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.

[|oR|Greg]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

What size would the individual uploads be, and how many do you want to upload at once? I'm wondering if it's easier to add this to LDM directly, or simply interface LDM to a third-party Java uploader.

I always say simple is best. Anyway to tie in the current uploads that you set in vB? You know like on my site, I set 10 attachments, but to display the dialogue so only 5 at a time may be done. If you could use those same settings that would rock. I never recommend 3rd party, too many variables that can break, and then you start needing 3rd party support.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by GrendelKhan{TSU

-- basically LDM would benefit greatly from an individual "page" for each file/video, etc. I often want to link people to a particular uploaded video and the only way I have found to do that is to rate/add a comment to the file...then link to that page.

You can always link to local_links.php?catid=NN&linkid=MM. This will give you the one link on its own page. With v2.2.2 it even works if you subsequently move the entry to a new category.

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by Nokia Tech

Ok, Just before i uninstall it, Is there anyone that would be willing to try downloading a test file from my site,

My site is www.multi-forums.co.uk

Test login details -

Username - HACK TESTER
Password - HACK TESTER

If someone could possible test the downloads for me, and post the result here, The link is in the navbar under SERVER.

Not sure if posting your site address breaches any rules here, Please accept appologies and edit accordingly if this is the case.

Regards,

Works okay my friend :banana:

[Nokia Tech]

Originally Posted by wobbly

Works okay my friend :banana:

So just to confirm,
You downloaded the 4 test files from the server link correctly, and they were not corrupted and they did not download as a file called Local_Links.PHP

Thanks

[directprint]

What would be a nice feature, if the threads/posts column on the main link page had the number of categories/links.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by directprint

What would be a nice feature, if the threads/posts column on the main link page had the number of categories/links.

If your forum url points to a specific category (i.e. local_links.php?catid=N), the 'posts' column will contain the number of entries in the category. I'd avoided including this information when the pointer is to the base category (i.e. just local_links.php), as it adds another database query. If you want to try a variation that includes the total number of entries with the base, take this file and use it to replace the "Links and Downloads Manager - Patch forumhome" plugin which is patched to the forumbit_display hook on your board (VB/admincp/plugins and products/plugin manager/edit)

Let me know what you think and I can consider making this a permanent feature.

Number of categories can also be shown, but is again another database lookup or two.

[directprint]

I will be adding this one right now, I will let everyone know how it goe's. Thanks again Andrew, it's a pitty vbadvanced support isn't this good.

[directprint]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

If your forum url points to a specific category (i.e. local_links.php?catid=N), the 'posts' column will contain the number of entries in the category. I'd avoided including this information when the pointer is to the base category (i.e. just local_links.php), as it adds another database query. If you want to try a variation that includes the total number of entries with the base, take this file and use it to replace the "Links and Downloads Manager - Patch forumhome" plugin which is patched to the forumbit_display hook on your board (VB/admincp/plugins and products/plugin manager/edit)

Let me know what you think and I can consider making this a permanent feature.

Number of categories can also be shown, but is again another database lookup or two.

Looks great...well done, maybe the categories option might be nice also, at this stage my database is not that big. Image below of your great work Andrew.

[Akagi]

Hi Andrew,

I've used LDM since 2.1.x. Been upgrading with each release and I must say, I like it a lot! It's now part of the main structure in my website.

Some feedback
- I notice that for the "Daily download and bandwidth allowances" admin setting, let's say if i set it such that unregistered usergroup can download 3 files everyday, it applies to all guest. Meaning, all the unregistered can only download 3 files in total. Would it be possible for this to be ip-specific? For example, if i set 3 files for Unregistered, each user (with unique ip) would be able to download up to 3 files per day? (hope this is not too confusing)

Featured Link/Download
- So far i haven't been able to get it working. Anyone has any screenshots/demo link for me to see how would the featured link/download look like? I'm under the impression that let's say if i set myself as the user whose favourites will be featured, the featured link/download would appear at the main page (ie. local_link.php)?

Future/Suggestions
- I'm thinking, maybe for the future versions, you might wanna consider working towards this direction - let's say if i click on the username of the user who submitted the link/download, i'll be brought to that user's dedicated page, where his uploads, downloads, and other info of that user would be listed. Something like DeviantArt without all the complexity of DA. This way, users would be encouraged to submit links/downloads.

- hooks to work with vbPlaza so that LDM can make use of the vbbux in the system. enable users to receive vbbux for each upload.

Hope you don't mind the suggestions i've thrown up. No obligation and no rush though..You've already done a tremendous job and provided great support and we truly appreciate it. *Double Thumbs up!*

@Nokia Tech, i tried and download. it works fine. no corrupted files whatsoever.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Akagi

Hi Andrew,
I've used LDM since 2.1.x. Been upgrading with each release and I must say, I like it a lot! It's now part of the main structure in my website.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Akagi

- I notice that for the "Daily download and bandwidth allowances" admin setting, let's say if i set it such that unregistered usergroup can download 3 files everyday, it applies to all guest. Meaning, all the unregistered can only download 3 files in total. Would it be possible for this to be ip-specific? For example, if i set 3 files for Unregistered, each user (with unique ip) would be able to download up to 3 files per day? (hope this is not too confusing)

This is a good idea. I'll put it on the list.

Originally Posted by Akagi

Featured Link/Download
- So far i haven't been able to get it working. Anyone has any screenshots/demo link for me to see how would the featured link/download look like? I'm under the impression that let's say if i set myself as the user whose favourites will be featured, the featured link/download would appear at the main page (ie. local_link.php)?

You have to follow these steps on the LDM admin page:
a) specify which user(s) will provide featured links
b) specifiy how many to display, and whether they are to be 'category specific'

Then, the indicated users' favourites will be randomly selected as 'featured links'

i.e. suppose you set yourself as the featured user. Everyone will then get to see a random selection of the entries that you have chosen as "favourites". If you haven't chosen any, then none get displayed.

Clear?

Originally Posted by Akagi

Future/Suggestions
- I'm thinking, maybe for the future versions, you might wanna consider working towards this direction - let's say if i click on the username of the user who submitted the link/download, i'll be brought to that user's dedicated page, where his uploads, downloads, and other info of that user would be listed. Something like DeviantArt without all the complexity of DA. This way, users would be encouraged to submit links/downloads.

I think this is a good idea and very easy to implement. I'll add it to the list.

Originally Posted by Akagi

- hooks to work with vbPlaza so that LDM can make use of the vbbux in the system. enable users to receive vbbux for each upload.

CMX_CMGSCCC contacted me a couple of weeks ago about this and I've added the hooks I think he needs. I hope he's working on the integration, but I haven't heard back.