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]

Continuing the previous post, to handle case (3), i.e. to list all the links set up using this hack which were associated with forum X, use the following URL:

local_links.php?action=show&forum=X

[Natch]

Clairification: will this above bit of code list files in this forum and child forums, or just this forumid?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Natch

Clairification: will this above bit of code list files in this forum and child forums, or just this forumid?

Natch, currently, this gives purely the links/files which have the given forumid associated with them - recall that this is primarily the mechanism for controlling access permissions.

Do I get the sense that people want this hack to automatically gather files/attachments from forums and set up the appropriate entries in the links database? Do-able (but not this weekend)..

[Natch]

Wow: that would be very cool, but I wouldn't want it to duplicate the file: only to create the link to it...

Thanks for the cla rification...

[ogetbilo]

Andrew I have a question ? Is it possible for the script to get all files from a specific folder ?
For example me and all my buddies are uploading our files to www.yourforum.com/download Is it possible to add a script so links database will directly get the link and add it ? We are uploading nearly 50-60 different files everyweek and adding each of them one by one is pretty hard.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by ogetbilo

Andrew I have a question ? Is it possible for the script to get all files from a specific folder ?
For example me and all my buddies are uploading our files to www.yourforum.com/download Is it possible to add a script so links database will directly get the link and add it ? We are uploading nearly 50-60 different files everyweek and adding each of them one by one is pretty hard.

Yes, I've written the script for this at home but had not released it. I'll include this - and related - features in the next revision.

[NightWalk8r]

The following setting(s) are invalid
file_icons_dir : /

wasnt this optional?? why cant i leave it blank?? o_O
PLEASE HELP
TIA =)

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by NightWalk8r

wasnt this optional?? why cant i leave it blank?? o_O
PLEASE HELP
TIA =)

It is optional and you should be able to leave it blank. Either you accidentally typed something else, or there's something about file and directory permissions that I've overlooked.

Can you
a) PM me the output from a phpinfo() (normal vb admincp, down the bottom in the maintenance section). In particular the setting of open_basedir is important.
b) Try setting this to a valid directory, e.g. admincp. It won't cause any difficulties because there are no icons there.
c) If all fails and this error message is a problem to you - actually it shouldn't matter because all that will happen is that no icons appear - find the following code (line 2880 in release 1.41):

PHP Code:

if ($handle = @opendir($newsetting)) {
    closedir($handle);
} else {
    $error = 1;
} 


and simply comment out the $error = 1 line (put // at the start of the line).

Please let me know what you find.

[Jason McConnell]

Awesome hack!! Installed very easily

I have one question though, whenever someone's in the links directory, they appear in WOL as Unkown Location. I'm sure this has been addressed, but I've just spent the better part of almost two days searching for this and can't find an answer. Anyone got any idea how to fix this?

[welo]

For Who's online: Install this hack (or use this)

[Jason McConnell]

Thanks!

[NightWalk8r]

hey, Andrew.......i commented out the line and it's working now =D
thank you so much =)

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Jason McConnell

Awesome hack!! Installed very easily

I have one question though, whenever someone's in the links directory, they appear in WOL as Unkown Location. I'm sure this has been addressed, but I've just spent the better part of almost two days searching for this and can't find an answer. Anyone got any idea how to fix this?

Thanks. The "who's online" question is explained (I hope!) in the instructions file, see section 3.4 (d). Let me know if this works correctly.

[Jason McConnell]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Thanks. The "who's online" question is explained (I hope!) in the instructions file, see section 3.4 (d). Let me know if this works correctly.

Thanks, I missed that the first time reading the instructions over. This hack kicks some ass man

*EDIT* Works just fine

[Pixelgrounds]

Would someone be kind enough to repackage this hack for 3.0.3 with all the fixes that have been made thoughout this thread.