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.

[Langly]

Look for "Add Files" in your phrase/languages section of your admincp.

[SteveC]

Thanks!

[SteveC]

I can't get thumbnails to display. I notice the documentation makes reference to a linkbit_photos template and a selection for a thumbnails directory but I don't see these options. Are they in 2.1.0 or only in the new beta?

with 2.1.0 how to I get photos to display as in the screenshots here? http://www.eirma.org/devel/LDM/pictures.html

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by SteveC

I can't get thumbnails to display. I notice the documentation makes reference to a linkbit_photos template and a selection for a thumbnails directory but I don't see these options. Are they in 2.1.0 or only in the new beta?

with 2.1.0 how to I get photos to display as in the screenshots here? http://www.eirma.org/devel/LDM/pictures.html

Sorry, Steve - the documentation is racing ahead of us - it's for 2.1.3.

In order to get thumbnails to display with 2.1.0, this is what you must do:
a) check that your php installation includes the GD2 library. If you don't know, take a look at the box down the bottom left side of one of the LDM admin pages - this will tell you
b) set the LDM parameter link_imagesize to the size in pixels (largest dimension) that you want thumbs to be sized. If you leave this at zero, they won't show
c) Either provide a url in the image field on the add link form, or use a main url that is itself an image (i.e. jpg, gif, png)

Then it should work.

In the versions after 2.1.0, several improvements have been made, such as caching ther thumbnails (quicker), using a better algorithm to create them (nicer) and providing some other layout templates (more appropriate layouts for photos).

[Joep11]

Hi Andrew,

Is it possible to set a maximum amount of characters when a user ads a link at the description field? At this moment a user can (and did) put a large text in the description field.

Regards,
Jeroen

[EasyTarget]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

OK, this is what I propose to do. User agreements will be available in two ways:

a) Default - there is no need to 'accept' any terms and conditions before starting a download
b) 'Accept me' - it will be necessary to agree to the terms set in a site-editable form

and 'Accept me' will be available in two ways:
1) 'on category entry' (default). Users will need to 'agree' to the terms before entering categories.
2) 'on link access'. Users will need to agree before accessing a download

I didn't follow this enough to understand fully.. Will one of the options be to accept it once, globally, for all downloads? (and then if people want it to be by category or link they can do that as a either/or type system?)

As far as the images, I think an option to allow users to create/manage their own galleries would be beneficial. So like if I choose usergroup A and allow them to create/manage galleries then they could create their own personal gallery in the gallery category and only they could submit/edit the pics in their gallery. Maybe even give the option if they'd like their gallery to be just a private one.

Another option that I think would be beneficial would be the choice to display newest and/or random pictures from galleries that the admins select. Maybe on the local_links main page or on a new gallery main page or both. (eventually it'd be nice to even have an add-on for use on forumhome if this were made possible)

regarding the agreements, maybe you could extend that or make a unique version for galleries, whether it be for copyrighted content agreements or mature content, whatever.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Joep11

Hi Andrew,

Is it possible to set a maximum amount of characters when a user ads a link at the description field? At this moment a user can (and did) put a large text in the description field.

Regards,
Jeroen

Do you want this to be an adjustable parameter, or just a hard limit? Currently the database field is type TEXT, which makes it in principle quite large

[Slave]

Originally Posted by EasyTarget

As far as the images, I think an option to allow users to create/manage their own galleries would be beneficial. So like if I choose usergroup A and allow them to create/manage galleries then they could create their own personal gallery in the gallery category and only they could submit/edit the pics in their gallery. Maybe even give the option if they'd like their gallery to be just a private one.

Another option that I think would be beneficial would be the choice to display newest and/or random pictures from galleries that the admins select. Maybe on the local_links main page or on a new gallery main page or both. (eventually it'd be nice to even have an add-on for use on forumhome if this were made possible)

Whoa! .. you sure you don't want to just get vB Gallery instead?

I'm all for adding features, but isn't this going that little bit too far away from what this hack is all about?

It's up to AndrewD in the end I agree, but personally I'd like AndrewD to have a life and not get so overworked that he gets pissed of with the hack and stops supporting it ..

(Sorry if I'm stepping on your toes AndrewD .. I'll get out of protective mode now )

[Slave]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Do you want this to be an adjustable parameter, or just a hard limit? Currently the database field is type TEXT, which makes it in principle quite large

I'd go with an adjustable parameter else you'll get requests to make it larger than the default ..

[dilbert]

This is absolutely terrific!
I've read in other places that it was too easy to install, that just may be true. Even I did it.

I have two questions.
How can I change the menu item under Show "My Favourites" to "My Favorites"?

Next, can this be used for just downloads? Is it possible to remove the "links" section? I already use vBadvanced's links directory and don't want to move at this time. I just want to use this as a document download tool.

Thanks