly and the save button is
disabled. If I attempt a save-as to the same URL, I get an
error.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Graham
..

 

[Kathy W.]

Yes, it's possible. The Word doc has to *not* be read-only
and the user has to have write permissions granted to the
folder on your web server. Consider if the users are
outside of your firewall and/or intranet, and work with
your network administrator to get the security set up.

When it works properly, the user will be presented with a
dialog to confirm the save, then they have to navigate in
a File Save dialog to the web location.

Good luck!

 

[Rob Schneider]

Kathy,

I fully understand how this would be possible if user was access the web
server file folders via normal Windows networking (SMB) and normal
domain id/passwords/authentication, but an unfamiliar with same when
access via "internet".

How does the web server identify the user in order to check permissions
(for write access) if that user is coming to the web server via HTTP
protocol? Any special software on server/client required? Required to
use Microsoft IIS server with any special extensions?

By chance do you know where this would be documented for me to read about?

thanks,
rms