Links and Files Database

The VB3.0 version is no longer supported although there have been no reported problems for some time

See here for the VB 3.6 version of this hack, which is now the supported version. This version currently also works with VB 3.5
See here for the VB 3.5 thread for this hack.

What's new in v1.60?

Option to display associated thumbnail images
Option to accept/not accept new entries if these already exists in database
Code for mass edits (accessed via admincp) tidied up
VB phrasing completed
Includes a full French and a partial German translation (thanks to cclaerhout, Allan and LeeWicKeD), handled properly by installation script.
Various bugs fixed and tested against php4 and php5:
Better database validation (on startup/in admincp: links with invalid associated forumids, categories with invalid parentids)
Alternative linkbit templates provided (default uses a fieldset, the other is the old-style table row)
Alternative category selection templates (pull down menu/list of checkboxes),
Star rating displayed using standard VB stars rather than in text form
Series of minor bug fixes
See file change.txt in zip file

What it is/does

- Provides a searchable database of weblinks and/or downloadable files, for example manuals, music files, pictures, etc.
- Integrates within VBulletin, without requiring any code changes.
- Transparently handles links and file downloads. (If you want to provide downloads from your own site, you need a separate tool to upload these files. This hack does not and will not include a file uploader.)
- Provides unlimited nested categories.
- Each link/file can be a member of multiple categories.
- Link and category title and descriptions can use all BBCODEs, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc, as you wish
- Viewing/access permissions controlled using VBulletin forum system
- Users can rate links, in a similar manner to VB thread rating.
- File downloads are semi-leechproof, i.e. the user does not see where the file is stored and can only access the link if she has access to the associated forum.
- Audio files playable via Windows Media Player can be offered as a jukebox .
- Tracks who downloads what
- Validates links on entry/editing, and provides admin facility to validate the entire database.

Installation/upgrading instructions

Read instructions.txt in the zip file. Installation script works out whether to install or upgrade.

To upgrade from an earlier release of this hack, simply re-run the installation script. If you modified the templates in the top styles, you will lose these modifications unless you back up and re-edit.

PLEASE BACK UP YOUR DATABASE

See also

For screen shots, see attachments.

Tested with

VBulletin 3.0 and higher
PHP 4.1.1 and 4.3.4, should work with all 4.x versions, seems ok with 5.0.4
MySQL 4.0.
Reported ok with MySQL 4.1 but not exhaustively tested

Credits

Initially inspired by drkFusion's vb2 hack "vb Link Directory" v.2 and discussion about v.3 on Vbulletin.org. This is a complete rewrite with many more features. Every credit to the VBulletin folks for providing the infrastructure and to those on vbulletin.org who have helped with testing.

Integrations/Conversions

Natch has written extensions to integrate this hack with VBindex and VBAdvanced.

For convenience, this hack includes fully integrates with, but does not install, his VBIndex hack - i.e. the required template and code are provided, and the admin panel handles the configuration settings. Please refer to his thread for instructions.

Integration with VBadvanced is described in thread 1319 at vbadvanced.com.

The zip file includes a script and instructions for converting from vbLinks v2 (see thread 44551

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by digitalSite

Excellent!!!! Worked Like A Charm!!! Thank You!!!

(Was wondering...is there a way to import 50 or so links into specific categories? I have about 237 links - half go in one top-level category, and the rest in the other...I really don't know how else to do it but to manually enter each. If you have a soltuion for this I would REALLY appreciate it! THANKS!)

Why not create a csv file and use the import/export feature, see instructions.txt?

link,link_name,link_url,link_desc,link_catid,link_ forumid

The first field contains the word "link".
link_name, link_url and link_desc are text fields
link_catid and link_forumid are numbers, link_forumid being optional

[digitalSite]

Thanks for clarifying that for me..I didn't quite understand the instructions. Woohoo! Thank you!

[Slave]

Hi AndrewD ..

I know you're working mainly on the 3.5 version of this hack .. but, due to the amount of hacks I have on my forums, I'm not going to be moving over to 3.5 for, it seems, years ..

