ownCloud/Nextcloud ONLYOFFICE integration app

This app enables users to edit office documents from ownCloud/Nextcloud using ONLYOFFICE Document Server. Currently the following document formats can be edited with this app: DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, TXT. The above mentioned formats are also available for viewing together with PDF and CSV. The edited files of the corresponding type can be converted into the Office Open XML formats: ODT, ODS, ODP, DOC, XLS, PPT, PPS, EPUB, RTF, HTML, HTM.

The app will create an item in the new (+) menu to create Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation. It will also create a new Open in ONLYOFFICE menu option within the document library for Office documents. This allows multiple users to collaborate in real time and to save back those changes to ownCloud/Nextcloud.

Installing ONLYOFFICE Document Server

You will need an instance of ONLYOFFICE Document Server that is resolvable and connectable both from ownCloud/Nextcloud and any end clients (version 4.2 and later are supported for use with the app). If that is not the case, use the official ONLYOFFICE Document Server documetnations page: Document Server for Linux. ONLYOFFICE Document Server must also be able to POST to ownCloud/Nextcloud directly.

The easiest way to start an instance of ONLYOFFICE Document Server is to use Docker.

Installing ownCloud/Nextcloud ONLYOFFICE integration app

To start using ONLYOFFICE Document Server with ownCloud/Nextcloud, the following steps must be performed:

1. Place ownCloud/Nextcloud ONLYOFFICE integration app to your ownCloud/Nextcloud server into the /apps (or some other) directory, used to connect applications:

cd apps/
git clone https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/onlyoffice-owncloud.git onlyoffice

2. In ownCloud/Nextcloud open the ~/index.php/settings/apps?category=disabled page with Not enabled apps by administrator and click Enable for the ONLYOFFICE application.

Configuring ownCloud/Nextcloud ONLYOFFICE integration app

In ownCloud/Nextcloud open the ~/index.php/settings/admin#onlyoffice page with administrative settings for ONLYOFFICE section. Enter the following address to connect ONLYOFFICE Document Server:

https://<documentserver>

Where the documentserver is the name of the server with the ONLYOFFICE Document Server installed. The address must be accessible for the user browser and from the ownCloud/Nextcloud server. The ownCloud/Nextcloud server address must also be accessible from ONLYOFFICE Document Server for correct work.

Sometimes your network configuration might not allow the requests between installed ownCloud/Nextcloud and ONLYOFFICE Document Server using the public addresses. The Advanced server settings allows to set the ONLYOFFICE Document Server address for internal requests from ownCloud/Nextcloud server and the returning ownCloud/Nextcloud address for the internal requests from ONLYOFFICE Document Server. You need to enter them in the appropriate fields.

To restrict the access to ONLYOFFICE Document Server and for security reasons and data integrity the encrypted signature is used. Specify the Secret key in the ownCloud/Nextcloud administrative configuration. In the ONLYOFFICE Document Server config file specify the same secret key and enable the validation.

Enable or disable the Open file in the same tab setting.

The Open in ONLYOFFICE action will be added to the file context menu. You can specify this action as default and it will be used when the file name is clicked for the selected file types.

How it works

The ONLYOFFICE integration follows the API documented here https://api.onlyoffice.com/editors/basic:

• When creating a new file, the user navigates to a document folder within ownCloud/Nextcloud and clicks the Document, Spreadsheet or *Presentation item in the new (+) menu.

• The browser invokes the create method in the /lib/Controller/EditorController.php controller. This method adds the copy of the file from the assets folder to the folder the user is currently in.

• Or, when opening an existing file, the user navigates to it within ownCloud/Nextcloud and selects the Open in ONLYOFFICE menu option.

• A new browser tab is opened and the index method of the /lib/Controller/EditorController.php controller is invoked.

• The app prepares a JSON object with the following properties:

  • url - the URL that ONLYOFFICE Document Server uses to download the document;
  • callback - the URL that ONLYOFFICE Document Server informs about status of the document editing;
  • documentServerUrl - the URL that the client needs to reply to ONLYOFFICE Document Server (can be set at the administrative settings page);
  • key - the UUID+Modified Timestamp to instruct ONLYOFFICE Document Server whether to download the document again or not;
  • fileName - the document Title (name);
  • userId - the identification of the user;
  • userName - the name of the user.

• ownCloud/Nextcloud takes this object and constructs a page from templates/editor.php template, filling in all of those values so that the client browser can load up the editor.

• The client browser makes a request for the javascript library from ONLYOFFICE Document Server and sends ONLYOFFICE Document Server the DocEditor configuration with the above properties.

• Then ONLYOFFICE Document Server downloads the document from ownCloud/Nextcloud and the user begins editing.

• ONLYOFFICE Document Server sends a POST request to the callback URL to inform ownCloud/Nextcloud that a user is editing the document.

• When all users and client browsers are done with editing, they close the editing window.

• After 10 seconds of inactivity, ONLYOFFICE Document Server sends a POST to the callback URL letting ownCloud/Nextcloud know that the clients have finished editing the document and closed it.

• ownCloud/Nextcloud downloads the new version of the document, replacing the old one.