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.

[josiespencer]

Thank you very much!

[Shanj]

Fantastic fantastic mod! Just what I'm looking for!

Couple of queries.

1. Have I understood right that it will handle both pics and documents?
(In the description here it mentions docs but in the wiki screenshots there's a very nice looking gallery disoplay)

2. Can I disable uploading actual videos and just invite links to open and play them?
Does the media player do that?
(so I am OK to upload pics and docs maybe limited music files but not videos, just links to youtube etc for that.)

3. Are you ready to tweak to 3.7beta compatibility?

Hopefully it wouldn't be rough on you. But 3.7beta as previewed on vb.com atm has ONLY individual Albums. There are requests for a shared group Album which are unlikely to be met for quite a while I think not until at least 3.7 stable if then.
So there will be quite a lot of interest in your mod.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Shanj

Fantastic fantastic mod! Just what I'm looking for!

Good

Originally Posted by Shanj

1. Have I understood right that it will handle both pics and documents?
(In the description here it mentions docs but in the wiki screenshots there's a very nice looking gallery disoplay)

LDM can handle any time of file or url link. You configure it+VBulletin to let it know what you want. The photo display that you see in the wiki is genuine - although the layout possibilities are not as flexible as in a special-purpose photo album, they are there.

Originally Posted by Shanj

2. Can I disable uploading actual videos and just invite links to open and play them?
Does the media player do that?
(so I am OK to upload pics and docs maybe limited music files but not videos, just links to youtube etc for that.)

Yes - again, it is entirely flexible. You will need to spend a little time getting the configuration set up so that it does what you want.

Originally Posted by Shanj

3. Are you ready to tweak to 3.7beta compatibility?

Hopefully it wouldn't be rough on you. But 3.7beta as previewed on vb.com atm has ONLY individual Albums. There are requests for a shared group Album which are unlikely to be met for quite a while I think not until at least 3.7 stable if then.
So there will be quite a lot of interest in your mod.

Assuming that the base code for 3.7 has not been completely rewritten, I don't expect that it will be very difficult, and I will plan to test compatibility as soon as possible. This has been supported right the way through from vb 3.0 and I'm not planning to stop.

[Shanj]

Andrew you are AMAZING
That was mere MINUTES to get a reply
and all clear definite helpful info

I dont mind fiddling to learn it so I can do different stuff.
I only wish I'd found it before!

[Shanj]

OK have been browsing the manual eyes out on STALKS! More and more amazing.

Just one query - darn good information - I usually have loads of questions
If a user adds a link to a video on youtube or similar how does it play? - because I think the integrated jukebox only plays downloads on my site.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Shanj

OK have been browsing the manual eyes out on STALKS! More and more amazing.

Just one query - darn good information - I usually have loads of questions
If a user adds a link to a video on youtube or similar how does it play? - because I think the integrated jukebox only plays downloads on my site.

just a by the way - you're posting in the vb35 thread for LDM - the latest version and discssion is in the vb36 thread

The vb36 release has a set of 'extras', including an addin for a number of the flash video sites such as youtube. The addin translates the youtube url and patches the in-line media player to handle it.

[fishhub]

LDM for v3.5.4 , can we use it for any means of video gallery clips?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by fishhub

LDM for v3.5.4 , can we use it for any means of video gallery clips?

I have not tried the video gallery 'extras' which are provided in the vb 3.6 LDM thread with vb 3.5. Most of the vb 3.6 code does work fine with 3.5 - it was things like user profile integration that changed. But you'll have to test it for yourself.

[obmob]

Well, it seems 3.7 will come soon, many addons will be available, but none like LDM

Now... back to business

I have a question, i want to add a category where i can add links to some direct downloads, but, i don't want this category to be watched by anyone, only by active and registered members. Is it possible to set this up? Even if i don't have any particular forum with those permissions?

Thanks Andrew!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by obmob

Well, it seems 3.7 will come soon, many addons will be available, but none like LDM

Now... back to business

I have a question, i want to add a category where i can add links to some direct downloads, but, i don't want this category to be watched by anyone, only by active and registered members. Is it possible to set this up? Even if i don't have any particular forum with those permissions?

Thanks Andrew!

Why are you asking in the vb3.5 forum ?

I can't see an easy way to do what you want without using the forum-based permission system. Perhaps easiest is to just create another forum and give it the required permissions? LDM checks the 'can view forum' and 'can view others threads' permissions. If you don't want people posting to the forum (or even seeing it) you could make it a subforum of another forum with permissions that make it completely invisible.