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 Blam Forumz

anyway to make user add files, but need an admin to validate them?

Yep, you set these permissions on the links admin page:
- allow the appropriate user groups to create new links
- turn on moderation
- set the admin group as moderators

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Lionel

Thanks for your reply. I am using this to display references: pdf, mp3, external pages etc... and it is working great for me. I'd like to be able also to display biographies. For that I thought of using the description field only, but if there are nothing in the url field, I get an error message.

What would be awesome would have been for the description box to have the same features than vbulletin newpost.php with attachment etc... but I'll be content with the ability to bypass the url field.

I'll think about this.

[Lionel]

I added the free editor from http://www.interactivetools.com/freescripts/
with which, with a couple of hacks provided there you can create template and make the contents display the way tou want it. BUT, how do I make description display html?

[Lionel]

here is what I did so far:

I downloaded and installed the link above in less than 5 minutes.

Added a table below linkdesc table with same attributes and called it extendedlinkdesc

In the script, after every instance of linkdesc or $linkdesc, I added a similar line for extendedlinkdesc or $extendedlinkdesc

with conditionals, I made

a-the editor show only to certain usergroup
b-if condition $extended is not null then the link is different or, like in the thumb example, there is a ... more link.

I copied entire function if ($_REQUEST['action'] == "jump")

into

if ($_REQUEST['action'] == "extendedjump")

in order to create inhouse jumplink (the more link)

here is where I am fumbling

a-the extendedjump field does not display html
b-I'd like for the extended jump link to do an eval, call template extended jumlinkbit where all I would have in there will be $extendedlinkdesc, so it display within site template.

For the http:// error, we could tell the script that if http:// is empty, then to use my site url (it will not display anyway. That is just to trick the link check). Would be swell to limit that only if extendedlinkdesc is not empty (only admin and mod see it), in order to prevent people from posting blanks.

[Blam Forumz]

Error when i update my links option (who can view, etc)

Warning: opendir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/) is not within the allowed path(s): (/home/blamina/:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php:/tmp) in /home/blamina/public_html/forum/local_links.php on line 2630

Warning: opendir(/): failed to open dir: Operation not permitted in /home/blamina/public_html/forum/local_links.php on line 2630
The following setting(s) are invalid
file_icons_dir : /
Go back

[Lionel]

I did a nice little addition to rating
below:

$linkrate = round($links_totrate[$linkid] / $links_numrate[$linkid]);

I added:

$thevote="<img src=\"images/rating/rating_$linkrate.gif\">";

and in template ratebit, I swapped $linkrate with $thevote. :squareeyed:

For the rate itself, I am planning to place the navbar type vote which opens with the stars

[greywolff]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I need a bit more information. I registered at your site and didn't see any hits counters displayed at all. Have you turned off the hits display using the links admin page? When you say the counter stays at 0, I assume that is what is being displayed - could you checked the database (table local_linkslink, column linkhits)? Have you edited the templates at all?

ok i fixed the view on the links go look again sorry bout that forgot i had the hitson admin view only

[Blam Forumz]

Originally Posted by Blam Forumz

Error when i update my links option (who can view, etc)


Warning: opendir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/) is not within the allowed path(s): (/home/blamina/:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php:/tmp) in /home/blamina/public_html/forum/local_links.php on line 2630

Warning: opendir(/): failed to open dir: Operation not permitted in /home/blamina/public_html/forum/local_links.php on line 2630
The following setting(s) are invalid
file_icons_dir : /
Go back

Bump Help

[TheBurner]

Nice Work :up:

I have the MOD installed on my forum.

Is it posible to change the .xml file to dutch?

Yesterday I changed the text between the <br> and </br>
and I thought it would come on the forum in dutch.

No luck, it's still english...


What is the problem? Can anyone help me?

Sorry for my bad english.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by TheBurner

Nice Work :up:

I have the MOD installed on my forum.

Is it posible to change the .xml file to dutch?

Yesterday I changed the text between the <br> and </br>
and I thought it would come on the forum in dutch.

No luck, it's still english...


What is the problem? Can anyone help me?

Sorry for my bad english.

Certainly possible to change the xml. When you've done this, you need to re-run the install script, stage 2, to reinstall the templates.

I need to do a proper language pack job on this hack, but that was a low priority while things were still in development.