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 Alfa1

IThat is almost what I need. The only thing I miss is the LDM navbar. When I have LDM in vBadvanced, I will not use LDM in it's normal form any longer. Therefore all LDM functions should be available trough the vBa module.

OK

Originally Posted by Alfa1

I guess, the size will automaticly adjust to have it fit in there?

yes

[obmob]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

That's right - with no thumbnail directory, these are regenerated 'on the fly'. This puts more load on your server, but doesn't create a large number of files.

oh, but i already have my thumbs in the database... and with the xml i pointed to the linkimg, should i do the same to the linkimgthumb?

I see created thumbs are linked in there... and will this change when i revalidate links... Oo

Thanks ^^

[kira]

Hi Andrew! Many thanks for the excellent job you've done, both as a programmer and through your support of this amazingly extensive script.

I've searched this thread umpteen times with different keywords over the past couple of days, but can't seem to find any solution to the following question (my apologies if it's already been asked several times already):

How do I put the XX most recently added entries on forumhome and/or forumdisplay?

- I already added the forumhome patch, but that just adds stats as far as I can see;

- I don't have vbadvanced and don't really wanna use it;

- I experimented in using local_links_external as an RSS feed but it never showed up.

I'd like to use this script as a link directory, but I really really need the functionality to promote the most recent listings on forumhome. Ideally I could put it in forumdisplay too, but I'll take forumhome by itself if that's all that'll work!

Thanks in advance.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by obmob

oh, but i already have my thumbs in the database... and with the xml i pointed to the linkimg, should i do the same to the linkimgthumb?

I see created thumbs are linked in there... and will this change when i revalidate links... Oo

Thanks ^^

I'm not sure that I'm understanding you.

linkimg should point to the original image. linkimgthumb should either be blank or point to the required thumbnail. If linkimgthumb is blank, LDM creates a new thumbnail 'on the fly'. If *thumbs_dir* is set, it then tries to save this in the specified *thumbs_dir* directory, and, if successful, updates linkimgthumb.

So, during your import process, you can do the following:
a) set linkimg correctly and leave linkimgthumb blank and let LDM do the work, or
b) set linkimg and linkimgthumb correctly

LDM attempts to recreate a thumbnail in these situations:
a) During 'Add Entry/Edit Entry'
b) During page display
and
c) During admin/rebuild thumbs

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by kira

Hi Andrew! Many thanks for the excellent job you've done, both as a programmer and through your support of this amazingly extensive script.

I've searched this thread umpteen times with different keywords over the past couple of days, but can't seem to find any solution to the following question (my apologies if it's already been asked several times already):

How do I put the XX most recently added entries on forumhome and/or forumdisplay?

- I already added the forumhome patch, but that just adds stats as far as I can see;

- I don't have vbadvanced and don't really wanna use it;

- I experimented in using local_links_external as an RSS feed but it never showed up.

I'd like to use this script as a link directory, but I really really need the functionality to promote the most recent listings on forumhome. Ideally I could put it in forumdisplay too, but I'll take forumhome by itself if that's all that'll work!

Thanks in advance.

Yes, the current forumhome patch only gives statistics. It is not difficult to provide another plugin to produce the most recent entries. How do you want this to look? Whereabouts on the page, what content, etc.

[kira]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Yes, the current forumhome patch only gives statistics. It is not difficult to provide another plugin to produce the most recent entries. How do you want this to look? Whereabouts on the page, what content, etc.

Wow, thank you! Well, my setup is a two-column site, and I hope to put the list in the sidebar. To get an idea of what I mean, maybe check out the "current topics" section of the lefthand sidebar over on my test site. (It's still very much in progress, so pardon the messy appearance.) I'd love to include a section for "Newest Links" that's auto-populated.

I guess to keep it flexible so that others besides me would find such a plugin useful, maybe the best format would be a straightforward table, looking much like a vbadvanced block. Or even better, an unordered list? They're so easily styled through css, if one chooses.

As far as content goes... I guess just listing the link/resource title, date of addition (optional?) and submitter (optional?) would be useful. Some might like the option of a brief description, but that's probably too messy.

Most important would be a list in reverse chron order, but if it's at all possible, "what's popular" and/or "highest rated" lists would be terrific additions.

(I'm really surprised no one else has asked for this yet! Do most people use the vbadvanced modules?)

Thanks so much for considering this, Andrew. You're really tops in my book. I've never seen a coder who's so incredibly diligent at supporting a free mod!

[Slave]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

I am in awe. You are really amazing. That is almost what I need. The only thing I miss is the LDM navbar. When I have LDM in vBadvanced, I will not use LDM in it's normal form any longer. Therefore all LDM functions should be available trough the vBa module.

My LDM is rather large. (and will grow a lot larger ; )
I guess, the size will automatically adjust to have it fit in there?

Err .. do you mean like the following ..

http://www.yaxleyvillage.com/local_links.php

This is possible by just wrapping LDM within vBa .. If you have a look in the manual for vBa it tells you how to do it .. (and you can have as many modules as you like on the page, as well as choosing if you want a 2 or 3 column layout)

[obmob]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I'm not sure that I'm understanding you.

linkimg should point to the original image. linkimgthumb should either be blank or point to the required thumbnail. If linkimgthumb is blank, LDM creates a new thumbnail 'on the fly'. If *thumbs_dir* is set, it then tries to save this in the specified *thumbs_dir* directory, and, if successful, updates linkimgthumb.

So, during your import process, you can do the following:
a) set linkimg correctly and leave linkimgthumb blank and let LDM do the work, or
b) set linkimg and linkimgthumb correctly

LDM attempts to recreate a thumbnail in these situations:
a) During 'Add Entry/Edit Entry'
b) During page display
and
c) During admin/rebuild thumbs

Oh, ok, here is what i did, i set linkimg, in this case it's my thumb, then set linkimgthumb to 0.

Now image is showing, that's why i wanted a small thumb and a medium image to be shown in linkbit template.

Well, no thumbs directory set, everything seem to work... so far

Hits are recorded, i figured out how ratings worked and they are already in there... but i can't see stats in my main page? oO

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Err .. do you mean like the following ..

http://www.yaxleyvillage.com/local_links.php

This is possible by just wrapping LDM within vBa .. If you have a look in the manual for vBa it tells you how to do it .. (and you can have as many modules as you like on the page, as well as choosing if you want a 2 or 3 column layout)

Welcome back

[Slave]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Welcome back

[high]* Slave waves [/high]