Can Grand Avenue Open Files in a Web Browser Without Downloading Them From the Server?

No, files must be downloaded from the Grand Avenue server to a locally accessible file system.

Other applications do this, so why can’t Grand Avenue?

Web Application Architecture

Grand Avenue is a web application, which means client web browsers communicate with the server only through HTTP requests and, therefore, cannot read files directly from the server. Files stored on the server must be downloaded to be accessible to the client side of the application.

Once a file is downloaded to the client, whether it opens in a web browser or a native application is a negotiation between the web browser and the client’s operating system. Grand Avenue has no means of controlling that behavior.

Security

Opening local files directly in a web browser gives hackers way to exploit web browser security vulnerabilities to inject malware (e.g. ransomware, worms, spyware) into to a computer or network.

While downloading files from the Internet and saving them to a local computer has associated security risks, those risks are mitigated using tools such as encryption, antivirus software, and firewalls. The vulnerability being addressed here is introduced when local files are automatically opened in a web browser.

Some browsers have (or used to have) built-in capabilities to open local files, and others relied on browser plug-ins for applications such Microsoft Office or Adobe Reader to provide that functionality. Due to the security threats introduced, most browsers have limited or removed those capabilities.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

On the client side, Grand Avenue is supported on multiple platforms (e.g. Windows, Mac IS, iOS, Android) and web browsers (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari). To maintain cross-platform compatibility, Grand Avenue utilizes capabilities that are common across its range of supported client operating systems and web browsers. Even if a specific web browser can securely and reliably open downloaded Microsoft Office files on Windows, that doesn’t mean all client platforms and web browsers supported by Grand Avenue have the same ability.

Cost

Some applications use proprietary client-side web applications to provide functionality that is not available in standard web browsers. Others have tight integrations with applications such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Reader that allow them to process files on the application server before sending them to the client.

If Grand Avenue supported such proprietary clients or application integrations, they would have to be developed, maintained, and, validated, which would significantly increase the complexity, and therefore also the cost, of Grand Avenue.