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 bhxtyrant

I notice that when i import files from one of my site directories Links Database automatically adds a decription of the file showing the file path where the file is located.This requires manual editing of hundreds of files for me as i do not want the file path to be shown.Is there a way i can disable the option so it doesnt automatically add descriptions?

You can disable this 'automatic title' quite easily by editing local_links_admin.php. Find (about line 1316):

list ($insert_status, $linkid) = insert_link ($bbuserinfo['username'], $bbuserinfo['userid'], $title, $key, '', $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir, $pcatid, $pforum, $statuscheck, $moderate, 0);

Replace the string

$vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir

with whatever you like, e.g.

''

to have a blank description.

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

I also cant seem to get the thumbnail images working.I uploaded the "local_resize" file to my forum directory and am using the "links_linkbit" template.But when i add the link to the image i wish to use all i can get is the red X.my settings in the admin pnale are as follows "allow_images" 1,"link_imagesize" -100.Am i doing something wrong?

It works ok for me with these settings. If the image is on your site in, e.g. http://yoursite/dir1/dir2/file.jpg, then you can point to the image either with the full url or as /dir1/dir2/file.jpg. Maybe you're missing the first slash or something?

[bhxtyrant]

hmm i cleared out the info you said to remove automatic file names but it didnt work it only removes the words "trawled by" but the directory /mysite/folder/file.type still gets automatically entered.i tryed removing both the 'll_cat' and 'll_trawled' but it still remains.

But the thumbnails i just can't figure out.i tryed using http://www.neowu.com/bhxtyrant/sigs/deconav.jpg that image as a test to see how ther thumbnails worked but all i get is the red X everytime.I thought that it may be because the image is outside my forum directory so i tryed using an avatar image from the forum and still the same thing.I have tryed both the full URL and the shortened one starting with / is there something i may be missing that i have to do to the "local_resize" file?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

hmm i cleared out the info you said to remove automatic file names but it didnt work it only removes the words "trawled by" but the directory /mysite/folder/file.type still gets automatically entered.i tryed removing both the 'll_cat' and 'll_trawled' but it still remains.

But the thumbnails i just can't figure out.i tryed using http://www.neowu.com/bhxtyrant/sigs/deconav.jpg that image as a test to see how ther thumbnails worked but all i get is the red X everytime.I thought that it may be because the image is outside my forum directory so i tryed using an avatar image from the forum and still the same thing.I have tryed both the full URL and the shortened one starting with / is there something i may be missing that i have to do to the "local_resize" file?

If you PM me details of an account and pwd with admin privs, I'll take a look.

[bhxtyrant]

Unfortunatly it's not my forums/server so i can not give you access.It's a freind of mines site.Im just helping him set some things up to make it easier to manage the site.

I have a question once again though.Next to "link_imagesize" am i allowed to put the demensions of an image?for example 130x100?if so how do i do it exactly as it seems to only let me imput a single numer sch as 100.Is this correct?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

Unfortunatly it's not my forums/server so i can not give you access.It's a freind of mines site.Im just helping him set some things up to make it easier to manage the site.

I have a question once again though.Next to "link_imagesize" am i allowed to put the demensions of an image?for example 130x100?if so how do i do it exactly as it seems to only let me imput a single numer sch as 100.Is this correct?

Currently, you cannot give both image dimensions. local_resize.php scales the image so that the maximum dimension is the number given and the aspect ratio stays correct. In other words, if you supply a 150x100 image and specify a size of 50, you will get an image that is 50x33. Ditto, a 100x150 image will be displayed 33x50. Is this an problem?

I'm surprised by the problem you describe in the earlier post - did you remove the complete string from local_links_admin.php, i.e. $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir? The effect you described would happen if you only removed $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].

[bhxtyrant]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Currently, you cannot give both image dimensions. local_resize.php scales the image so that the maximum dimension is the number given and the aspect ratio stays correct. In other words, if you supply a 150x100 image and specify a size of 50, you will get an image that is 50x33. Ditto, a 100x150 image will be displayed 33x50. Is this an problem?

I'm surprised by the problem you describe in the earlier post - did you remove the complete string from local_links_admin.php, i.e. $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir? The effect you described would happen if you only removed $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].

Ah i see no it's not a problem at all i just wanted to make sure i understood it's size function correct as i wanted to make the thums 130px in width

as for the probale yes i did remove the entire string "$vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir" after i did it gave me a serious error when i tried to import files.It said it couldnt import but then it gave an error where it said the files were there but they didnt show up in any catagory.I then had to manaualy delete them from the CSV file to get them out :ermm: ive decided this isnt really a big deal i uploaded the original file again and its working right.

just to make sure i undestand you correct you mean edit this code

PHP Code:

list ($insert_status, $linkid) = insert_link ($bbuserinfo['username'], $bbuserinfo['userid'], $title, $key, '', $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir, $pcatid, $pforum, $statuscheck, $moderate, 0); 


to this

PHP Code:

list ($insert_status, $linkid) = insert_link ($bbuserinfo['username'], $bbuserinfo['userid'], $title, $key, '',, $pcatid, $pforum, $statuscheck, $moderate, 0); 


Im really more concerned with getting thumbnails working as i plan to add hundreds of video clips to the links database and would like to display a thumb taken from each vid im gonna play around with it today so i will post any updates and results in this same message using the edit feature.Thanks a ton for all the help you have given me.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

you mean edit this code

PHP Code:

list ($insert_status, $linkid) = insert_link ($bbuserinfo['username'], $bbuserinfo['userid'], $title, $key, '', $vbphrase['ll_trawled'].' '.$dir, $pcatid, $pforum, $statuscheck, $moderate, 0); 


to this

PHP Code:

list ($insert_status, $linkid) = insert_link ($bbuserinfo['username'], $bbuserinfo['userid'], $title, $key, '',, $pcatid, $pforum, $statuscheck, $moderate, 0); 


NO!! -
to this

PHP Code:

list ($insert_status, $linkid) = insert_link ($bbuserinfo['username'], $bbuserinfo['userid'], $title, $key, '', '', $pcatid, $pforum, $statuscheck, $moderate, 0); 


An extra null string.

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

Im really more concerned with getting thumbnails working as i plan to add hundreds of video clips to the links database and would like to display a thumb taken from each vid im gonna play around with it today so i will post any updates and results in this same message using the edit feature.Thanks a ton for all the help you have given me.

This bothers me - it should work ok. Pls do the following:
- create a few links with what you think are correct image files (even if they don't display correctly)
- on the main links display (where you are seeing the red cross), use your browser to do a 'view page source' (Mozilla) or 'view source' (IE). Save the html to file and email it to ad_rodin at noos.fr.

[bhxtyrant]

Hey man thanks again for all the help.I edited that string of code and its now working perfectly

and i dont know about the image but today i decided to reupload the local_resize file (i uninstalled the entire mod and reinstalled) and it started working.I know the server admin just installed something called GD2 for use with VBA gallery for VB as well could that have something to do with why it didnt work?but in any case its working now.

I've said thanks many times now but i really aprreciated all you help the last mod i tried to use the dude provided no help what so ever with major serious problems heh.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

I know the server admin just installed something called GD2 for use with VBA gallery for VB as well could that have something to do with why it didnt work?.

Yep, that would kill it. I have a trap in the installation code to check that the required code is available - seems this didn't work properly - will check.

Glad you're up and running.

[aggiefan]

Can downloads be restricted based on usergroups? IE, only super moderators and subscription people can download?