Any chance you could add the "new features" you've added to the 3.5 version to this one?

The main one for me would be the "change of styles per cat" feature which I suggested, although the comments feature would be nice too

What do you think?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Hi AndrewD ..

I know you're working mainly on the 3.5 version of this hack .. but, due to the amount of hacks I have on my forums, I'm not going to be moving over to 3.5 for, it seems, years ..

Any chance you could add the "new features" you've added to the 3.5 version to this one?

The main one for me would be the "change of styles per cat" feature which I suggested, although the comments feature would be nice too

What do you think?

I'm really sorry, but I cannot spend the time to back-implement these changes - there are so many new features in the 2.x code and I have hardly the time to cope with these.

[Slave]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I'm really sorry, but I cannot spend the time to back-implement these changes - there are so many new features in the 2.x code and I have hardly the time to cope with these.

.. bugger, that's a shame.

Could you at least point me in the direction of how to add the styles per cat feature? .. as that's all I need really.

Thanks

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

.. bugger, that's a shame.

Could you at least point me in the direction of how to add the styles per cat feature? .. as that's all I need really.

Thanks

I realised why this didn't get implemented with VB version 3.0.x. It's easy enough to modify the hack to prompt the user for a style, but the style change actually happens inside VB's global.php - this is the routine that prepares the ground for everything else, including loading styles. With vb3.5, the new plugin system allows one to implement what you wanted without having to change any standarde code (actually I asked the vb people for a hook to make this possible) - but with vb 3.0, you have to start recoding global.php.

[bhxtyrant]

Hey AndrewD,
Glad to say i have been using Links & files database without a single problem since my last post.Now i have a little question to ask i can't figure out pertaining to the links_linkbit template.I notice that it uses the Legend and Fieldset CSS but i can not get the fieldset border to change colors.I already added the code into the forums CSS and it works fine on all parts of the forum except in your mod where the default grey color border still shows.Is there a way i can make it match the rest of the forum?The below image will show what i mean.The top portion of the image shows how it looks on the rest of my forums,and the bottom shows how it looks in your hack which is installed on my forum.Thanks as always

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

Hey AndrewD,
Glad to say i have been using Links & files database without a single problem since my last post.Now i have a little question to ask i can't figure out pertaining to the links_linkbit template.I notice that it uses the Legend and Fieldset CSS but i can not get the fieldset border to change colors.I already added the code into the forums CSS and it works fine on all parts of the forum except in your mod where the default grey color border still shows.Is there a way i can make it match the rest of the forum?The below image will show what i mean.The top portion of the image shows how it looks on the rest of my forums,and the bottom shows how it looks in your hack which is installed on my forum.Thanks as always

Hi.

I modified my fieldset style definition in the admin.css as follows:

.fieldset { border: #ff0000 solid 1px; margin-bottom: 6px; }

and attach screen shots of the newthread and linkbit displays. Both have picked up the red border correctly.

I wonder - have you applied your fieldset edit to the style that is being used within the links database?

[bhxtyrant]

Hmm so where can i find the admin.css?and which stylesheet does the links database use exactly?Thanks for your reply.

and yes i believe i did apply it it to the stye being used by links database on my forum i only have two skins at the moment.One called "Neo-WU" which is my custom skin that i am using on my forums/links database,and the default forum skin which comes with vB which i have disabled.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

Hmm so where can i find the admin.css?and which stylesheet does the links database use exactly?Thanks for your reply.

and yes i believe i did apply it it to the stye being used by links database on my forum i only have two skins at the moment.One called "Neo-WU" which is my custom skin that i am using on my forums/links database,and the default forum skin which comes with vB which i have disabled.

Sorry, too much shorthand. By admin.css, I meant the standard VBulletin admincp page, Styles & Templates, Style Manager, Main CSS. I tried to reproduce your problem by changing the definition for fieldset in the Additional CSS Definitions.

In the vb3 version, the links database uses whatever style has been loaded by default.

Maybe if you let me know your style sheet definition, I can try to reproduce the problem here.