Links and Downloads Manager

LDM extends VBulletin to manage a library of documents, files and links to other web sites. Documents can be stored on your own web site, stored on your server separate from the web site, uploaded by your user community, or held somewhere else altogether. So you can use LDM to provide your user community with access to your own files and allow them to share files with each other.

12/08/06 - Versions that work with vb36 are available and supported in the VB36 thread. Version 2.2.1, which works with VB 3.5 but not with VB 3.6, remains available here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with all the design, testing, etc.
Translations are provided (thanks dLutt and LeeWicked) into German, (thanks to Allan) into French, and (thanks to Hugo) into Spanish. Harry1951 has handled the Dutch translation.

Screenshots, Instructions and How to Install

Full details and instructions are available as a Wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php...nloads_Manager

LDM installs as a VBulletin product. There are no modifications required to standard VB code.

Basically - upload php files and run the installer through VB's Product installer. No changes needed to VB code. Remember to BACKUP YOUR DATABASE. By default, LDM prefixes its database tables 'local_'. Edit the configuration file, local_links_init.php, if you need/wish to change this.

LDM can handle an essentially unlimited number of categories and nested subcategories, and an unlimited number of entries (hyperlinks or downloadable files). Each entry can be placed in one or several categories. Categories can have styles. Descriptions and titles can optionally include BBcodes, smilies, images and html, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc. File types can be flagged using icons and individual entries can also have associated thumbnail images.

Standards templates are provided for libraries of links, files, documents, and photographs.

Users can offer comments and rate the links/downloads. Each user is allowed one rating and many comments per entry, and can freely edit these if they change their mind.

Permission to use specific features is established via the product's admin page, where the administrator specifies which usergroups can add and edit entries, comment and rate these entries, moderate, etc.

By default, all entries are visible to all users. You can restrict visibility/access to links and categories by using the permissions masks from your board's forums.

Moderation of new entries is available but turned off by default.

Users can report bad links to the relevant moderators/administrators.

Each user can flag links as his/her "Favourites".

Modules are provided for VBAdvanced.

Hooks are provided in suitable places in LDM and sample plugins are included in the release (see extras directory), for example to integrate with ID3 tags in mp3 files, for slideshows, to autocreate new threads in your forums, etc.

Plus much more.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Ophelia

Is there a way to add material to the page that requests them to accept/deny the terms? I want to include graphics buttons w/ code (like toplist code) on this page. Or is there a way to load the footer on this page? That would fix the issue as well.

The accept/deny page currently loads the links_agreement template, which is a complete web page. It would be very easy for me to modify the code to use the usual header/content/footer structure (so that the links_agreement template would just be the material in the middle of the sandwich). Or you could modify the links_agreement template to include the items you want. Let me know what you think is best.

[Ophelia]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

The accept/deny page currently loads the links_agreement template, which is a complete web page. It would be very easy for me to modify the code to use the usual header/content/footer structure (so that the links_agreement template would just be the material in the middle of the sandwich). Or you could modify the links_agreement template to include the items you want. Let me know what you think is best.

I'm not sure everyone would want their header/footer included.. but for those who have adSense and such, it might be a good idea... but some might not want the additional bandwidth each time something is downloaded. I don't mind for our site though.

I have one more question, and I'm not sure if it's been posted yet or not.

We have our download manager set up to accept the permissions that we have set in download manager. However we have one download area that is not set up this way, it is set up to follow the permissions from a specific forum. We are doing this so our team have a private area to upload stuff to early, and then move over when it's due.

The problem we are running into is this. In the private area they do this:

1. Click on the parent category.
2. Click on one of the 4 sub-category areas that they want to upload to.
3. Press the ad-Link

When you scroll down and view the Parent Categories, it does not show that one is picked, nor does it show the private parent category nor the sub-categories. If you try to upload something, then it tells you that no category was picked and denies the upload. Have I done something wrong in setting this up do you suppose? I can send you a test account username/password as well if you would like to view.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Ophelia

I'm not sure everyone would want their header/footer included.. but for those who have adSense and such, it might be a good idea... but some might not want the additional bandwidth each time something is downloaded. I don't mind for our site though.

I have one more question, and I'm not sure if it's been posted yet or not.

We have our download manager set up to accept the permissions that we have set in download manager. However we have one download area that is not set up this way, it is set up to follow the permissions from a specific forum. We are doing this so our team have a private area to upload stuff to early, and then move over when it's due.

The problem we are running into is this. In the private area they do this:

1. Click on the parent category.
2. Click on one of the 4 sub-category areas that they want to upload to.
3. Press the ad-Link

When you scroll down and view the Parent Categories, it does not show that one is picked, nor does it show the private parent category nor the sub-categories. If you try to upload something, then it tells you that no category was picked and denies the upload. Have I done something wrong in setting this up do you suppose? I can send you a test account username/password as well if you would like to view.

This may seem totally off the wall, but what version of php are you running on your server.

In any case, pls PM me a username so that I can take a look - ideally with admin privs, pls.

[Marris]

I'm currently testing 2.1.3b2 for the first time.

Is there an option or a way force local site links to open in the current window, rather than opening a new window?

If possible, I would like external links to continue to open in new windows, while having all local links open within the current window.

