Controlling access to documents using file locks

A method for controlling access to document files, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a software application to access a document file on a server;
• determining a coauthoring status of the software application;
• determining a file lock status of the document file, wherein the file lock status comprises one of exclusive and shared, wherein a first file lock is a shared lock that permits write-access to the document file by a plurality of software applications, and wherein a second file lock is an exclusive lock that permits exclusive write-access to the at least one document file by a single software application;
• permitting write-access to the document file if the software application supports coauthoring and the file lock status permits coauthoring;
• denying write access to the document file if the software application supports coauthoring but the file lock status does not permit coauthoring;
• and
• setting the second file lock if the software application supports coauthoring and the at least one document file includes features that do not support coauthoring.

A method for controlling access to document files stored on a document server, the method comprising:

• receiving a request at a document server to set a first file lock that designates a document file for shared access by a plurality of software applications, the request being made when the document file is closed, and the request being made independently of a request by a software application of the plurality of software applications to access the document file;
• setting the first file lock for the document file, the first file lock preventing software applications that do not support coauthoring from writing to the document file;
• receiving a request from a first software application of the plurality of software applications to access the document file;
• determining whether the first software application supports coauthoring;
• permitting write-access to the document file if the first software application supports coauthoring;
• setting a second lock for the document file if the first software application permits coauthoring, the second lock permitting additional software applications that support coauthoring to have write-access to the document file;
• denying write-access to the document file if the first software application does not support coauthoring;
• receiving a request from a second software application of the plurality of software applications to access the document file;
• determining whether the second software application supports coauthoring;
• permitting write-access to the document file if the second software application supports coauthoring;
• and
• denying write-access to the document file if the second software application does not support coauthoring.