Links and Downloads Manager

LDM extends VBulletin to manage a library of documents, files and links to other web sites. Documents can be stored on your own web site, stored on your server separate from the web site, uploaded by your user community, or held somewhere else altogether. So you can use LDM to provide your user community with access to your own files and allow them to share files with each other.

12/08/06 - Versions that work with vb36 are available and supported in the VB36 thread. Version 2.2.1, which works with VB 3.5 but not with VB 3.6, remains available here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with all the design, testing, etc.
Translations are provided (thanks dLutt and LeeWicked) into German, (thanks to Allan) into French, and (thanks to Hugo) into Spanish. Harry1951 has handled the Dutch translation.

Screenshots, Instructions and How to Install

Full details and instructions are available as a Wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php...nloads_Manager

LDM installs as a VBulletin product. There are no modifications required to standard VB code.

Basically - upload php files and run the installer through VB's Product installer. No changes needed to VB code. Remember to BACKUP YOUR DATABASE. By default, LDM prefixes its database tables 'local_'. Edit the configuration file, local_links_init.php, if you need/wish to change this.

LDM can handle an essentially unlimited number of categories and nested subcategories, and an unlimited number of entries (hyperlinks or downloadable files). Each entry can be placed in one or several categories. Categories can have styles. Descriptions and titles can optionally include BBcodes, smilies, images and html, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc. File types can be flagged using icons and individual entries can also have associated thumbnail images.

Standards templates are provided for libraries of links, files, documents, and photographs.

Users can offer comments and rate the links/downloads. Each user is allowed one rating and many comments per entry, and can freely edit these if they change their mind.

Permission to use specific features is established via the product's admin page, where the administrator specifies which usergroups can add and edit entries, comment and rate these entries, moderate, etc.

By default, all entries are visible to all users. You can restrict visibility/access to links and categories by using the permissions masks from your board's forums.

Moderation of new entries is available but turned off by default.

Users can report bad links to the relevant moderators/administrators.

Each user can flag links as his/her "Favourites".

Modules are provided for VBAdvanced.

Hooks are provided in suitable places in LDM and sample plugins are included in the release (see extras directory), for example to integrate with ID3 tags in mp3 files, for slideshows, to autocreate new threads in your forums, etc.

Plus much more.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

andrew on the short bit template the stats get all scrunched up at the end like:and the entries without a thumbnail get displayed as if there was a thumbnail to display (moves the title over)

1) What is your screen resolution? 2) I thought you would prefer to have the descriptions aligned vertically, but its an easy edit of the template to change.

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

also I think it would be nice if we could choose whether to add the descriptions to the side of the thumbnails or underneath it (for banner-like images). And maybe add a short-bit description input field on the add/edit link page so that we could use more than just the link title in the short bit.

Again, the first is just a template edit - I think you should really do this yourself - preferences will be very individual and site specific. The second is worth thinking about - but again, people are starting to complain that the input forms get too complex, so one starts needing extra switches and there's more to go wrong. Another option would be simply to trim the field down to a certain number of characters. Only problem with that is that one has to be very careful if people put bbcodes, etc, in the field - you can end up killing a bbcode in the middle.

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

I was just thinking it'd be nice also to be able to define which template to use by the category. so one category could be the normal links bit and another could be the short links bit template.

What about letting the user choose, and keeping the choice in a cookie?

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

it seems all the gif images come up with a black background even when it seems transparent.

I noticed that too, I thought I'd put transparency settings into them, but something seems to have gone wrong along the way. Will take a look when I'm back home.

[Vtec44]

Originally Posted by TundraSoul

Very nice Vtec44.

Thanks.


