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WebDAV and Office editing

Comindwork supports in-place editing of Microsoft Office documents through WebDAV integration. Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files directly from a record, edit them in your desktop Office application, and save changes back to Comindwork - without downloading and re-uploading.

How it works​

WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is a protocol that allows editing files on a remote server as if they were local. Comindwork includes a built-in WebDAV server (Sbpa.WebDav) that exposes attached files to Office applications.

The workflow:

  1. Open a record that has an attached Office document
  2. Click View in Office (or Edit in Office) on the file attachment
  3. The file opens in your desktop Microsoft Office application (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint)
  4. Edit the document as usual
  5. Save in Office - changes are written back to Comindwork automatically
  6. Close the document when done

Supported file types​

ExtensionApplication
.docx, .docMicrosoft Word
.xlsx, .xlsMicrosoft Excel
.pptx, .pptMicrosoft PowerPoint

Requirements​

  • Desktop Microsoft Office - WebDAV editing requires a locally installed Office application. Office Online (browser-based) is not supported.
  • Browser support - WebDAV links use a protocol handler that may require browser configuration or approval on first use.
  • Network access - your Office application must be able to reach the Comindwork server directly over the network.

Server configuration​

WebDAV runs as part of the Comindwork backend infrastructure. It integrates with the platform's virtual filesystem and Office document handler.

For self-hosted installations, ensure that:

  • WebDAV endpoints are accessible through your reverse proxy
  • SSL/TLS is properly configured (Office applications may refuse non-HTTPS WebDAV connections)
  • Authentication tokens are passed through correctly

Limitations​

  • Concurrent editing by multiple users is not supported - there is no file locking, so the last save wins
  • Very large files may experience slow initial load times
  • Some corporate firewalls block WebDAV traffic
info

WebDAV editing is available but not widely used in practice. Most users prefer downloading, editing, and re-uploading files.