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

[daFish]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Yes, the next beta will be an HTL version - but give me a few days as I've a lot on this week.

Thanks to Natch for the insight into HTL.

Sounds good.
Thanks for this information.

[13th_Disciple]

i have downloaded this, but have yet to install it.. and haven't had a chance to look at it installed anywhere else.. so a couple of questions..

does this allow for comments by members?

are you going to make a place for members based uploads? of course these uploads are moderated before added to the downloads/links catagories so they can be verified first.

and if so, will you incorporate a file manager type interface.. a kin to the vbftp from erwin, so the admin can move files around and place them in folders on the server that correspond to the way the admin would like the files stored? that way you don't have to log in to ftp/ssh to move files around.. would be ultra handy and quite fast.. this part can actually be done with Erwins hack.. so you might could incorporate that.. or just tell folks to use that as a file manager since it is only available in the admincp..

anyway, these are just a few ideas.. but member comments, ratings and things like that would be very handy.. i saw that you mentioned a ratings system..

thanks for any info you can offer me relating to these ideas.. even if they do suck.. :/

[Natch]

Originally Posted by 13th_Disciple

i have downloaded this, but have yet to install it.. and haven't had a chance to look at it installed anywhere else.. so a couple of questions..

does this allow for comments by members?

are you going to make a place for members based uploads? of course these uploads are moderated before added to the downloads/links catagories so they can be verified first.

and if so, will you incorporate a file manager type interface.. a kin to the vbftp from erwin, so the admin can move files around and place them in folders on the server that correspond to the way the admin would like the files stored? that way you don't have to log in to ftp/ssh to move files around.. would be ultra handy and quite fast.. this part can actually be done with Erwins hack.. so you might could incorporate that.. or just tell folks to use that as a file manager since it is only available in the admincp..

anyway, these are just a few ideas.. but member comments, ratings and things like that would be very handy.. i saw that you mentioned a ratings system..

thanks for any info you can offer me relating to these ideas.. even if they do suck.. :/

You can see this on my forum www.mobileforces.org - PM me for a temp login/pwd if u dont wanna sign up ...

[obsidian]

I am having an issue with the links not showing up. It installed without a hitch. After that I went in and setup some categories and then added a link. The link shows up under the admin panel as an available link but when I go to the category it is not there. I thought maybe the link was the problem but I have since put links in for google and several other sites and they all get listed as broken and nothing shows up.

Any help would be appreciated.

[gmarik]

How can I use it with File storage? See only links ...

[obsidian]

All you have to do is upload all of the files and then use the hack to list the link to the directory where they are stored.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by obsidian

I am having an issue with the links not showing up. It installed without a hitch. After that I went in and setup some categories and then added a link. The link shows up under the admin panel as an available link but when I go to the category it is not there. I thought maybe the link was the problem but I have since put links in for google and several other sites and they all get listed as broken and nothing shows up.

Any help would be appreciated.

Obsidian - which "forum" did you assign the link to? - this is used as a permissions check. Links are only visible to users that could access the specified forum.

Try pointing your browser at http://yoursite/forum/local_links.ph...n=show&check=1, forum/local_links.php?action=show&check=0 and forum/local_links.php?action=show&check=-1 - these will show you all the valid, inaccessible links and invalid links.

If all that fails, pm me a dump of the five sql tables local_link* and I'll try to see what's going on.

[AndrewD]

does this allow for comments by members? - not yet, but I plan to add a star rating - would comments be better?

are you going to make a place for members based uploads? - not at present, this can be done with other utilities as you mention. you can then use this hack to link to the uploads, although I might think about this later. I'll just document the possibility

and if so, will you incorporate a file manager type interface.. see previous

anyway, these are just a few ideas.. but member comments, ratings and things like that would be very handy.. i saw that you mentioned a ratings system..

even if they do suck.. : no, not at all... thanks

[obsidian]

I went back through everything to verify that I had done the install correctly. I thought that one of the templates might be messed up since everything was showing in the database. I deleted all of the templates and then created new ones and its up and running now. Something must not have pasted correctly. Thanks for the help though....I am using your hack to setup an internal documentation control system similiar to the one on your demo link. Lots of possibilites.

[Natch]

Originally Posted by gmarik

How can I use it with File storage? See only links ...

You have to point to an actual file ...