disable edit access for node author

My two cents:

Why is it then possible to configure the author permission in the nodeaccess module? If it is not consulted...

btw, the question does not concern this module in particular but it is still unanswered.

There is, however, a hack possible (just though about it and need to test it) :
in a module:

• define a permission (hook_perm)
• define an input filter and assign associated permission (i.e. NOT normal users)
• in a nodeapi hook, change the input of the main field to the value of the previously created filter.

The result is that Drupal will not enable the edition of a node where the filter value has been set to an unauthorized value.

I finally got time to do this:

in a module (workflow is the name of my module, change it to suite your needs):

function workflow_install() {
    // parts taken from php code filter module
    $format_exists = db_result(db_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {filter_formats} WHERE name = 'workflow_lock'"));
    if (!$format_exists) {
        db_query("INSERT INTO {filter_formats} (name, roles, cache) VALUES ('workflow lock', '', 1)");
        $format = db_result(db_query("SELECT MAX(format) FROM {filter_formats}"));
    
        $result = db_query("SELECT * from {filters} WHERE format=%d", variable_get('format', 1));
        
        if (db_affected_rows()){
            while ($r = db_fetch_object($result)) {
                db_query("INSERT INTO {filters} (format, module, delta, weight) VALUES (%d, '%s', %d, %d)",
                         $format, $r->module, $r->delta, $r->weight);
            }
        }
        drupal_set_message(t('An input format has been created.'));
        variable_set('workflow_format', $format); // saving id for future uses
    }
}

All this creates an input format of substitution (no role should be allowed to use that format).
I copied the filters associated with the existing format 1 in case it is needed.

function workflow_perm() {
  return array(
    'edit locked content', // roles allowed to edit locked content (published on internet or validation requested)
  );
}

function workflow_nodeapi(&$node, $op) {


  if ($op == 'load') {
        if (CONDITIONS && !user_access('edit locked content')) {
          $node->format = variable_get('workflow_format', 1);
        }
  }
}

Users member of a role having the 'edit locked content' will be able to edit the content.

You must tailor the CONDITION to your needs.

I've tried taking this approach, but unfortunately it has one big caveat. I think it might have been because I did a clear cache between implementing the lock and actually viewing the node I had locked again (not on purpose, it just turned out like that), but I ended up with the node showing its raw input, i.e. no input filters had run. This solution relies on the rendered output being available, because if it isn't, and the input filter is changed at node load, rendering the output will not work, for obvious reasons.

Edit: actually, it seems the content is rendered every time. So, for this to work, it seems the input format needs to be identical to the one it is replacing, except for who is allowed to use it.