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

[Tradjick]

that helped it! Thanks for this hack, Andrew_D!

[ImportPassion]

works gret for me.

THe one big thing I would like to see is integration into admincp for the admin stuff.

[tomshawk]

It wont let me install the templates from the install file. It says cancelled as it is written for vbulletin 3.0 RC4 and I have RC3.

I guess I'll live with it, until I upgrade. Which probably wont be until gold.

It's still a very kewl hack, I jsut have to make dang sure about the name and everything, so I dont have to edit

Thank you

[ImportPassion]

When you install the xml, make sure you click YES on the radio button that says something like if it was created with an older version yada yada

[Hoffi]

Originally Posted by Tradjick

...installing 0.95...

1) Your install instructions don't mention to upload the template.xml
That's what confused me a little on Step 2.

2) When editing a category it says that I don't have the permissions, although I didn't change permissions and am logged in as admin.
->when this happens, the category is deleted
->but still appears in the link statistics

I have the same thing.

Added a Category
Edit - The Edit-Screen opend.
By clicking on Save the NoPermissions Screen come up.

No I moved to administer.
Klicked on the new Forum created. No Permission.
In Links Home it is no longer avaiable.
In Administration I see it.

I set the ForumID to a negative Number for turning off the Forum-System.

I miss the Image-Field to enter an Image for the Link/Category... In Beta3 it was gone...

[Tradjick]

@hoffi: the categories won't automatically show up after you change the links admin permissions.

you can either use sql to alter the permissions or phpmyadmin. you could then try to alter the forumpermission from -999 to an actual forumid. but no guarantees on if it will work.

i guess you haven't addet THAT much links into the corrupt categories so just delete them and make them new.

@AndrewD: would it be possible to add a little image near the category and the link description?

[Tradjick]

i have another question:

how can we call the links page from a link from vbindex_customblock_1??? so that it would replace the news?

[SteveK]

I tried the option of using the vb table prefix but got these tables instead...

Step 1 - Set up database tables
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksadmin if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksdownloads if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinkscat if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinkslink if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksltoc if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksrate if it does not exist
--- Modifying tables where necessary

Step 1 - Database modifications complete

Those were the exact table names that were created!

And yes I changed the commented lines around in both the required files. I just didn't change "TABLE_PREFIX" to my actual VB table prefix. I thought it would do this for me. Maybe that was the intent and it's just not working. Just thought you should be aware of this. Maybe a little more clarification here.

Otherwise all is good.

Thanks,

SteveK

[Natch]

Originally Posted by SteveK

I tried the option of using the vb table prefix but got these tables instead...

Step 1 - Set up database tables
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksadmin if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksdownloads if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinkscat if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinkslink if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksltoc if it does not exist
--- Creating TABLE_PREFIXlinksrate if it does not exist
--- Modifying tables where necessary

Step 1 - Database modifications complete

Those were the exact table names that were created!

And yes I changed the commented lines around in both the required files. I just didn't change "TABLE_PREFIX" to my actual VB table prefix. I thought it would do this for me. Maybe that was the intent and it's just not working. Just thought you should be aware of this. Maybe a little more clarification here.

Otherwise all is good.

Thanks,

SteveK

TABLE_PREFIX should be " . TABLE_PREFIX . " aka[sql]INSERT INTO `" . TABLE_PREFIX . "linkslink` VALUES ...[/sql] get it ? the " . TABLE_PREFIX . " needs to be outside the processed SQL and to be inserted as a variable value from the global scope of your PHP script ...

[AndrewD]

Tables

The instructions were too clear, I guess, and the code moved itself around while I wasn't watching...

If you want to use table names other than the default I use (local_) - you don't need to, you just might decide to have a different consistency - you change the following line in local_links.php and in local_links_install.php

define('THIS_TABLE', 'local_');

Unfortunately, if you want to use the same standard TABLE_PREFIX that the rest of your board uses, then the instructions mysteriously got themeselves into the wrong place. The statement:

define ('THIS_TABLE', TABLE_PREFIX);

has to come after including global.php, not before. Both scripts I supplied put these statements a few lines too soon. Just move the lines down a bit. I'll fix.

Images

As far as images are concerned, you can use all the available BBCodes in all the title and description fields for links and categories. So there's nothing to stop you including an IMG code to get a picture there if you want. Hoffi, maybe I'm missing what you mean?

Integration with the AdminCP

I really do understand why people want to see hack administration integrated with the main VB admincp. The problem is that this breaks a golden rule of developing beta code - don't interfere with things you shouldn't touch. This hack is essentially "clean" as far as VB is concerned - it dumps new tables into the database and new templates into your styles, but it doesn't change any of the VB release code, so there should be no problem in upgrading your VB. This is very important for our main VB application, which is a major business web site and has to be rock solid.

This hack's templates and code are written so that only your admins get the option to jump to and use the admin facilities. It is a trivial patch to include the link in your main adminCP - I just haven't given it yet because it hasn't been a priority for me.

Updated code

I reposted the 0.95 zip last night to fix a couple of the reported problems (table index for efficiency, ability to install in versions pre-RC4. The table prefix bug correction described above isn't yet there - if I have time this evening, I'll deal with it.