I tried changing my link entry to a relative local path, but it still opened in a new window.

EDIT:

Well, I changed "_blank" to "_self" in a couple spots in local_links_include.php and that opens all links in the current window.

I am still interested in any tips to distinguish local links from external links to make the window target a conditional.

EDIT 2:

Well, I set up the following conditional, to check whether my site URL is contained within the link and change the target based on that. My settings are:

force_redirect: 0
protected_link: 0

find:

$atag = "<a href='".$vbulletin->options['bburl']."/".$LINKS_SCRIPT.
			iif($links_defaults['seo_friendly'],"/jump/$linkid/$catid",".php?action=jump&amp;id=$linkid&amp;catid=$catid").
			"' title='". $vbphrase['ll_visitdownload'] ."' target='_blank'>".
			$linkname."</a>";

replace with:

	  if (substr_count($linkurl, 'localdomain.com') == 1) {
		$atag = "<a href='".$vbulletin->options['bburl']."/".$LINKS_SCRIPT.
			iif($links_defaults['seo_friendly'],"/jump/$linkid/$catid",".php?action=jump&amp;id=$linkid&amp;catid=$catid").
			"' title='". $vbphrase['ll_visitdownload'] ."' target='_self'>".
			$linkname."</a>";
		} else {
    $atag = "<a href='".$vbulletin->options['bburl']."/".$LINKS_SCRIPT.
			iif($links_defaults['seo_friendly'],"/jump/$linkid/$catid",".php?action=jump&amp;id=$linkid&amp;catid=$catid").
			"' title='". $vbphrase['ll_visitdownload'] ."' target='_blank'>".
			$linkname."</a>";
		}

I would still like to know if this option is already built into to Links and Downloads Manager, so I can achive the same result without editing the local_links_include.php file.

Thanks for you help.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Marris

I'm currently testing 2.1.3b2 for the first time.

Is there an option or a way force local site links to open in the current window, rather than opening a new window?

Thanks for you help.

This is not built in - but it's an easy option to add, so let me include two options in the final version of 2.1.3 (local url=self/new window; remote url=self/new window)

[Langly]

Has the "New entry credit" been enabled? I cannot see where to adjustments to the credits.

[Marris]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

This is not built in - but it's an easy option to add, so let me include two options in the final version of 2.1.3 (local url=self/new window; remote url=self/new window)

Thanks, I'm sure others will also find it useful.


I have another question. How can adapt the included vBAdvanced CMPS modules to display on a non-vBAdvanced page?

For example, with ldm_hot.php , I tried changing the following:

PHP Code:

eval('$home[$mods[\'modid\']][\'content\'] .= "' . fetch_template('adv_portal_custom_ldm_hot') . '";'); 


to:

PHP Code:

eval('$output .="' . fetch_template('adv_portal_custom_ldm_hot') . '";'); 


Then I tried adding print $output; or calling $output within adv_portal_custom_ldm_hot. I also changed the require_once paths to the absolute server paths, but I am getting the following error (with vB 3.5.4):

---
Unexpected critical failure
Critical Error: Links and Downloads Manager v.2.1.3 requires VBulletin version 3.5
---

Specifically, I'm am trying to pull LDM information into a module inside a Geek Article and Review System (GARS) LITE page.

My goal is to include blocks with 5 or 10 links from each LDM category matching a specific keyword, into an Article page in the GARS system. So for example, the Article content would be a Review of XYZ, then the LDM block would show 5 offsite links from the LDM category Reviews matching the keyword XYZ.

I'm not looking for a complete solution, but I hope you can point me in the right direction to be able to display LDM information on a non-LDM, non-vBAdvanced page.

Thank you.

[Marris]

If you haven't already, please look at my previous post and let me know if you can offer any advice.


Another feature suggestion:

Beside the Sort By selection menu, it would also be nice to have a Keyword Filter menu.

I'm working on a manually created menu, that looks something like this:

PHP Code:

<span class="smallfont">
        <FORM action="local_links_search.php" method="get">
        <input name="action" value="show" type="hidden"><input name="literal" value="1" type="hidden"><input name="desc" value="1" type="hidden"><input name="keys" value="1" type="hidden">
<select class="select" name="search" onchange="this.form.submit();" size="1" style="width: 200px;">
        <optgroup label="Filter">                
                <option value="" selected="selected">none</option>
<option value="keyword1">keyword1</option>
<option value="keyword2">keyword2</option>
<option value="keyword3">keyword3</option>
</optgroup>
            </select>
            </form>
</span> 


[Karri]

I have a small bug report. In the forumhome plugin you have this line

PHP Code:

<img class="inlineimg" src="images/buttons/lastpost.gif" alt="'.$vbphrase['go_to_page'].'" border="0" /> 


which is fine if that is where your lastpost.gif image is. I have different sub folders for all of my different styles but I am stuck with the same booring blue image for all of them. I have tried different variations on

PHP Code:

$stylevar[imgdir_button]/lastpost.gif 


but can't quite get it to work. What would be the correct code if any to have the button match the rest of the images for that particular style?

Thanks for the great hack!!!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Langly

Has the "New entry credit" been enabled? I cannot see where to adjustments to the credits.

It's been half added, if you understand. The first part of the code is ther but is invisible until I can get round to the second part.