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

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Lizard King

I am keeping the security more important then downloads but is there a way to get this working ? If yes how can i do that ? I have a shared hosting and will it work with it ?

You change the cpu limit for your scripts by modifying the parameter max_execution_time in your php.ini file. By default, this tends to be set to 30 seconds.

The least cpu intensive way to provide downloads is to ensure that the files are on your server and to create the links by referring to them using the local file name, e.g as /dir/file.typ rather than as http://site/dir/file.typ.

[AndrewD]

I have uploaded a first beta of this hack in the VB35 forums here

[welo]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I have uploaded a first beta of this hack in the VB35 forums.

For those who are wondering where it is, here ya go . It has been slightly renamed to 'Links and Downloads Manager 2.0' so it took me a sec to recognize it.

Regardless, cheers for this Andrew.

[animehawk]

Hmmm... I'm not sure what I did, but When I go to administer the Hacks Database, every page comes up completely blank. I just installed BVShoutboxFULL. So I'm not sure if that would have messed up some file. Everything else seems to work fine and I re-ran the install script just to make sure.

Any help is appreciated.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by animehawk

Hmmm... I'm not sure what I did, but When I go to administer the Hacks Database, every page comes up completely blank. I just installed BVShoutboxFULL. So I'm not sure if that would have messed up some file. Everything else seems to work fine and I re-ran the install script just to make sure.

Any help is appreciated.

Hacks Database?? BVShoutboxFULL?? Anything to do with this hack?

[CHIngs]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

This feature is already coded as a global setting. You set the parameter timeout_hit_allow on the admin panel to the number of seconds between successive downloads. Let me know if you have problems with it.

I updaraded to the latest and I have to say its the BEST yet. But I have one question, I set the timeout_hit_allow to 300 seconds (5 minutes), though I would like it in minutes (suggestion for next version), its no big deal. But I want to show them how much time they have left. The script must be storing that time limit somewhere in the database and I want to show it on the page where it says "Please wait before trying another access - timeout period (seconds): 300."

I want to show it as "Please wait before trying another access - timeout period (seconds): 300, you have *** seconds left for you next download" or something like that. Can anyone please help me out here .

[animehawk]

whoops... I didn't mean the hacks database... I must have just been reading about it... anyways... When I click on administer and any of the four options that drop down, it brings up a blank page. Everything else works, and I don't get any db errors. Any Ideas?

:edit: Nevermind. I thought I re-uploaded the file and didn't. Works now.
Thanks!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by animehawk

whoops... I didn't mean the hacks database... I must have just been reading about it... anyways... When I click on administer and any of the four options that drop down, it brings up a blank page. Everything else works, and I don't get any db errors. Any Ideas?

All I can think is that you have somehow got a mismatch between the code and the templates. What link is showing on the administer links? If it reads 'local_links.php' then you've got old code, 'local_links_admin.php' is the current code.

Just try re-uploading the code, templates and phrases and rerunning the install script. It will not cause damage your database.

[animehawk]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

All I can think is that you have somehow got a mismatch between the code and the templates. What link is showing on the administer links? If it reads 'local_links.php' then you've got old code, 'local_links_admin.php' is the current code.

Just try re-uploading the code, templates and phrases and rerunning the install script. It will not cause damage your database.

Thanks. I just re-uploaded all the files and did the whole install again. Works now.

[LeeWicKeD]

hiho

just updated to 1.60c and now i can't add any new links. it always shows up a message "no category specified"

and in the box "parent categories" there are no categories listed? what did i wrong?