Web-Based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) is a new extended protocol that aids in the manipulation of Web content over server systems. WebDAV is implemented using tools like Apache HTTP server and Microsoft IIS. WebDAV is governed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IEFT).
Features of the WebDAV protocol include frameworks for managing documents on a server, namespace management tools and other resources for changing file properties or file contents. In some ways, the features of WebDAV deal with sets of metadata, including authorship information, file services, etc. Security tools are also included.
The origin of WebDAV dates back to the mid-1990s. Individuals working with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) studied the different aspects of Web publishing and authoring. The W3C then formed the IETF working group, which started work on WebDAV. WebDAV has its own procedure for changing file properties in server systems. It also offers an alternative to methods like the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and various kinds of distributed file systems.