WebDAV: Next-Generation Collaborative Web Authoring

Chapter 7. Property Operations

Now we see exactly how a client is supposed to find out what is inside a collection. Typically, users want to see directory listings in order to manage files.

A directory listing can simply be a fixed, standard format—or it can be flexible. Even local file systems now show the need for flexibility—for example, in collections of photos where users like to see thumbnails and pixel sizes in directory listings. WebDAV was designed with this flexibility from the ground up, so it can handle not just directory listings, but also:

• Discovering which resources are locked and the kinds of locks each resource supports

• Handling custom collections like directories intended to hold and manage digital photos

• Retrieving the metadata ...