Here's my code for links_catbit template

<tr valign="top">
<td class="alt$catstyle" width="5%">

<span class="smallfont">
<if condition="$catnew">
<b>
</if>


<center>
<if condition="$catnew">

<!-- This image will display when a new link is added -->
<img src="http://www.yourforum.net/forums/images/statusicon/forum_new.gif">
<else />

<!-- This image will display normally -->
 <img src="http://www.yourforum.net/forums/images/statusicon/forum_old.gif">
</if>
</center>

<if condition="$catnew">
</b>
</if>
</span>
</td>
<td class="alt$catstyle">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tr><td width="75%">
<span class="smallfont">
<if condition="$catnew">
<b>
</if>

<a href="local_links.php?action=links&amp;catid=$catid">$catname</a><br>

$catdesc
<if condition="$catnew">
</b> ($vbphrase[ll_newentry] $catdate)
</if>
<if condition="$links_permissions[can_edit_category]">
<a href="local_links.php?action=editcat&amp;catid=$catid">[$vbphrase[ll_editlc]]</a>
</if>
<if condition="$subcatnames"><br />$vbphrase[ll_subcat]: $subcatnames</if>
</span>
</td>
<td class="alt$catstyle" width="15%" align="right">

<fieldset class="fieldset">
<span class="smallfont">
<if condition="$links_defaults[count_depth]==0"> 

<fieldset class="fieldset">
$catsub categ/$catentry $vbphrase[ll_entrieslc] ●
<else />
$catchildentry $vbphrase[ll_entrieslc] ●
</if>
</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>

Here's my code for links_subcatbit template

<!-- This image will display when a new link is added -->
<if condition="$subcatnew">
<img src="http://www.yourforum.net/forums/images/statusicon/subforum_new.gif" border="0"> <b><a href="local_links.php?catid=$subid">$subname</a></b> [$sublink]

<else />
<!-- This image will display normally -->
<img src="http://www.yourforum.net/forums/images/statusicon/subforum_old.gif" border="0"> <a href="local_links.php?catid=$subid">$subname</a> [$sublink]
</if>
&nbsp;

NOTE: I'M STILL USING v2.05 so you may need to modify for it to be compatible with newer versions.

Andrew is of course free to use this. Thanks for all the support you provided.

Here's a screen shot of how it should look with a few new links added:

[hugo]

AndrewD,

Here you are the spanish phrases, sorry for the delay. I just finished the translation, i am not shure if there is errors, i just install the phrases, so right now i am checking for errors on my site.

Para los que las vayan a usar, un par de detalles:

Las frases son en español, pero tienen un cierto estilo mexicano.
No me puse a revisar los acentos, si alguien lo hiciera, seria excelente.
Suerte. =)

Thanks again for this extension.

[Slave]

Hi AndrewD .. yes I've finally joined the dark side and have downloaded 3.5 .. so I thought I'd install 2.0.7rc and see how you're getting on

Lots of new toys!

Couple of things that I've noticed on the front page, where it lists the top 10 pop entries and how many cats/entries .. it doesn't remember the collapsible table at all. The "Links and Downloads Database" table is something I would prefer to stay collapsed once I've clicked the button .. also, is there an easy way in the settings to turn this bit off and just have the single line we have in the 3.0 version?

Not sure what the point of the "Categories" table being collapsible? You may as well take that off hadn't you?

Also within this bit, can you put a non breaking space (I think that's what's needed) in between a sub-cats name and the [] bit .. else it breaks if you have a large amount of sub-cats running over more than one line ..

Something within the search isn't quite right .. when I try a search from the drop-down menu the first page comes up ok, but when I click on page 2 (or any of the page numbers I've just seen) it seems to forget what it's meant to be searching for and shows a list of all the links in the database starting from page 1 .. (happens from the search page too) ..

Also, in regards to the search page, it seems to ignore if a link has more than one cat associated with the link .. therefore increasing the amount of "Entries" the search comes back with .. is that by design?

On the "My Favourites" page .. if you don't have any favourites it might be worth having a little message saying "You have no favourites at this time, to add a favourite link to this list please click on the +F link next to the link you would like to make a favourite" (or something)

Hmm .. that's all I can think of at the mo .. hope that helps .. I'm sure to be back

(sorry if some have been said before, I've not had chance to look through the whole thread yet)

[Slave]

A few more things ..

Could you change the "Rate" link to "Rate and Comment"? .. it's not very clear you can comment on links (perhaps have one link for Rate and one for Comment) ..

When you do have some comments for a link, could it show how many comments there are? ie "Comments (3)"

Once you get into the comments page .. could we have the comments run top down old to new .. instead of how it is at the moment with new comments going to the top of the list. (perhaps make this a user option?)

