Hello,

I have been searching for something like this for quite a while, whoever the developer is, thanks a lot for this module, I have a request to make though, is it possible for it to allow file type URLs? for example: file:////FILESERVER/FOLDER/file.abc for files already in a file server so Drupal can search for them according to the keywords and abstract fields.

Thanks again.

Comments

r_honey’s picture

r_honey CreditAttribution: r_honey commented
Status: Active » Closed (won't fix)

Hi, you need to understand that Drupal is a web application, that needs to run over http/https protocol. As such, file type urls cannot be used in a web application.

When you said file server, I assume you mean a FTP server. Files in an FTP server are not accessed via file urls, but through FTP/SFTP protocols. Providing FTP integration or indexing files over FTP is not something this modules attempts to do.

You will need to get your files from the file server and upload your files as Documents through the module.

Closing as won't fix.

jfha73’s picture

jfha73 CreditAttribution: jfha73 commented

What I meant with file server is just that a file server, no FTP or anything like it.

I asked for it because my boss asked me if Drupal was capable of that and he made a good point when he said that M$ Sharepoint Search allows you to just do that and I wanted to shut his mouth.

But if Drupal can't do that, there is nothing I can say about it other than I wish it did.

Thanks anyway.

r_honey’s picture

r_honey CreditAttribution: r_honey commented

Hmmm... okay even if you say a plain file server in traditional sense, there's no way you can access files locally or over a network share via file:/// url in web applications.

And its not the question of capability of Drupal. Although SharePoint is an altogether different beast, still I can assure you SharePoint sites too are not able to access files over file type protocol.

I think what you are referring to is something different. You might have allowed SharePoint IIS account access to documents outside the application root. That way SharePoint is able to crawl and index pages over network share, which it then makes available for searching.

This is possible on Drupal too. You just need to allow your Drupal web-server account (whether its Apache or IIS or something else) access to appropriate paths. These files are not accessed over file:/// protocol. Rather they are accessed normally through the file system.

Sure Drupal can too do that, and you can easily write a module that crawls and indexes files on a specified location in your system/network, but this module does not try to do that. You will need to upload files explicitly to search them.

Its not the question of capability but rather a design decision on what a particular piece of software does. You might rather be interested in modules like these available for Drupal:
http://drupal.org/project/apachesolr

jfha73’s picture

jfha73 CreditAttribution: jfha73 commented

I have been trying Solr to do this kind of search and even though Solr is very powerful, a simple search is not what I'm looking for, if I wanted that I would have used Sharepoint, instead what I want is Drupal to have it's own documents sections using a module to point to a file server, not just search.

Besides, the search would be performed according to the node information, not the file itself, all I need is to be able of assign a file:// type to the URL field.

Do you get me now?

r_honey’s picture

r_honey CreditAttribution: r_honey commented

what I want is Drupal to have it's own documents sections using a module to point to a file server, not just search

Then please go ahead and write your own module for Drupal. And if you share it with the community, I am sure they will find it useful. You can use this module as the basis to start coding your own module, if it seems suitable...

Sourcery’s picture

Sourcery CreditAttribution: Sourcery commented

Hello jfha73 and others in this thread, I think I understand what you are asking for, and it is really not that "difficult" as creating a module for it.

I need this same functionality, as we use a Drupal installation as our intranet server. Now on our intranet people want to be able to start programs on our network. This would be possible using the file:/// URL type. So starting a program on the local machine would be a link in a menu on our intranet pointing to file:///C|\theprogramtostart.exe or something similar.

Actually all that is needed is the Drupal url to allow for file:/// tye of urls. I havent found where to do this yet, or if it is even possible. But I really do not see the need for a whole module for this...

Hope it helps a bit in explaining this... And I hope I find a solution for this, or that someone already has... :)

Cheers!

/Kristian