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

[milkmycow]

I think It would be cool to arange links by # of hits, alphabetical, by date dadded(very important for myself) ,or by rating, just have that as an option on links home or something.

also, a different rating system might make severe improvments. like a drop down box where u select 1 through 5, then it displays the avg rating after u rate it. (or just display avg rating w a spot to click to rate in a popup, and results of ur rate would show once a refresh was made) kinda like @ www.milkmycow.com/videos

[milkmycow]

i just realized that the rating system for vbaffiliates v2 is like exactly what would be GREAT for the links/files database!

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by milkmycow

i just realized that the rating system for vbaffiliates v2 is like exactly what would be GREAT for the links/files database!

I appreciate these suggestions, but they will not be done (by me at least) in the near future. Sorry.

What *will* happen soon is
- standard VB pagination will available so that long lists of entries get broken up
- I will think quite hard about some form of moderation of new entries
- I will continue to fix bugs and provide a bit of assistance to people getting started

I have thought about using the VB attachment system to allow user file uploads, but unless the interface turns out to be trivial to use, I shall not add this facility. We do not need this on our site and there are likely to be a lot of extras that people want. I just haven't got the time to code and debug these things.

[Skyline_GT]

Originally Posted by 13th_Disciple

now that this thread has grown to over 20 pages, I find it hard to search to see if this has been asked, so if it has, just point me to the correct post..

when you click a link to DL a file, in the status bar of the DL, the file size is not shown nor is the "time remaining"

any idea why that may be? using 1.01 with vB RC3 - upgrading to 3 gold this weekend..

I personally don't mind, but my members get a little pissy about it..

I don't know why when I download the file from the databse.. It just doesn't work.. Like the doucment is about 1 mb big.. but it just let me download 50kb..and it said the file is damaged.. but when I download using a direct link. it works fine..

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Skyline_GT

I don't know why when I download the file from the databse.. It just doesn't work.. Like the doucment is about 1 mb big.. but it just let me download 50kb..and it said the file is damaged.. but when I download using a direct link. it works fine..

No idea!

PM me the full details and we can try to find out why.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

No idea!

PM me the full details and we can try to find out why.

I poked around your board, tried your links, and found one that was broken in the way you describe (War3TFT_115a_beta_English).

What is downloaded is actually the html for your home page, which is then being given a zip filename, so it looks like a corrupt zip file.

Let me know what you were trying to set up as the correct link. Either you've given a bad link or the hack isn't handling it correctly.

[AndrewD]

version 1.10 is now the official release. Since the beta, I have added standard vb pagination to break up lengthy pages.

The *only* further feature that I am still considering in the near future is moderation.

[Acido]

I wish see this hackt in action. Can someone give me some links to see this hack instaled and working?

Thanx

[accyroy]

I've got this installed here: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/local_...p?action=links

It's a new site though so there aren't to many links yet..

[welo]

Originally Posted by Acido

I wish see this hackt in action. Can someone give me some links to see this hack instaled and working?

I set it up on my test board today and it seems pretty nice. My forums are closed until May 1st so it won't be live there until then. I'm liking it so far though. I'll have a couple of suggestions in a sec.

Meanwhile though, how hard would it be to add a link harvester to this app? I had a quick one I put together awhile back to find links in posts in IPB. Should be pretty similar here:

PHP Code:

<?php
//define the database connection information
$dbHost = "localhost";
$dbUser = "";
$dbPass = "";
$dbName = "";

mysql_pconnect($dbHost,$dbUser,$dbPass);
mysql_select_db($dbName);

$urls = array();
$query = mysql_query("SELECT `pagetext` FROM `vb3_post`"); while($row = mysql_fetch_array($query))
{
unset($matches);
preg_match_all("|href=['\"]?([^\"' >]+)|i",$row['vb3_post'],$matches);
foreach($matches[1] AS $href)
{
echo $href.'<br />';
}
}
?>

Anyway, would be nice for the script to harvest everything then put the results in a temp category you could just go through to edit links and shuffle them around. Regardless, very nice script.