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

[Slave]

Just noticed that we seem to of got back the old bug of showing a link more than once in the "Some Random Links" section ..

[Slave]

Within the instructions.txt at 3.1.c ..

local_links_template.xml

should be ..

local_links_templates.xml

[Slave]

Another bug with the "Some Random Links" page ..

When a link has a "See also" section .. it's only showing one cat even when the link is linked to multiple cats ..

[Slave]

For those wanting to take advantage of the "addlink script accepts optional url=, name=, description= parameters to allow scripted new link creation" that AndrewD has kindly added .. I've found the following code to work with IE 6 ..

javascript:Q='';if(top.frames.length==0)Q=document.selection.createRange().text;void(btw=window.open('http://www.yoururl.com/local_links.php?action=addlink&url='+escape(location.href)+'&name='+document.title+'&description='+escape(Q),'AddToLinks','menubar=1,location=1,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,status=1,toolbar=1'));btw.focus();

(Be warned .. it looks like vB adds some spaces into the above code for some reason .. please cleck that you have no spaces before saying it doesn't work! )

Instructions for use ..

1/ Create a favorite within IE6 using any URL
2/ Right click this new favorite within the "Favorites" drop down and click "Properties"
3/ Within the "Web Document" tab replace the current URL with the code above remembering to change the "yoururl.com" part of the URL for the correct path to your local_links.php file
4/ Within the "General" tab replace the name to something like "Add URL to Link Database"
5/ Click OK, at which point it will ask if you really want to do it .. click YES
6/ Finally click "Tools" on your menu bar, click "Pop-up Blocker" and click "Turn off Pop-up Blocker". This will stop IE complaining that the site is trying to open a new window when you click "Add URL to Link Database" from your "Favorites" menu

To add a link to your Links Database you can now do the following ..

1/ Goto URL using IE6
2/ Highlight some text you'd like as the description for this link
3/ Pick "Add URL to Link Database" from your favorites list
4/ A new page will open pre-filling the Name, URL and Description of your link
5/ Finalise the completion of this page as normal

Finished!

AndrewD .. your more than welcome to use the above in the instructions.txt if you'd like .. or do some of your own if you think I've not explained it very well ..

[ShadowFun]

When renewed to the version 1.56, I don`t see any my categories..
Only: Home & Add (Cat)

I can pass for link "action=links&catid=N", but a category is nonactive and I cann`t add links.

At addition of category the choice of Parent Category I don`t see any my categories also.

The options are proposed by default:
template_category_selection - links_addnewlink_catselect
template_linkbit - links_linkbit_table

How to correct ? :ermm:

Rgds.

[welo]

I just ran into a similar issue. Seems I missed the last couple of upgrades and after version 1.41 of this script, somehow the ability to define your own table prefixes disappeared and the installer insists on prefixing the tables as local_ so it just adds new blank tables if you were using another table prefix. I see no way to solve this without moving all the data around manually.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by welo

I just ran into a similar issue. Seems I missed the last couple of upgrades and after version 1.41 of this script, somehow the ability to define your own table prefixes disappeared and the installer insists on prefixing the tables as local_ so it just adds new blank tables if you were using another table prefix. I see no way to solve this without moving all the data around manually.

Ouch - sorry guys - will check and provide a fix

[ShadowFun]

I think problem not on prefixing (i`m upgrading from version 1.55), but in something other...
Only where ?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Just upgraded ..

I'm getting a mysql error when trying to get to the following link ..

I think you'll find you associated a link or category with a forum, then deleted the forum. I'll fix the code so that it doesn't croak on this problem.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Another bug with the "Some Random Links" page ..

When a link has a "See also" section .. it's only showing one cat even when the link is linked to multiple cats ..

This is the same bug that caused multiple copies of the same random link to show up. Basically the "random hit" code isn't working properly when a link was in more than one category. (The "hottest hits" code was also broken, although less visibly.) Will upload a fix quite soon.