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

[FleaBag]

Got this installed with ease - an excellent system. Thank you.

[JohnXWA]

Now VB3 is gold, is there a chance of AdminCP intergration?

Thanks!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by JohnXWA

Now VB3 is gold, is there a chance of AdminCP intergration?

Thanks!

Guys, I keep answering this question! The instructions explain how to integrate with the AdminCp. It's a three line patch.

Is there a reason you want more?

[sim]

BUG: (don't think this specific bug has been reported in the thread - I did search !)

in local_links_install.php, line 217, the line:

ALTER TABLE local_linksltoc ADD INDEX ( linkid )

should read:

ALTER TABLE ".THIS_TABLE."linksltoc ADD INDEX ( linkid )

Most people won't come across this problem since they wouldn't change the table prefix in THIS_TABLE.

[sim]

BUG #2

$bbuserinfo is not defined in the routine get_linklistbit - which means that if you are not using forum permissions to determine who can do what, then the code to check whether the current user is allowed to edit their own post doesn't work.

The line which doesn't work is in the links_linkbit template (line 20):

<if condition="$links_permissions[can_edit_link] or $bbuserinfo[userid] == $linkuserid">

and the problem can be fixed simply by declaring $bbuserinfo as global in the get_linklistbit routine in local_links.php - ie. somewhere around line 385 add the following:

global $bbuserinfo;

Works now

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by sim

BUG #2

$bbuserinfo is not defined in the routine get_linklistbit - which means that if you are not using forum permissions to determine who can do what, then the code to check whether the current user is allowed to edit their own post doesn't work.

The line which doesn't work is in the links_linkbit template (line 20):

<if condition="$links_permissions[can_edit_link] or $bbuserinfo[userid] == $linkuserid">

and the problem can be fixed simply by declaring $bbuserinfo as global in the get_linklistbit routine in local_links.php - ie. somewhere around line 385 add the following:

global $bbuserinfo;

Works now

Thanks, Sim.

Your first bug was reported a couple of weeks ago and is fixed in my development version - I was waiting on confirmation on the fix to another bug before releasing. Your second report is new to me, so I'll include in release 1.01, probably this weekend.

[martinh4]

Originally Posted by FleaBag

Got this installed with ease - an excellent system. Thank you.

I agree, very easy install.

[Chrissicom]

Originally Posted by gmarik

This is what we needed. Several things:
- not integrated with the admin cp is no good - you need to integrate it, it's the most important part
- we could make the design together - and we could cooperate with other download zone vb2 hackers to unite the code and make it even better.

Is this available for vB 3 Gold ?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Chrissicom

Is this available for vB 3 Gold ?

This works fine with vb3 gold

[Chrissicom]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

This works fine with vb3 gold

Yes I know the Links Database works but that is not what I need... I was asking about the File Database with all the data given there with screenshots in the 3rd or 4th post of this thread, that doesn't work with this hack apparently