3. Configuring to Work with Desktop Applications

To authenticate desktop applications, the server must have HTTPS enabled. Here are simple instructions for configuring HTTPS in your development environment.

Self-signed certificates are suitable solely for testing purposes. When running production applications, it’s essential to utilize SSL certificates issued by a trusted authority.

Creating a Keystore File

  1. Generate a keystore using the keytool utility provided by JDK:

    keytool -genkey -keyalg RSA -alias localhost -keystore localhost.jks -validity 365 -keysize 2048

    You will be asked for the keystore password and then for some names. Remember the password and the names.

  2. Export certificate from the keystore:

    keytool -export -keystore localhost.jks -storepass <password> -alias localhost -file localhost.cer

    Use the password entered on the first step instead of <password>.

  3. Register the certificate as trusted in your operating system.

    • On Windows operating system:

      1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, then type "certmgr.msc" and press Enter. This will open the Certificate Manager.

      2. In the left pane of the Certificate Manager, expand the Trusted Root Certification Authorities folder.

      3. Right-click on the folder and select All Tasks > Import…​ from the context menu. This will open the Certificate Import Wizard.

      4. In the Certificate Import Wizard, click Next and then browse to the location where your certificate file is stored. Select the certificate file and click Next.

      5. Choose the option to place the certificate in the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store and click Next.

      6. Review the information and click Finish to complete the import process.

      7. You should see a message indicating that the import was successful. Click OK to close the wizard.

        Once these steps are completed, the certificate should be registered as trusted in the Windows operating system.

    • On macOS:

      1. Double-click on localhost.cer file in Finder. The Keychain Access application will open.

      2. Find your certificate under the name entered on the first step as "your first and last name" on the Certificates tab.

      3. Double-click the certificate and select Trust → When using this certificate: Always Trust.

Configuring Server

This section explains how to use the certificate generated in the previous section in your application when it runs from the IDE or as an executable JAR.

  1. Create src/main/resources/<base-package>/keystore directory and copy localhost.jks into it.

  2. Set the following properties in the application.properties file replacing <base-package> and <password> with actual values:

    # Enables HTTPS
server.ssl.enabled=true
# The format used for the keystore
server.ssl.key-store-type = JKS
# The path to the keystore containing the certificate
server.ssl.key-store = classpath:<base-package>/keystore/localhost.jks
# The password used to generate the keystore
server.ssl.key-store-password = <password>
# The alias mapped to the certificate
server.ssl.key-alias = localhost

# Changes the server's port
server.port = 8443

    The <base-package> in the path to the keystore (server.ssl.key-store property) should be presented as a slash-separated path:

    server.ssl.key-store = classpath:com/example/demo/keystore/localhost.jks

  3. Open the main application class and change the printApplicationUrl() method. The URL should be changed to https:// after configuring HTTPS:

    @EventListener
    public void printApplicationUrl(final ApplicationStartedEvent event) {
        LoggerFactory.getLogger(DemoApplication.class).info("Application started at "
                + "https://localhost:"
                + environment.getProperty("local.server.port")
                + Strings.nullToEmpty(environment.getProperty("server.servlet.context-path")));
    }

Running the Application

After following the instructions outlined above, launch the application at https://localhost:8443.

Choose the Knowledge base item from the Application menu. Click on the WebDAV document link.

open webdav doc1

The browser will display a dialog prompting the user to open the WebDAV file in a desktop office application.

open webdav doc2

Agree to open the file and ensure that the WebDAV document opens in desktop office applications.

open office

Once the WebDAV document is edited and saved, a new version of the document will be created, which will be the latest version.

open webdav doc3

Summary

You have learned that:

  • To enable opening and editing of WebDAV documents using desktop office applications, it is necessary to set up HTTPS for your web application. This is essential for ensuring secure communication between desktop office applications and the WebDAV server, particularly when handling sensitive document editing and saving operations.

  • HTTPS encryption provides a secure channel for transmitting data, preventing unauthorized access and guaranteeing the integrity of the document editing process.