Attachment Browser (v2.1 beta testing)

List/Search Attachment Files

List, filter/search, sort, etc. for attachments files. Respects forum permissions. Supports limiting search to a single forum or a list of forums. Also, a separate attachment summary page is available.

Any problems raised in this thread have been fixed. For new features in version 2, see below under Version 2 for "New" entries.

Standard page navigation is supported to go to last page, prev, next, etc.

Sorts, ascending or descending, are supported for:

• two levels of sorting, for example, by user name and then by file name.
• Sort, either level, on these fields:
  • date/time
  • user name
  • forum
  • file name
  • file extension
  • file size
  • # of downloads
• the default sort is date/time (most recent first)

Searching/filtering

• All criteria is entered on a collapsable form at the top of the page.
• Search/filter criteria supported are:
  • user name ('*' wildcards allowed)
  • file name ('*' wildcards allowed),
  • file extension ('*' wildcards allowed)
  • userid or list of userid's
  • forumid or list of forumid'
  • attached before N days ago,
  • attached after N days ago
• Single click filtering by user name, forum name or document type.

Changes pending for version 2.1

1. New Added usergroup access checking.
   Two configuration variables can be set to either (a) allow access to a set of usergroup or (b) disallow access for a set of usergroup id's.
2. New Query performance improved.
   Performance for sites with many thousands of attachments is significantly improved. The single most time consuming aspect of such a script is the MySQL query for 'COUNT(*)' to get the number of attachments matching the selection criteria and access permissions. By including only those JOIN's that are required, depending on the columns being accessed, the ORDER BY, and the WHERE clauses, we improve performance of both retrievals. There is still one case where the row retrieval could be slow: when the user requests that the output be sorted by forum title.
3. New List attachments added since last visit.
4. New Added a debugging setting to display timing information.
5. Change Various other performance improvements that will be detailed when released.

Version 2:

1. New A separate attachment summary page was added.
   Page provides overall summary, summary by forum, and summary by extension.
   This introduces two new templates: attbro_SUMMARY and attbro_summary_categorybit.
   This page is accessed from a new link at the top of the main page.
   
   
2. New Now uses $vbphrase for phrases.
   You can AdminCP-install custom phrases to override the defaults.
   
   
3. New We respect forum permissions.
   To have an entry listed, the user needs 'CANVIEW' and 'CANGETATTACHMENT'
   access and a password if required. Also, $_FORUMOPTIONS[active] and
   $_FORUMOPTIONS[cancontainthreads] must be on and the forum must not
   be a link redirect.
   
   
4. New List forum name with each entry.
   
   
5. New Now supports sorting by forum name; just like any other
   sort, for first- or second-level sort.
   
   
6. New Quick filtering for a single forum, by clicking the
   '[Filter]' link next to a forum name to search only that forum, similar to
   clicking the link next to the user name in our previous version.
   
   
7. New Allow one or more forumid's to be specified as a filter on the Display Options
   form. The "Forum ID" form field may be one or more ID's separated by spaces or commas.
   The "[Filter]" link next to forum names uses this as well to add a Forum ID to the
   current selection criteria.
   
   
8. New Allow one or more userid's to be specified as a filter on the Display Options
   form. The "User ID" form field may be one or more ID's separated by spaces or commas.
   
   
9. New Forums can be explicitly exluded via the URL parameter
   "exclude_forums=LIST", where LIST is one or more forumid's separated
   by spaces or commas. This will eventually be an AdminCP option.
   
   
10. Bug: Checks deletion log so that deleted posts are not included.
    
    
11. Feature/Change: The filter 'sel_userid=NNN' no longer disallows other
    filter criteria. It's treated like any other filter -- combined with other selection
    criteria. Only one of 'sel_userid=NNN' or 'sel_username=XXX' can be specified.
    Userid takes precedence. This change also applies to 'sel_forumid=XXX'.
    
    
12. Change: We use MySQL "LIMIT X,N" syntax to only retrieve the records
    we need to fill the requested page. This should provide some performance gain
    when building pages for high page numbers.
    
