# Insight on creating an online file editor (create, edit files, browse tree structure)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/insight-on-creating-an-online-file-editor-create-edit-files-browse-tree-structure/159813>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 9, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/insight-on-creating-an-online-file-editor-create-edit-files-browse-tree-structure/159813 "2009-02-09T06:17:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![elioncho](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/ed8c4c/32.png) [@elioncho](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/elioncho)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/insight-on-creating-an-online-file-editor-create-edit-files-browse-tree-structure/159813/1 "2009-02-09T06:17:56Z")

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Hello guys,

Can anyone give any ideas on how to start working to do an online file  
editor. I want the user to create his/her own directory on the server  
an be able to create new text files and edit them online. A file tree  
should be available to check the current files in his/her directory.  
Can anyone give me any insight, ideas on how to begin working on this?

Thanks a lot,

Elías

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**Author:** ![elioncho](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/ed8c4c/32.png) [@elioncho](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/elioncho)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/insight-on-creating-an-online-file-editor-create-edit-files-browse-tree-structure/159813/2 "2009-02-09T14:14:37Z")

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Well, you could try to 1st implement a “remote shell”, that is, you  
submit a command (like ls -la), your controller executes it and then  
you display the result in the browser. Maybe Capistrano gives you a  
start on that.

After that you can work on the user interface (file tree, etc).

You then start working with file editing: you need to read the file  
(maybe lock it), display to the user in a text area (possibly with a  
WYSIWYG editor like [www.fckeditor.net](http://www.fckeditor.net)) and then submit the contents to  
the server and save the file (check if it still exists) and so on…

After everything is working, you might find it appealing glue it all  
together with AJAX.

Finally, you need to control permissions, security, etc.

Good luck!

Cheers, Sazima

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elioncho](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/ed8c4c/32.png) [@elioncho](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/elioncho)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/insight-on-creating-an-online-file-editor-create-edit-files-browse-tree-structure/159813/3 "2009-02-09T15:53:29Z")

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Hello,

Thanks for the tips. So the basic idea is to create the user directory  
folders and files with shell commands via the controllers. Do you have  
any ideas on how to create a file tree? Maybe a component from YUI or  
the google webkit or maybe a plugin (or gem) which can help me to show  
a tree structure an be able to click on files an open them in the  
textarea?

Thanks again for your input,

Elías