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 welo

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:

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.

Thanks for your feedback. Actually, a number of us seem to have the same needs - I wrote this hack because we have a site full of links that regularly need harvesting and reclassifying.

I've written some php which is not that different from your suggestion. But I suspect that "not that different" is rather important - everyone will have a slightly different requirement, so we will need different harvesters feeding a standard farm.

Could we specify an interface between the harvester and the farm? For example, should the harvester generate an xml file or should it just dump links straight into a default category in this hack's database?

Am happy to give some thought to this, with your suggestions.

[welo]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

...everyone will have a slightly different requirement, so we will need different harvesters feeding a standard farm.

Could we specify an interface between the harvester and the farm? For example, should the harvester generate an xml file or should it just dump links straight into a default category in this hack's database?

Well, ideally, if your script contained a link harvester designed to nab links from the posts table, the results should be queued somewhere else. This way someone would be able to mark what links were already checked so when they run the harvester next time, it won't return all the links it already gave them. Someone could run it once a month or so (or if it had a scheduler built in you could just set it to run automatically and email a designated person so they know a new set of links are ready for review and filing) and see what new links having been posted might be worth moving to an appropriate existing category (or indicate the need for a new category). Would also be nice if the results showed what forum/thread/post the link came from.

[lasto]

[high]* lasto clicks installs
[/high]

what an easy hack to do - 2 misn from start to finish and no editing of any files either top stuff.

Works a treat as well - cheers m8

[Skyline_GT]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

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.

This is the link that I am trying to put in..
http://www.gamerzplanet.net/files/wa...ta_English.zip

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Skyline_GT

This is the link that I am trying to put in..
http://www.gamerzplanet.net/files/wa...ta_English.zip

The link you've given simply redirects to your home page. It does not download the zip file. The same thing happens if I click it here in VB or if I cut and paste the link to the address line of Internet Explorer.

[r00t3d]

AndrewD

firstly: nice hack/mod
secondly: is there any way to stop non-logged in or non-registered users from downloading files? I tried by setting the permissions to a forum which wont allow not-loggedin or unregistered users to download attachments, will that permission work for the downloads.

The downloadable files are just dumped into a directory, and directly linked to the mod.
Do I need to add the files as attachments to the forum and then use that forums attachment link rather than the direct link to stop unregistered users from downloding? or is there another way round it?

Tnx

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by r00t3d

AndrewD

firstly: nice hack/mod
secondly: is there any way to stop non-logged in or non-registered users from downloading files? I tried by setting the permissions to a forum which wont allow not-loggedin or unregistered users to download attachments, will that permission work for the downloads.

The downloadable files are just dumped into a directory, and directly linked to the mod.
Do I need to add the files as attachments to the forum and then use that forums attachment link rather than the direct link to stop unregistered users from downloding? or is there another way round it?

Tnx

This is exactly what the forum permission setting is for. Every time you associate a link or a category with a forum, then it is only visible to users who are allowed to *visit* that forum. (Access to forum attachments is not the issue - it is forum accessibility.)

You do not need to add the files as attachments - just dump them in a directory. You need to take care that the file and directory names are not that obvious, otherwise people could just go straight there. The hack hides the information from the casual user.

[r00t3d]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

This is exactly what the forum permission setting is for. Every time you associate a link or a category with a forum, then it is only visible to users who are allowed to *visit* that forum. (Access to forum attachments is not the issue - it is forum accessibility.)

You do not need to add the files as attachments - just dump them in a directory. You need to take care that the file and directory names are not that obvious, otherwise people could just go straight there. The hack hides the information from the casual user.

Sorry I should have been more precise.
I am using vbadvanced homepage, and a hack ontop of that which shows the latest 5 downloads available on the main page.

http://209.51.146.19/index.php on the top right you will see latest downloads block, if you click on latest downloads it wont show you anything as you are not logged in, but if you were to click on the actual downloadable link in the same block it will allow you to download.

Is there a work around for that?

Thanks again.

[lasto]

the hack works but when i go to add new link how come in the small box in bottom left hand corner where it says based on which forums permissions it is just blank ?

Have i missed somethign out.

Also i may be on wrong track but does this auto link to attachments added to the board or does it only do ones that u specify ?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by r00t3d

Sorry I should have been more precise.
I am using vbadvanced homepage, and a hack ontop of that which shows the latest 5 downloads available on the main page.

http://209.51.146.19/index.php on the top right you will see latest downloads block, if you click on latest downloads it wont show you anything as you are not logged in, but if you were to click on the actual downloadable link in the same block it will allow you to download.

Is there a work around for that?

Thanks again.

I haven't looked at the vbadvanced integration but I pointed out a similar problem to Natch who wrote the vbindex integration. Without looking at their code, I'm not sure how the vbadvanced hack handles permissions - I'll try to look this week.