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

[Allan]

I have to throw the update and he says to me :

Upgrade vb Links to Links and Files 1.60
Checking installation status...
I cannot find the vb Links tables in this database - unable to continue.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Allan

I have to throw the update and he says to me :

Upgrade vb Links to Links and Files 1.60
Checking installation status...
I cannot find the vb Links tables in this database - unable to continue.

You're trying to run the 'upgrade_vblinks' script, which is intended to upgrade people from the similar hack that was written for VBulletin version 2.

All you need to do to upgrade this hack is re-run the normal installation script, local_links_install.php. It works out what to do.

[calorie]

<font face="Courier New">
This extension allows registered users to rate and comment on entries. The extension was built around version 1.60b of AndrewD's L&F DB hack. This is a "Thanks to Andrew" extension, but support is not guaranteed. Make backups of your files, tables, templates, etc. before installing. Of course, you assume the full risk should you install this extension.
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[RichieBoy67]

Nice addon!!! Thanks...

[calorie]

You're welcome. DL the instructions again though, as I forgot a template in the instructions. If anyone DLs after this point, the template has been added to the instructions. Also before anyone asks, if you want to show more than one comment per entry, just change the $comment_cutpoint = 1; variable in the new get_linksratings function. Of course, you need to allow rating for the extension to work.

Originally Posted by RichieBoy67

Nice addon!!! Thanks...

[calorie]

<font face="Courier New">
These edits basically change the search so that LIKE queries are used instead of MATCH AGAINST queries. Note that LIKE queries may be slower than MATCH AGAINST queries, so only apply these changes if wanted. However, you may find that you get more meaningful results using LIKE queries instead of MATCH AGAINST.
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[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by calorie

These edits basically change the search so that LIKE queries are used instead of MATCH AGAINST queries. Note that LIKE queries may be slower than MATCH AGAINST queries, so only apply these changes if wanted. However, you may find that you get more meaningful results using LIKE queries instead of MATCH AGAINST.

Perhaps it's worth explaining the difference between boolean fulltext searches and LIKE searches in MySQL?

Early versions of this hack used LIKE (which is also used by the release version of VBulletin). This allows you to find a search string, with an optional wildcard or so. Boolean fulltext also allows you to look for combinations of words, strings, etc, so that if you search for (e.g.) +book -page, you will find entries with the word book but not page.

[calorie]

True, but if you use MATCH AGAINST then you may be at the "mercy" of MySQL's minimum word length, stop words, fifty percent threshold, definition of word, special characters. For anyone interested, visit here. It's a matter of preference, so "only apply these changes if wanted."

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Perhaps it's worth explaining the difference between boolean fulltext searches and LIKE searches in MySQL?

Early versions of this hack used LIKE (which is also used by the release version of VBulletin). This allows you to find a search string, with an optional wildcard or so. Boolean fulltext also allows you to look for combinations of words, strings, etc, so that if you search for (e.g.) +book -page, you will find entries with the word book but not page.

[skokarl]

@AndrewD

excuse my bad english ...

I use your hack..and it is very fine ! Thank you for the hack.

Bur I only need the downloads ...not the links.

Can you in the future make a hack only for downloads ?
I doesn't know about a good download hack...so I use your hack for my downloads....

but many of the queries and menus and tables are not necessary ..

greetings from germany ..

[calorie]

<font face="Courier New">
These are my notes on how to install AndrewD's LFDB in a directory outside the main forum directory. I cannot guarantee completeness, accuracy, or support, but I give these instructions to you should you wish to install AndrewD's LFDB outside of your forum directory. The main thing with doing this is that you really need to take care about paths and links. Chances are good that if you have a problem, then there is a path or link that needs to be changed to something else. This is a tedious process, be sure, but once done you can call http://www.your-domain.com/links/index.php and get a warm and fuzzy feeling.
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