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

[cscgal]

I, too, would love to see end-user ability to change sort order. Something else that I REALLY need is the ability to have loooong lists of links span multiple pages.

[joeychgo]

What about a robots.txt to keep search engine spidars out of this page? is that possible?

[chrisvonc]

It should do that by default, at least the previous version did but regardless, in the latest version, on the admin page, you can set how many link you would like per page by setting the links_per_page value.

Originally Posted by cscgal

I, too, would love to see end-user ability to change sort order. Something else that I REALLY need is the ability to have loooong lists of links span multiple pages.

[Sam FT]

Originally Posted by Sam FT

Andrew before I installed this lastest version. I do want to make sure it will work. The last version didn't work and you have to give me a custom version of Links Hack for it to work.

Never mind installed fine.

[cscgal]

Originally Posted by chrisvonc

It should do that by default, at least the previous version did but regardless, in the latest version, on the admin page, you can set how many link you would like per page by setting the links_per_page value.

Huh? What version does this? And where is a links_per_page value?

[chrisvonc]

Originally Posted by cscgal

Huh? What version does this? And where is a links_per_page value?

The latest version (1.22) which you can find in the first post in this thread, has this option. Once you install it, go to your Links Administration page and scroll down until you see the links_per_page value. It will be right above the permissions settings. There you can set the amount of links per page to be displayed before starting another page.

BTW - Looking at your username, you wouldnt happen to work for CSC would you?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by cscgal

I, too, would love to see end-user ability to change sort order. Something else that I REALLY need is the ability to have loooong lists of links span multiple pages.

I wrote the sort order code last weekend but did not release it as I will be away for a couple of weeks, but yes, the next version does have the ability to sort alphabetically, by date, by number of hits and by rating.

The number of entries per page is normally taken from from the posts per page setting of your board, but can be over-ridden on the admin page of this hack as Chris has explained.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by joeychgo

What about a robots.txt to keep search engine spidars out of this page? is that possible?

Surely the best way is to set the forum permissions for your links so that users have to be logged in to see the entries?

[cscgal]

AndrewD, thanks for the info. I'm currently only using version 1.00 but I plan on upgrading soon.

[defnot]

i have a question , i would like add a Url but this Url start by "https" and this hack doesn't accept this kind of URL , Can i do somethings to change this ?

thx