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 ???`S?LV?R???`

nope, still getting that unavailable message

Let's try the questions I asked earlier.

a) What is the full public URL, including your site name, to the file you are trying to make available? (send me this by PM if you don't want to let others know - I'm not interested in hacking your site)
b) What are the results of running the short script I posted for you to test.

The local_links code is not as helpful as it might be when it can't find a file, but I think it's working, and would like to get to the bottom of this before others have problems.

[???`S?LV?R???`]

I'm thinking of just uninstalling this, cause im somewhat too busy to deal with the whole problem of trying to figure out the problem/fix it lol. But... I'm sure most of you have seen php-nuke and how it has a download section built into the script thats protected..etc. Well Hopefully someone will come out with one of those, cause that's exactly what i've been needing..

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by ???`S?LV?R???`

I'm thinking of just uninstalling this, cause im somewhat too busy to deal with the whole problem of trying to figure out the problem/fix it lol. But... I'm sure most of you have seen php-nuke and how it has a download section built into the script thats protected..etc. Well Hopefully someone will come out with one of those, cause that's exactly what i've been needing..

That, of course, is entirely up to you, but then please don't expect people to spend time helping you. You're making half statements about what you want, and about what doesn't work, etc. Please take the time to follow these statements through.

[???`S?LV?R???`]

That last thing about the php-nuke thing was just a similar topic about what would be nice to have, but the deal with this thing not working ive came through with my statements fine. Maybe not as details as you wish, but not too bad.

[refertech]

Well I'll try to help solve the problem cause I'm having the same results. Doesnt matter if i use the full url or the /file/file.jpg method i still cant download the file. It either says file unavailable or its a broken link. Just tell me what you want me to do.

Thanks,

Mark

Edit: Results of the tryit.php file.

#/home/plmtech/public_html#

Ok, the link works fine when i try it with a image, but when i try it with a PDF file and I have added that extention to the extention list. It wont work. Must have something to do with extentions that are added. I know i can download pdf from my board cause i have posted them in threads and they download fine.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by refertech

Well I'll try to help solve the problem cause I'm having the same results. Doesnt matter if i use the full url or the /file/file.jpg method i still cant download the file. It either says file unavailable or its a broken link. Just tell me what you want me to do.

Thanks,

Mark

Edit: Results of the tryit.php file.

#/home/plmtech/public_html#

Ok, the link works fine when i try it with a image, but when i try it with a PDF file and I have added that extention to the extention list. It wont work. Must have something to do with extentions that are added. I know i can download pdf from my board cause i have posted them in threads and they download fine.

Thanks, Mark.

Pls upload the attached local_links.php. THis has a load of debugging statements in it. There's also a minor bug fix - if you had been providing files less than 1k in size, it would have reported that these were "not available".

Then a) try setting up a file that you think should work but gives you the "not available" message (Add link) & record the various debug messages that come up on the screen; then b) edit the file, make no changes, just submit, and record the messages again; finally, c) click on a link that has been set up correctly, which gives the broken link message, and record the message a third time. That should give me enough to go on.

Apologies for the hassle - so many differences between different systems.

[refertech]

Step A results:

debug... url=#http://www.plmtech.com/downloads/car...rigerants.pdf#
Array ( [scheme] => http [host] => www.plmtech.com [path] => /downloads/carrier/alternative_refrigerants.pdf )
remote, fopen ok
Entry added successfully and link checked ok
please record these messages then click here to continue


Step B results:

debug... url=#http://www.plmtech.com/downloads/car...rigerants.pdf#
Array ( [scheme] => http [host] => www.plmtech.com [path] => /downloads/carrier/alternative_refrigerants.pdf )
remote, fopen ok
Entry edited successfully and link checked ok
please record these messages then click here to continue


Step C results:

debug... url=#http://www.plmtech.com/downloads/car...rigerants.pdf#
Array ( [scheme] => http [host] => www.plmtech.com [path] => /downloads/carrier/alternative_refrigerants.pdf )
Known mimetype - fopen http://www.plmtech.com/downloads/car...frigerants.pdf worked ok, so download should work properly
header Content-type: application/pdf
56 blocks read


Let me know if i can do more. You've done all the work here, i'm more than glad to help you perfect it or help me fix what i have done wrong.

Thanks,

Mark

If you prefer I'll give you and admin account on my board and you can take a look for yourself too.

[refertech]

Ok, I think i figured it out. It has to do with the spaces in the file your trying to download. If the name of the file has a space it has the dead link problem. When i removed the spaces link works fine.

Mark

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by refertech

Ok, I think i figured it out. It has to do with the spaces in the file your trying to download. If the name of the file has a space it has the dead link problem. When i removed the spaces link works fine.

Mark

Yes, you've sorted it out Mark, thanks. I'll have a look which is the best way to correct this - the official way is to turn spaces into %20's and so on.

[refertech]

No problem man. Thanks for the hack man. This is great stuff and really is what i needed. Is there any way to make a new window open when someone clicks the link rather than open in the current window?

Thanks again,

Mark