    
13. Change: Renamed '[Downloads]' link next to user name to '[Filter]'.
    
    
14. Change: Renamed 'Downloads' in listing header to '$vbphrase[views]'.
    
    
15. Change: Renamed URL parameter 'userid=NNN' to 'sel_userid=NNN'.
    
    
16. Change: Since we now need forum information for every page, we
    always query using all the JOINS -- user, post, thread, forum, deletionlog.
    
    
17. Change: Exclude attachements whose 'postid' is zero. Thanks to
    Pitman for this one, who suggested: "About the private attachments: Since
    they don't have a postid, wouldn't "AND postid !=0" work in the query or
    whatever? If so, that should also fix the problem that some may have with
    attachment names and all showing but no attachment really there yet (like when
    somebody is posting a new attachment and have not yet clicked Submit New
    Thread or Submit Reply)?"
    
18. Bug: Fix mismatched <td></td> in attbro_FORM template that caused
    page to leak past the right margin.
    
19. Phrase changes:
    • New 'stars_allowed' for reminders on form.
    • New 'Filter' for '[Filter]' links
    • New 'Count' for summary page.
    • New 'Attachment_Summary'.
    • No longer use 'Select_Type'.

v 1.1:

• Added .php to all attachment_browser references in template links.
• Added forgotten class="tcat" to first table row for headings.

v 1.2:

• Feature: Enabled display of file type icons and the ability to click
  said icons to recall us to list only files of that type (extension).
  We look for icons using "$stylevar[imgdir_attach]/$extension.gif".
• Bug: Make "Show attachment ID" on form be remembered across calls.
• Bug: Make sure "userid=XXX" is passed in links for page navigation when
  listing a single user's downloads.
• Feature: If we are showing the attachment ID, then always force it below the
  row number with '<br />'.
• Performance: Performance of 'COUNT(*)' query greatly imporved for case where
  we do not need to reference tables other than 'attachment'. Testing
  on our server shows speed improvement around 6x better. This small
  optimization controlled via "$sqlCountRequiredJoins".

----------------------------

To search in a single forum: use the single click [Filter] next to any forum name on a page or enter the forumid on the "Display Options" form.
To search only in a selected list of forums: Enter a comma-separated list of forumid's in "Display Options".

You can AdminCP-install custom templates to override our defaults ones.
You can AdminCP-install custom phrases to override the defaults -- all
references in templates are to "$vbphrase[XXX]".

If you do not want to change the default templates or phrases, then there are
no other files to install -- just put this one in the main '/forum' directory.
If you want to modify the default templates, copy them from this file and
install them as usual. We will notice when there are installed templates to
override our defaults. The same applies to phrases.

We only list forums that the user has permissions to view and get attachments,
for attachments that are visible and not from deleted posts.

We do 2 queries: (1) get the total COUNT of accessible attachments matching
the selection criteria and (2) retrieve enough rows to fill the requested page.

If you follow a link on one of our pages to download an attachment, view a
user profile, or view the original post, then the normal access checks will
apply, as these links simply invoke standard vBulletin files.

The templates referenced are: attbro_MAIN, attbro_FORM, attbro_ERROR,
attbro_attachbit, attbro_SUMMARY and attbro_summary_categorybit. The default
templates and phrases are defined in this file. Look for '$MyDefaultTemplates'
and '$MyDefaultPhrases'.

For example, if we had a template named 'attbro_example', it will appear in
this file as:

$MyDefaultTemplates['attbro_example'] = '
LINE 1 OF TEMPLATE
LINE 2 OF TEMPLATE
';

To install a custom version, just copy the LINES
and install it under the template name attbro_example.
----------------------------
This extension is free, and will remain free.

Cheers, CarCdr

[highlander_RD]

Originally Posted by CarCdr

re: thumbnails

highlander_RD ,

It's not that hard, but it would sure mess up the page display, making some entries occupy a lot of vertical space. I'm betting you don't care about that. Personally, I always want as much information on a page as possible -- i.e., lots of entries.

