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

[OGT]

1 level down would be the least confusing to the end user IMO. in links home, any cat with new links directly under it should be bold, and the number of total links should show up under each cat line. then when they click down, the same should happen for each sub cat.

[Okiewan]

Originally Posted by ohgeetee

1 level down would be the least confusing to the end user IMO. in links home, any cat with new links directly under it should be bold, and the number of total links should show up under each cat line. then when they click down, the same should happen for each sub cat.

Agreed.

[Okiewan]

Would also be cool to be able to assign an image to a link... easily. The idea is to list whoever in the links database, but sell the logos.

[13th_Disciple]

now that this thread has grown to over 20 pages, I find it hard to search to see if this has been asked, so if it has, just point me to the correct post..

when you click a link to DL a file, in the status bar of the DL, the file size is not shown nor is the "time remaining"

any idea why that may be? using 1.01 with vB RC3 - upgrading to 3 gold this weekend..

I personally don't mind, but my members get a little pissy about it..

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by 13th_Disciple

now that this thread has grown to over 20 pages, I find it hard to search to see if this has been asked, so if it has, just point me to the correct post..

when you click a link to DL a file, in the status bar of the DL, the file size is not shown nor is the "time remaining"

any idea why that may be? using 1.01 with vB RC3 - upgrading to 3 gold this weekend..

I personally don't mind, but my members get a little pissy about it..

No, this hasn't been asked before and it was a "design feature"...

I think it's quite easy to add this facility - and it probably should be included, as some of my users become a bit mouse button happy, not knowing if their downloads are happening or not. But there's one situation (when the d/l comes from another site) where I don't think it's possible - you have to have read the entire file before you know its size, whereas for local files, the operating system tells you.

[AndrewD]

I've released (see first post) a new beta version fixing/dealing with several requests in this thread:

- count of links/categories in category
- bold face for categories which contain new items since last visit
- more robust file downloading - should correctly provide a 'save as' even if Adobe Acrobat steals the browser
- progress information for downloads of local files
- more user friendly handling of broken links - if a new/edited link seems broken, user is given the option to fix it, but the link stays available in case we're dealing with a slow site, etc.

[brianstevz]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating a question that has been asked before but I couldn't find it in the thread.

1) How do I get Links to work with another Style? I have 4 styles on my forum and it only works on the default style. If I change one of the styles to the default style and attempt to reinstall it tells me that I'm about to delete all of the previous files.

2) How can I get the web sites listed on multiple pages? One of my caterories is growing quite large filling making the page too big. Is there a way to change this into a page 2,3,4....etc.

Thanks in advance

Brian

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by brianstevz

I'm sorry if I'm repeating a question that has been asked before but I couldn't find it in the thread.

1) How do I get Links to work with another Style? I have 4 styles on my forum and it only works on the default style. If I change one of the styles to the default style and attempt to reinstall it tells me that I'm about to delete all of the previous files.

2) How can I get the web sites listed on multiple pages? One of my caterories is growing quite large filling making the page too big. Is there a way to change this into a page 2,3,4....etc.

Thanks in advance

Brian

1) In the official VBulletin, standard templates are available automatically to all styles. This is not true for the links&files templates. They are only available to:
- styles that existed at the time you last ran stage 2 of the installation process
- new styles that are children of styles that existed at that time.
In other words, if you create new top level styles after you install this hack, these styles will not include the templates for this hack.

The solution is to rerun stage 2 of the installation process. This will fix matters - it will not delete your links - but you will lose any customisation you have made to the links&files templates.

2) Currently, there is no facility to paginate the links. I know that I need to code that, but I have to work out how the standard VB3 code behaves. Sorry.

[brianstevz]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

1) In the official VBulletin, standard templates are available automatically to all styles. This is not true for the links&files templates. They are only available to:
- styles that existed at the time you last ran stage 2 of the installation process
- new styles that are children of styles that existed at that time.
In other words, if you create new top level styles after you install this hack, these styles will not include the templates for this hack.

The solution is to rerun stage 2 of the installation process. This will fix matters - it will not delete your links - but you will lose any customisation you have made to the links&files templates.

2) Currently, there is no facility to paginate the links. I know that I need to code that, but I have to work out how the standard VB3 code behaves. Sorry.

Thanks for the quick response! I repeated step 2 and it worked great.

[Skyline_GT]

is it possible for users to submit files, but need to wait for amin or mod's approval?