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.

[kompakt]

Thank you for this hack, I'm loving LDM so far.

I was trying to figure out which of the files/templates actually does enters into the db the scanned files. I would like it to be able to scan the directory recursivly and for each sub folder create a new category with the folder name. Perhaps just for safey, there could be an additional value given telling LDM when to stop scanning (after how many subdirectories)

Thanks again...

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by pcoskat

Nifty.

Can I set this up so members (or nonmembers) have to pay to post in the link directory?

I haven't tested this myself, but I imagine that if you associate the links category with one of your board forums which is a 'subscription' forum, then the category will only be visible to users who have subscribed to that forum

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by kompakt

Thank you for this hack, I'm loving LDM so far.

I was trying to figure out which of the files/templates actually does enters into the db the scanned files. I would like it to be able to scan the directory recursivly and for each sub folder create a new category with the folder name. Perhaps just for safey, there could be an additional value given telling LDM when to stop scanning (after how many subdirectories)

Thanks again...

I'm in the middle of developing an xml import facility for LDM. I think that recursive searches (and scheduled searches, which another post suggested recently) should be handled by an external script and brought in via an xml import. This would help to keep LDM simple - it's growing a bit too much. Thanks for the suggestion - I'm think about how to include it in the 'import' process.

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I'm in the middle of developing an xml import facility for LDM. I think that recursive searches (and scheduled searches, which another post suggested recently) should be handled by an external script and brought in via an xml import. This would help to keep LDM simple - it's growing a bit too much. Thanks for the suggestion - I'm think about how to include it in the 'import' process.

Didja get my pm?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bchawla

Didja get my pm?

Indeed I did, but I've been away on business. Something for the weekend

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Indeed I did, but I've been away on business. Something for the weekend

ok cool!@ just wnated to make sure! thanks

[Slave]

Hi AndrewD

As you know I'm setting up a new webpage/forum and I've come up against an interesting problem. I can't for the life of me find a "contacts" hack where I can list contact details for people/clubs/organisations etc ..

Now it seems to me that it would be sensible to keep these sort of contact details in the same sort of place as web links, so I was wondering if we might be able to add this to LDM?

I think just about everything would be the same as adding a link, with the only difference being the lack of a URL to enter .. so perhaps a tickbox in the URL entry area of the "Add Link" page saying "This entry does not require a URL" ..

I could then enter the name of the person/club/organisation in the "Name" field and the telephone number in the "Description" field and bobs your uncle, a fully functioning contacts system within the LDM ..

What do you think? (I'm sure there are things that could be added/changed to make it a better contact system, but I'm trying to keep it simple )

Oh, btw, do you still need that test forum I left up for you to look into that bug?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Hi AndrewD
I think just about everything would be the same as adding a link, with the only difference being the lack of a URL to enter .. so perhaps a tickbox in the URL entry area of the "Add Link" page saying "This entry does not require a URL" ..

Well it just so happens... If you tick the allow_null_links box on the admin settings page, you can already do this

Originally Posted by Slave

Oh, btw, do you still need that test forum I left up for you to look into that bug?

No, we only need to do another test when you upgrade your php

[Slave]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Well it just so happens... If you tick the allow_null_links box on the admin settings page, you can already do this

Ahh .. top!

Does that mean anyone adding a link can now do it without a URL .. perhaps add a permission for that?

Originally Posted by AndrewD

No, we only need to do another test when you upgrade your php

ok .. not sure if we're updating php on this server as we're talking about moving to a new one.

[Slave]

hmm, possible bug in 2.1.0 AndrewD ..

At the moment I've got my settings so that a registered user can add a link but that it should should be moderated (ie that usergroup is unticked in the "can_moderate_links" option while ticked in the "can_add_link" option) ..

I've just added a link, unwittingly using one of my test accounts who is just a registered user, and it went into the listings straight away without needing moderation ..

Is this a known bug or have I missed a setting/option?