I agree, but the kind of thumbnail I'm wondering of is such as 50x50px, not so heavy not so high, but enough to better get at a glance the subject of the pic.
In my forum I have tons of pics attached, with nonsense names. So the only way to make fun should be to have a sort of preview even if very small.
Sorry for my insisting, and all my best for this great work!
;-)

[CarCdr]

Originally Posted by highlander_RD

I agree, but the kind of thumbnail I'm wondering of is such as 50x50px, not so heavy not so high, but enough to better get at a glance the subject of the pic.
In my forum I have tons of pics attached, with nonsense names. So the only way to make fun should be to have a sort of preview even if very small.
Sorry for my insisting, and all my best for this great work!
;-)

How about this? For graphic files, a small icon is displayed that you can pass your cursor over to get the thumbnail to display, either through image swapping or some crafty DHTML. This would be the same thumbnail displayed for any attachment (i.e., size-wise), since the source of the pic would come from the standard 'attachment.php' thumbnail code.

Easier still I think, from an implementation standpoint, would be a popup window.

Let's see if anyone else is interested.

Cheers

[highlander_RD]

Originally Posted by CarCdr

How about this? For graphic files, a small icon is displayed that you can pass your cursor over to get the thumbnail to display, either through image swapping or some crafty DHTML. This would be the same thumbnail displayed for any attachment (i.e., size-wise), since the source of the pic would come from the standard 'attachment.php' thumbnail code.

Easier still I think, from an implementation standpoint, would be a popup window.

Let's see if anyone else is interested.

Cheers

It's for sure a good compromise, thanks

Re: permissions
I checked now that attachments in supermoderators area (hidden) are listed as well as post titles to guest and registered users... It's true they can't get into because of permissions, but they're allowed to read the listed titles and attachments names.
Any idea to allow only supermods and admins to view the listed attachments and tied infos placed in hidden forums?

Wouldn't be easier to use the "Exclude Forums" as indicated in User profile Options?

[CarCdr]

Re: permissions

As part of the code being tested now to allow selection on a single forum, I have also added persmission checking, so that only attachments from permitted forums are listed. The permissions checked are:

CANVIEW AND CANGETATTACHMENT

Both must be true.

Perhaps someone can chime in here and let us know if these user-forum permissions would be set for moderators, super-moderaters, and administrators, or does one need to call 'can_moderate(forumid)'?

[highlander_RD]

I uploaded now the attachment_browser.php, renamed as ab1.php
here you can view the listed attachments with the secret attachment set in supermod area, actually as ID nr. 7 "reputation_balance.gif"

http://forum.egcommunity.it/ab1.php

[CarCdr]

Yes, permissions will be coming this week, along with the ability to list for a selected forum.

(BTW, and you probably know, if you rename the source file, you break the links on the page, as they are coded in the template to call 'attachment_browser.php'.)

[highlander_RD]

Originally Posted by CarCdr

Yes, permissions will be coming this week, along with the ability to list for a selected forum.

(BTW, and you probably know, if you rename the source file, you break the links on the page, as they are coded in the template to call 'attachment_browser.php'.)

Great news! ThankS
Yep, I just changed the name for this checking purposes. Later on, when permissions are fixed, I'll replace the correct name.

[Natch]

Originally Posted by CarCdr

Yes, permissions will be coming this week, along with the ability to list for a selected forum.

(BTW, and you probably know, if you rename the source file, you break the links on the page, as they are coded in the template to call 'attachment_browser.php'.)

Sugges insted of hard coding the filename, try using a

define(THIS_SCRIPT,'attachment_browser');

statement at the top, this way it's easy enuff then to make one filename change, and one file edit for renaming purposes ...

[CarCdr]

Originally Posted by Natch

Sugges insted of hard coding the filename, try using a

define(THIS_SCRIPT,'attachment_browser');

statement at the top, this way it's easy enuff then to make one filename change, and one file edit for renaming purposes ...

Yes, I already use a constant for the name of the file, for things such as the 'navbar'. However, in vBulletin, the templates, and that is what is in play here, are hard-coded to call XXX.php. As an example, search the default template file, vbulletin-style.xml, for 'memberlist.php'.

Still, I suppose there is no reason one could not set $this_script to be referenced by templates. For that matter, one could set it by referencing the PHP global 'SCRIPT_FILENAME''.

[Erwin]

This is indeed a great hack and a good idea. Well done.