Document sharing software

[Brian (Groups)]

I am looking for a freeware package that would allow authorized users
(with IDs + passwords) to download/ upload specific documents to an
internet server. If somebody (user A) has downloaded a document for
editing, then only A can upload that (modified) document. Others can
download it, but (effectively) for read only. It would be nice if it
were all done through a generated web page, showing the current status
of each document, who (if anybody) has it out for editing etc.

TIA
Brian

 

[Al Klein]

I am looking for a freeware package that would allow authorized users
(with IDs + passwords) to download/ upload specific documents to an
internet server. If somebody (user A) has downloaded a document for
editing, then only A can upload that (modified) document. Others can
download it, but (effectively) for read only. It would be nice if it
were all done through a generated web page, showing the current status
of each document, who (if anybody) has it out for editing etc.

I don't think you're going to find shareware configurable enough to do
what you want. You can learn enough to write the system (upload and
download pages are available free all over the web in java script, and
you're going to need a database to hold the information and a login
page which is also available), or you can have someone develop it for
you. (I've done many sites that could easily be modified to do what
you want done.)

 

[Brian (Groups)]

Thanks for the info. I have set up password access control on FTP
servers before, but it's a looooong time ago. I can see that it would
be easy enough to do (in principle) through a webpage interface. It's
just a matter of finding the time to do the refresher course!

Brian

 

[Dave]

Hi Brian,

A couple of suggestions, firstly try using the password feature on Microsoft
Word (assuming you have it) click on SAVE AS - TOOLS - GENERAL OPTIONS then
simply add your password.

Secondly, try WinZip, you can password your documents quite easily, give the
password to required person and they can modify it then upload as necessary.

I personally use WinZip, a friend of mine does something similar with
various clients, they download the required doc - open it with their
password - modify it then upload it back to the main server.

I hope this is of help, if not I apologize for wasting your time.

Dave.

<snip>

I am looking for a freeware package that would allow authorized users (with
IDs + passwords) to download/ upload specific documents to an
internet server.

 

[Brian (Groups)]

Hi Dave

Thanks for the input. I'm not really so concerned with *who* gets
access to the document(s) as making sure there is just one (and only
one) version that is the current version. That is, that nobody will
start editing a copy from the server, which is about to be superseded
anyway. The idea of the password is that only the person who downloads
the document for editing is able to upload a new version.

Alan

 

[Brian (Groups)]

Hi Dave

Thanks for the input. I'm not really so concerned with *who* gets
access to the document(s) as making sure there is just one (and only
one) version that is the current version. That is, that nobody will
start editing a copy from the server, which is about to be superseded
anyway. The idea of the password is that only the person who downloads
the document for editing is able to upload a new version.

Brian

 

[Al Klein]

Thanks for the input. I'm not really so concerned with *who* gets
access to the document(s) as making sure there is just one (and only
one) version that is the current version. That is, that nobody will
start editing a copy from the server, which is about to be superseded
anyway. The idea of the password is that only the person who downloads
the document for editing is able to upload a new version.

Internet or intranet?

MS VSS works on an intranet, and it might be possible to get it to
work across the internet, although I've never given that any thought.

It's about what you want - anyone taking a copy while it's checked out
(taken in read/write mode) gets a read-only copy.

 

[Brian (Groups)]

Thank you Al. It certainly sounds like it would do the job, but might
be overkill for the simplistic setup I'm envisaging. It will probably
do me good to have to dig into a bit of Apache/Linux/cgi scripting and
try to knock up something myself.

Brian

 

[Al Klein]

Thank you Al. It certainly sounds like it would do the job, but might
be overkill for the simplistic setup I'm envisaging.

It might be, just a bit. But if you have Visual Studio, you already
have it, at the price of getting it working (which can be a bear).

It will probably
do me good to have to dig into a bit of Apache/Linux/cgi scripting and
try to knock up something myself.

I think, were I given the task, I'd opt for vb script for the database
and, possibly, js for the rest. A lot of it should be available at
free vbs or js download sites. You just have to put it together.

 

[Brian (Groups)]

I guess it will depend on what happens serverside, which I don't know
the details of yet. I'll have a search for any handy js and vbs code
snippets for generating the HTML access page.

cheers
Brian