Connected

Using C# and .NET to access a WebDAV (Buzzsaw) site

Here's a post about using .NET and C# to access Exchange via WebDAV. Note that you can also access Buzzsaw via WebDAV, so if you replace the Exchange URI with Buzzsaw info (https://webdav.buzzsaw.com/<sitename>), it should get you what you want.

Buzzsaw Member Management API Update

Jason recently wrote about the newest Buzzsaw API for Member Management.  The sample application he posted was written in C# and .NET 1.1.  I wanted to post and update I just received.  Here is a new version of the sample program written in C# and .NET 2.0 as well as an updated help file:

Download TestMemberManagement.zip

Download BzWebServices.zip

The Buzzsaw Member Management API

One of Constructware's strengths has always been data integration. Constructware has a Data Integration process and methodology that is used by many of its clients to hook up to accounting/financial/ERP/MUD applications.

Buzzsaw has forever had a WebDAV API which allows documents to be uploaded and downloaded outside the Buzzsaw client interface. Really really handy and useful for lots of things like synching with local files, uploading on a scheduled basis, or drive mapping through tools like Webdrive.

Late in 2006, we quietly (shhh!) rolled out a Member Management API which gives you webservice access to your member list, groups, passwords, and so forth on a Buzzsaw site. It's designed for gearheads developers, though -- so your average Site Administrator isn't going to get much out of it. But if you're building an application that needs to access the Buzzsaw Member list, I present to you....drum roll please...

The Buzzsaw Member Management Webservices API Documentation File (Zipped For Your Convenience)

Download UserGroupPermissionAPI-2006-08-14.zip

Read it and weep. Seriously, there are some sample apps and things, and some pretty good documentation, enough to get a pretty good Buzzsaw - Friendster mashup application written, if you were so inclined...

Here's some important stuff you need to know:

* Autodesk does not support the API. At all. We don't guarantee it will do what you want it to do, and there's no warranty on it at all. In other words, you have to use it at your own risk.

* The API doesn't support double-byte characters (typically used in Japanese/Chinese languages) - so if you are using double-byte user names or permissions, etc., this API won't work for you.

Webservices for Buzzsaw

Not to be outdone by Google, Amazon.com, eBay and the like, we have ourselves a bunch of snazzy webservices (what?) here at Buzzsaw.

If you're a coder (even a cowboy coder), you can use these to access information about a Buzzsaw site - including its members and some attributes about those members.

The WSDL for Buzzsaw's Member management is here.

The WSDL for Buzzsaw's Attribute service is here.

You'll need a valid Buzzsaw login to access either one; use this format:

Sitename\Username
Password

Example: "Mysite\Bud Melman" "SnazzySpecs1234"

Here's some sample code, courtesy of developer Dave Watt, that gives you a .NET example of how to access Buzzsaw via its webservices API. (Unfortunately the blog software doesn't want the indentation to show up when I paste it in, so you get to imagine that it's neatly formatted as it was when I got it from Dave.)

Module Module1

Sub Main()

Dim test As String = ""

Try

Dim service As New projectpoint.MemberManagement.MemberManagement()

System.Net.ServicePointManager.Expect100Continue = False

Dim NewCreds As New System.Net.NetworkCredential("User", "PWD", "Site")

Dim NewCache As New System.Net.CredentialCache

NewCache.Add(New Uri(service.Url), "Basic", NewCreds)

service.Credentials = NewCache

test = service.Hello()

Catch ex As Exception

Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString)

End Try

Console.WriteLine(test)

End Sub

End Module

Good luck with it, hopefully you can find new and useful ways to connect to Buzzsaw with this API, which I think is just fantastic.

Jason

R.I.P., Calvin Deforest.

Buzzsaw Tip - Web Dav Connections

It seems that we are overdue for some product tips so I've decided to share one of my favorite Buzzsaw tricks.  Buzzsaw supports the WebDav protocol for accessing data.  This means that you can access your Buzzsaw site through any WebDav client.  Your permissions continue to control what you can see and do on the site, but you can connect to your data through additional channels.

Any 3rd party software that supports WebDAV can be used to access Buzzsaw. For example, Mac OS X has built in support for WebDAV, and there is a java based software DAV Explorer that uses WebDAV also. Listed below are other examples of 3rd party client software that can be used to access Buzzsaw.

• Cadaver is a command-line WebDAV client for Unix. It supports file upload, download, on-screen display, namespace operations (move/copy), collection creation and deletion, and locking operations.
• DAV Explorer is a java based WebDAV client application that uses the WebDAV protocol to provide a explorer like user interface to the resources on a remote server.
• Goliath is an application that creates and edits web sites. It uses WebDAV to make changes to the files stored on web servers. Goliath exposes functionality similar to that found in the Windows version of Internet Explorer 5 plus many other features that are unique to the Mac.DAV Explorer.
• WebDrive is a great utility from South River Technologies that allows you to mount your Buzzsaw as a drive on your computer.   

Regardless of which utility you use to access Buzzsaw, you'll need the following URL: https://webdav.buzzsaw.com/yoursitename  then just use your Buzzsaw Username and Password to authenticate.