DirectEdit?

[scottjcampbell]

Hi, recenly whils't using a new VLE with my university, i came accross Direct Edit. It says that if you click on edit, you can open a document in word and when you save it, it will automatically upload it to your server. does anyone know of a program which i can impliment into my website to do this. I am using apache with PHP and MySQL. Here is the description Its Learning gave me of the editor:

DirectEditWith DirectEdit, you can edit a file that is located in it's learning. This means that you can open, for example, a Word document from it's learning, make changes, save it and automatically upload the changed document. You can:


Upload new versions
Keep track of the file history (restore and create new versions of a file)
File co-operation: Multiple users can work on the same file. Files that are opened for editing are locked so that others do not overwrite the changes.


DirectEdit is an ActiveX component. An ActiveX component can only run on Windows operating systems and with Microsoft's own Internet Explorer browser. As a consequence, DirectEdit does not work on Macintosh or Linux operating systems. The same applies if you use an operating system from Microsoft and a non-Microsoft browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Opera. We sign all our ActiveX components so that users can be sure that they can safely download and use the components.


An ActiveX component is started from your browser (Internet Explorer only) and is installed on your computer so that you do not have to worry about downloading it each time you want to use the component. Internet Explorer automatically downloads and installs the updates when a new version of the component is released. DirectEdit can only be used in it's learning.



Where can I use DirectEdit?
You can use DirectEdit in uploaded files and documents that are added through the File tool.

Editing content in a file
In order to edit a file, you have to have a program installed on your computer that can edit your file. If, for example, you want to edit a *.doc file, you should make sure that Microsoft Word is installed on your computer. When you click on the link to the file in it's learning, the program associated with the file opens. Edit the file in this application. When you close the program associated with the file, it's learning discovers that the file is changed. The updated file is then automatically uploaded to it's learning.



When you click on a downloaded file in Internet Explorer, the Edit file content link appears in the work area. The file is now downloaded to your computer and the program associated with the file starts. Edit your file in this program and save and close it when finished. it's learning detects that the file has been changed, and asks you to upload it. You have the opportunity to upload or cancel at any time.


If you click Edit, you see an overview of the file history. Here you have several options:



Icon Explanation
Set file version to current. When you click this icon behind a file version, this version becomes the current version (the version that opens when you click the file in the navigation tree).
Edit the file content. Click this icon to start editing the file with DirectEdit.
Indicates that the file is locked for editing. Click the icon to unlock it.
Indicates that the file is unlocked. Click the icon to lock it.
Delete the file version. Click the icon to delete it.


Backup
If anything goes wrong during the editing, you can retrieve a backup of the file that it's learning saves in a temporary folder on your computer. You can retrieve a backup copy from the backup folder if, during the editing, you:


have lost your Internet connection.
are logged out from it's learning.
have navigated away from the DirectEdit page in it's learning.
have closed your browser.


Note that you must save your documents manually from time to time in order to save the document in the backup folder. The saving is done in the program you work in, for example Microsoft Word or Excel. The path to the folder in Windows XP is: C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\Local Settings\Temp\itsolutions\DirectEdit\ The folders are named according to the year and date

Note: The DirectEdit temporary folder is deleted when you clear your temporary Internet files.

[Medyman]

What's your question exactly? If DirectEdit does do this, then why not use it?

There's also this: http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/cms.html

[scottjcampbell]

What's your question exactly? If DirectEdit does do this, then why not use it?

There's also this: http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/cms.html

No, that isnt it on the link, i cant use it because it is on the web server for its learning (itslearning.com) so i cant copy it. i have googled it but cant find it.

[Medyman]

According to the website, you can't have it on your own server.

You either have to host on their server and use DirectEdit Pro or use the FTP service.

If you want similar functionality on your own server, see the page I linked to earlier.

[scottjcampbell]

ive seen this on vialect intranet though, but i dont want to use vialect. you could choose to run this intranet on your webserver.

When you click on edit next to a document, it would automatically open ms word and when you click save, it would save it to the server from your temp intet files.

[Medyman]

Maybe they've licensed the utility? Why not send them an email and see what the deal is.



I use TextPattern to do this on my Mac. If you have a Mac and you only want this for youself, you might also want to look into that.

[BYK]

Do you want a CMS or a document manager? :)

If you want a document manager Google Docs or Zoho might come useful, otherwise the system which Medyman had mentioned might come handy.