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

[Kwak]

Could you guys post your link to the hack on your forum, so I can check it out?
Just want to see a live demo. Thanks.

[chrisvonc]

Mine is at http://www.d-90.com/ and click on Links.
Please excuse the mess. I just converted to vb 3.0.1 and in the middle of redoing the site but the Links database is running strong.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by defnot

i have a question , i would like add a Url but this Url start by "https" and this hack doesn't accept this kind of URL , Can i do somethings to change this ?

thx

You cannot do anything - I will have to check the code to make this possible. I hope there's no difficulty with php versions, etc. Next weekend, I'll take a look at the code.

[BeasTboyz]

Anyone else have problems with it not reporting the file size of locally hosted files? It will usually work for the first or second video in a category, but then no others.

I am pulling videos from the same directory, and they're chmod'd and chown'd the same. Any ideas what this would be?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by BeasTboyz

Anyone else have problems with it not reporting the file size of locally hosted files? It will usually work for the first or second video in a category, but then no others.

I am pulling videos from the same directory, and they're chmod'd and chown'd the same. Any ideas what this would be?

Haven't seen this one before - I tried registering at your site but couldn't see any of the videos at all.

If you let me have a bit more info - i.e. ideally pm me so that we can exchange email addresses, then email me a dump of part of your database, I can have a look to see what's going on.

[joeychgo]

ok - there are 475 posts in this thread so please forgive me for not going back and reading all of them to see if my question has been answered.

I currently have this installed as a links directory - How can I install a second copy so I can use it as an article portal? WHat do I need to change to make it so I can have this installed twice?

One suggestion regarding an improvement for use as a links directory - Most of us have agreed to recripocal links - but its hard to follow up sometimes and make sure the other guy actually put our link on his site -- so a simple check box on the admin side that would indicate a recripocal link was verified or not would be nice.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by joeychgo

ok - there are 475 posts in this thread so please forgive me for not going back and reading all of them to see if my question has been answered.


I currently have this installed as a links directory - How can I install a second copy so I can use it as an article portal? WHat do I need to change to make it so I can have this installed twice?

One suggestion regarding an improvement for use as a links directory - Most of us have agreed to recripocal links - but its hard to follow up sometimes and make sure the other guy actually put our link on his site -- so a simple check box on the admin side that would indicate a recripocal link was verified or not would be nice.

I think the following would work:
- create copies of local_links.php and local_links_install.php with new names (e.g. 2nd_links.php, etc).
- edit these new files to use a different table prefix - look for the line define('THIS_TABLE', 'local_');

Another approach - in my view easier - is to use just the one installation, set up two categories at the top level, one for your links directories and one for your articles, then have two links on your home page which go directly to these subcategories. This is how we separate material on our site.

I don't quite understand how your second point will work.

[joeychgo]

Originally Posted by joeychgo

One suggestion regarding an improvement for use as a links directory - Most of us have agreed to recripocal links - but its hard to follow up sometimes and make sure the other guy actually put our link on his site -- so a simple check box on the admin side that would indicate a recripocal link was verified or not would be nice.

Well -- I come across site who "offer' to do a link trade-and ask me to link first. Ok, so I provide them with a link and send my info to them..... However they dont always provide that link back - so its important to verify that they actually linked you back.

Since its reasonable to expect a few days for the link to appear, it is easy to forget to check after a few days and veryify that link. So it would be nice to simply have a check box to let me know if I have already verified they linked me back.

[BeasTboyz]

Sorry Andrew, I had screwed up permissions on the videos, but they should all be working now.

[DeMiNe0]

ermmm, the download is currupted. Can somone pleae upload a new one? Or send me a good one at demine0@digitaltoxicity.net?