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

[obsidian]

All you have to do is upload all of the files and then use the hack to list the link to the directory where they are stored.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by obsidian

I am having an issue with the links not showing up. It installed without a hitch. After that I went in and setup some categories and then added a link. The link shows up under the admin panel as an available link but when I go to the category it is not there. I thought maybe the link was the problem but I have since put links in for google and several other sites and they all get listed as broken and nothing shows up.

Any help would be appreciated.

Obsidian - which "forum" did you assign the link to? - this is used as a permissions check. Links are only visible to users that could access the specified forum.

Try pointing your browser at http://yoursite/forum/local_links.ph...n=show&check=1, forum/local_links.php?action=show&check=0 and forum/local_links.php?action=show&check=-1 - these will show you all the valid, inaccessible links and invalid links.

If all that fails, pm me a dump of the five sql tables local_link* and I'll try to see what's going on.

[AndrewD]

does this allow for comments by members? - not yet, but I plan to add a star rating - would comments be better?

are you going to make a place for members based uploads? - not at present, this can be done with other utilities as you mention. you can then use this hack to link to the uploads, although I might think about this later. I'll just document the possibility

and if so, will you incorporate a file manager type interface.. see previous

anyway, these are just a few ideas.. but member comments, ratings and things like that would be very handy.. i saw that you mentioned a ratings system..

even if they do suck.. : no, not at all... thanks

[obsidian]

I went back through everything to verify that I had done the install correctly. I thought that one of the templates might be messed up since everything was showing in the database. I deleted all of the templates and then created new ones and its up and running now. Something must not have pasted correctly. Thanks for the help though....I am using your hack to setup an internal documentation control system similiar to the one on your demo link. Lots of possibilites.

[Natch]

Originally Posted by gmarik

How can I use it with File storage? See only links ...

You have to point to an actual file ...

[13th_Disciple]

Natch - signed up.. me and a couple of friends have an idea for a mod for UT2004 that is named very similar to Mobile Forces.. in fact, i made mention of MF when we first discussed the name.. the name we are considering is Mobile Fortress.. or Mobile Ultra Fortress.. MuF for short..

Andrew - thanks for the answers.. imo, i think comments and ratings would be a good idea.. i guess it depends on the level you are willing to go coding wise as to what you personally would rather incorporate. but i myself would like to see both brought into the hack.. and yeah, i know about a couple other ways to do the upload bit.. but i am looking for something that completely incorporates with vB3.. i know i can use a php based upload util and just do an include in a non vB page.. but it would be ultra smooth to have it pre-made, so to speak, within a hack..

i am very interested in this hack and the development of it because i am in need of a very good script like this.. the way Natch incorporated it is very good.. although instead of a drop down, i think i just may link to a catagories page that will then break everything down from there..

nice site btw, Natch.. and as i said, gonna, maybe, half-ass, steal the name.. even though it ain't outright theivery..

also, Andrew, if there is anything i can do to help you oput with all of this, let me know.. don't mind testing, commenting, critiqueing.. whatever kind of help you need.. as i said, very interested in its development..

and thanks again for the info folks..

[Natch]

For those that use this with vBIndex, I have made a Customblock for "Hottest Links" ie those links with the highest hit count.

Most important upgrade I think this needs is for the linkhits counts to be stored as MEDIUMINT( 8 ), not TEXT ...

[sql]
ALTER TABLE `local_linkslink` CHANGE `linkhits` `linkhits` MEDIUMINT( 8 ) UNSIGNED DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL;
[/sql]

Check it out - https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=61311

[AndrewD]

[QUOTE=AndrewD]Release 0.3, February 2004 (0.2 also still available as an attachment)

version 0.3 released. deals also with Natch's table change

[13th_Disciple]

bout to upgrade from 0.2 to 0.3 now.. so all i should need to do is add the xml file thru the admincp, upload the install and local_links.php files, run the install file, and everything should be back to good?

reckon i will find out shortly..

[Natch]

Nice work on the re-release Andrew

[Natch]

I ran the upgrade, and found that all the settings have been set to -1, which causes the permissions functions not to work ...

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Natch

I ran the upgrade, and found that all the settings have been set to -1, which causes the permissions functions not to work ...

Which settings? Do you mean the forum permissions? There is a new entry in the admin table, default_forumid, which you must initialise to the id of the forum which carries the standard viewing permissions to be applied to new links. There is also the setting can_set_permissions, which defines the user groups that can override this setting.

I'm not happy with the way I've written this part of the code - using forum permissions seems the right way to handle things, but I suspect that the default situation should be to give automatic access to all links. What do you think?

[Natch]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Which settings? Do you mean the forum permissions? There is a new entry in the admin table, default_forumid, which you must initialise to the id of the forum which carries the standard viewing permissions to be applied to new links. There is also the setting can_set_permissions, which defines the user groups that can override this setting.

I'm not happy with the way I've written this part of the code - using forum permissions seems the right way to handle things, but I suspect that the default situation should be to give automatic access to all links. What do you think?

When I say all the settings have been set to -1...

By default, after this upgrade, the new setting (default_forumid) is set to -1 - well after running the local_links_install.php, the rest of the entries in the admin table also had the value -1, causing a major failure of the Admin script - so much so that the admin page now looks like this - (screenshot attached) ...

Any suggestions ?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Natch

When I say all the settings have been set to -1...

By default, after this upgrade, the new setting (default_forumid) is set to -1 - well after running the local_links_install.php, the rest of the entries in the admin table also had the value -1, causing a major failure of the Admin script - so much so that the admin page now looks like this - (screenshot attached) ...

Any suggestions ?

No idea - this has not happened to me and I ran several test installations and upgrades on different sites before releasing the code.

Please send me a backup of the database table local_linksadmin so that I can see what is happening.

[Natch]

Email on it's way...