Image Cache

Y2K Software Image Cache

Compatible at least with vBulletin 3.5.4 and 3.6.4

Please click here for the product Import External Images for vBulletin 4

This product caches images from external sites to a local board folder (including signatures) located at:

http://www.domain.tld/[forum/]imgcache

Installation

1. Please create at your vBulletin board directory a folder called: imgcache and give it the following access rights: CHMOD 777 (read/write/modify to all users)
2. Create an empty index.html file in this folder to avoid file exploring and direct download on some systems.
3. Copy the y2kswimgcache.php file to your vBulletin board (forum home) directory.
4. Close your forum temporarily to the public.
5. Install the product product-y2kswimagecache.xml to your board (allow overwrite if already present).
   The installer will add a table called '[prefix]y2ksw_imgcache' with one field (int ID AUTOINCREMENT) to your board database.
   Please note: Although the uninstaller is provided, it is commented out. By removing the table, and reinstalling the plugin later, the cached images would be overwritten, because of the field counter restarting from 1.
   By leaving the table in your database, you may reinstall the plugin later without collision problems.
6. Test the product: New thread, reply, edit. If errors occur (or white pages), make sure your imgcache/ folder has the required access rights.
7. Reopen your forum to the public.
8. DONE!

How it works

When a board user opens a new thread or message, or edits an existing one (all advanced, quick-reply and ajax), and pastes an image from all but the local cache directory (or by copy and paste, or by specifying [IMG] tags), upon submission the image is read from the external url and written to the local (server) image cache folder.
This avoids to show a placeholder image when the source link is dead or temporarily unavailable.

The link to the image is accordingly replaced.

The script scans first all image references and creates a table of unique images in the current message. It creates a new database table entry in y2ksw_imgcache for each image, reads the new ID and creates a sequence of new images for each url it happens to be readable, and creates for each successful read an imgcache/<id>.png file.

After this sequence, the files are cached locally and may disappear from their sources without leaving an unreferenced image pointer at the local board.

Known bugs

When an image link contains dynamic data, vBulletin would show the image in preview, but change also the IMG tags to URL.
This causes to loose the reference and the plugin will not attempt to recover. A possible solution is to allow dynamic contents for IMG tags on your board.

Version history

1.0.3.0 2007-08-19 Repaired browser (IE 7) issue for images of a different file extension than the officially recognized types. For this issue, newly cached files have now the *.png extension.
1.0.2.0 2006-08-27 Image caching of signatures ([IMG] tags for signatures must be enabled); added a donation button inside readme.htm for specific user requests, which will help us to keep this product always up-to-date.
1.0.1.2 2006-08-07 Release changes for vbulletin.org
1.0.1.1 2006-08-06 Image size verification to avoid caching of invalid images
1.0.1.0 2006-07-17 Collision-free unique cache ID's
1.0.0.0 2006-07-17 Product creation

[dartho]

Excellent. I came a cross an issuie where it would attempt to cache album pictures (vb 3.8.7), but instead it cache a 1x1px img? (vBulletin's cron ?)

This however didn't happen when attachments were used in img tags

To work around I added the following code to y2kswimgcache.php so that any images in the forums were not cached:

PHP Code:

    // Don't change local files ---------------------------------------
    for($i = 0; $i < $n; $i++)
    {
        if(strpos($files[$i]['url'], $forum_home) !== FALSE)
        {
            $files[$i]['url'] = '';
        }
    } 


[Manoel J?nior]

Any news y2ksw??

Thanks

[dartho]

This works well under 3.8.7!

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by Manoel J?nior

Any news y2ksw??

Thanks

No news yet ... overrun by work.

[SCuN]

Very nice mod! works very well on 3.8.7, but I noticed a bug, when you give a space after the img bbcode, modification does not work.

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by SCuN

Very nice mod! works very well on 3.8.7, but I noticed a bug, when you give a space after the img bbcode, modification does not work.

It's not intended to have a space there

If there are spaces, probably they are intentional in order to show the tags in the post.

[dartho]

After minimal testing, your version of this for VB4 works under vb 3.8 also ... (although there may be an issue with cron logging?)

[adwade]

Originally Posted by Manoel J?nior

Please this version update:
- a scan and remove of unused images

One quick question: IS there any way to determine if a cached image is no longer in use?(i.e. a thread which had a cached-image in it has been deleted, but the cached-image remains) From what I've gathered reading this thread, if a thread is deleted and the cached-image is no longer needed it still remains (unused) in place. True?

This is a GREAT MOD and has kept our discussions meaningful, no matter how old they are by keeping the images within our threads intact.

Oh and I'll 2nd Manoel Junior's comment: Congratulations, you're a great developer.

[y2ksw]

Originally Posted by adwade

One quick question: IS there any way to determine if a cached image is no longer in use?(i.e. a thread which had a cached-image in it has been deleted, but the cached-image remains) From what I've gathered reading this thread, if a thread is deleted and the cached-image is no longer needed it still remains (unused) in place. True?

This is a GREAT MOD and has kept our discussions meaningful, no matter how old they are by keeping the images within our threads intact.

Oh and I'll 2nd Manoel Junior's comment: Congratulations, you're a great developer.

If a thread is deleted and the cached-image is no longer needed it still remains (unused) in place: True

Because a post may be copied inside and even outside your forums and their images are still in use. Since you link images statically to your site, you are becoming the primary source of that copy, if the original disappears for one or another reason.

I am aware of the space problem, but in the very long run, old images may become very interesting to researchers. And thus, new people are coming to your site, only because you got what they need

[adwade]

Originally Posted by y2ksw

I am aware of the space problem, but in the very long run, old images may become very interesting to researchers. And thus, new people are coming to your site, only because you got what they need

I understand and can agree with your logic. :up:

I'm running v1.0.2.0 on vB3.8.6 and it's run flawlessly since I installed it w-a-y back when.(i.e. vB 3.6) My only concern is how many images can I hold in just ONE directory, before it blows up on me?

And along those lines, is there any way to patch/modify the version I'm running to keep-it-going?(i.e. as Focus2 suggested in post #150 of this thread)