Maybe split Rate and Comments up a little bit by adding a "can_comment_link" permission .. so people can rate, but not comment .. or visa versa ..

Have a setting/permission "can_moderate_comments" that allows comments to go straight onto the link comments list, while "can_comment_link" drops into the moderation list .. would work the same way the links permissions work at the mo.

Could you split the "can_view_hits" permission into 2 .. with another one added "can_view_names" .. I like people to see the hits, but don't always want some user-groups to see who added the link.

When adding a link .. give admin the ability to change the name the link is being submitted by ..

I'd also like to say .. I love the installer/plug-in .. I love the new "can_access_link" permission and the way it allows guests to see the name but not the link itself (even on the vba module, TOP!) instead of just getting a "Sorry, you are not signed in" page. Nice one .. love the style option (but you knew I would ) and the new time/date submitted option is super ..

All in all .. very nice indeed

[welo]

Originally Posted by Slave

A few more things ... yadda yadda

Listen man, don't hold back here. Tell us what you REALLY want... :cheeky:

[Slave]

Originally Posted by welo

Listen man, don't hold back here. Tell us what you REALLY want... :cheeky:

heh .. AndrewD knows I offer my suggestions and ideas in good faith and humour

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by hugo

AndrewD,

Here you are the spanish phrases, sorry for the delay. I just finished the translation, i am not shure if there is errors, i just install the phrases, so right now i am checking for errors on my site.

Para los que las vayan a usar, un par de detalles:

Las frases son en espa?ol, pero tienen un cierto estilo mexicano.
No me puse a revisar los acentos, si alguien lo hiciera, seria excelente.
Suerte. =)

Thanks again for this extension.

This is great - thanks! I'll include it in the main release when 2.0.7 goes official

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Hi AndrewD .. yes I've finally joined the dark side and have downloaded 3.5 .. so I thought I'd install 2.0.7rc and see how you're getting on

Well, hello to you - nice to see my friendly advisory again

Originally Posted by Slave

Lots of new toys!

Yep!

Originally Posted by Slave

Couple of things that I've noticed on the front page, where it lists the top 10 pop entries and how many cats/entries .. it doesn't remember the collapsible table at all. The "Links and Downloads Database" table is something I would prefer to stay collapsed once I've clicked the button .. also, is there an easy way in the settings to turn this bit off and just have the single line we have in the 3.0 version? Not sure what the point of the "Categories" table being collapsible? You may as well take that off hadn't you?

The idea was that the table isn't collapsible - just the 'Hit Parade' - so that the description would always stay visible. Will check.

Originally Posted by Slave

Also within this bit, can you put a non breaking space (I think that's what's needed) in between a sub-cats name and the [] bit .. else it breaks if you have a large amount of sub-cats running over more than one line ..

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Slave

Something within the search isn't quite right .. when I try a search from the drop-down menu the first page comes up ok, but when I click on page 2 (or any of the page numbers I've just seen) it seems to forget what it's meant to be searching for and shows a list of all the links in the database starting from page 1 .. (happens from the search page too) ..

Also, in regards to the search page, it seems to ignore if a link has more than one cat associated with the link .. therefore increasing the amount of "Entries" the search comes back with .. is that by design?

You're right about some of these - I was working on these points yesterday morning (I'm sitting in a hotel in freezing Ottawa, waiting to fly off to sunny Charleston). The SQL gets a bit hairy, particularly to provide some of the features your colleagues have asked for.

Originally Posted by Slave

On the "My Favourites" page .. if you don't have any favourites it might be worth having a little message saying "You have no favourites at this time, to add a favourite link to this list please click on the +F link next to the link you would like to make a favourite" (or something)

OK

Originally Posted by Slave

Hmm .. that's all I can think of at the mo .. hope that helps .. I'm sure to be back

No more sleep for me, that's for sure.

[EasyTarget]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

1) What is your screen resolution?

1280 x 1024

What about letting the user choose, and keeping the choice in a cookie?

yeah, I guess that's a good idea too. I just like the shortbit template for the downloads and the regular one for links.

thanks again for your work.