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 Spinball

Hi Andrew, hope you are well.
A couple of suggestions I hope might be of interest.
Firstly would it be possible to make rating links optional by forum?
We have a retailers forum and it is open to abuse by competitors leaving low ratings. I would like to disable ratings in this forum.
Secondly I re-submit the idea of being able to add links to a favourites category.
The Favourites category would contain user-specific links and appear in the same way as other categories. It would just contain duplicates of selected favourite links in the other categories.

I'm in the middle of a whole set up improvements, so will see if these can be fitted in. I hadn't forgotten the "favourites" request.

[Sovereign]

*Sovereign clicks install* Just what I needed, but I'm getting this error...(I think it's an error anyway...see pic)

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Sovereign

*Sovereign clicks install* Just what I needed, but I'm getting this error...(I think it's an error anyway...see pic)

No, that's a standard value - categories/links can be sub-grouped within their parent. By default this does not happen. This setting just controls the default subgrouping.

[Tbird66]

I have a couple of issues with my install:

1. From instructions.txt:

b. Unzip the files somewhere convenient. The templates and natch
subdirectories are for convenience only. You don't need these.

c. Upload local_links.php, local_links_template.xml and get_hotlinks.php
into your *main forum* directory

The only copy I could find of get_hotlinks.php was in the natch subdirectory. The other 2 files were in the root of the unzipped folder. Did I use the correct file?

2. I receive the following error while creating tables:

Database error in vBulletin 3.0.3:

Invalid SQL:
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS local_linkslink (
linkid int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
linkname varchar(255) NOT NULL,
linkdesc text NOT NULL,
linkurl text NOT NULL,
linkhits mediumint(8) UNSIGNED DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
linkforum smallint(5) NOT NULL,
linkcheck int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
linkstatus int(10) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
linkdate int(10) NOT NULL,
linkusername text NOT NULL,
linkuserid int(10) NOT NULL,
linkmoderate int(2) NOT NULL,
linkmoddate int(10) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
linkreviewfreq smallint(5) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (linkid),
FULLTEXT KEY namedesc (linkname,linkdesc)
)

mysql error: The used table type doesn't support FULLTEXT indexes

mysql error number: 1214

I can create the table using Execute SQL Query in AdminCP and putting the qualifier ENGINE = MYISAM; at the end of the CREATE() statement, but then when I re-run local_links_install.php it does not see the table (I can successfully execute a SELECT * FROM local_linkslink query). I've tried skipping the table verification step, but I receive array errors in step 3.

I'm running MySQL 4.1.7 with both MyISAM and InnoDB storage engines enabled. As I'm running on Windows, the InnoDB storage engine is the default instead of MyISAM. InnoDB doesn't support FULLTEXT indexes, thus the need for the qualifier ENGINE = MYISAM;

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Sovereign]

No, I meant the part circled in red. The default_cat_dseq. As in what appears to be a mssing variable in the language system (tried searching phrases for that, no luck)

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Sovereign

No, I meant the part circled in red. The default_cat_dseq. As in what appears to be a mssing variable in the language system (tried searching phrases for that, no luck)

Sorry, one of us is confused default_cat_dseq is the name I have given to one of the settings used by this hack. This variable simply defines the default sub-group that new categories are given within their parent category. There is normally no reason to change this setting.

Am I missing what you are trying to achieve?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Tbird66

I have a couple of issues with my install:

1. The only copy I could find of get_hotlinks.php was in the natch subdirectory. The other 2 files were in the root of the unzipped folder. Did I use the correct file?

2. I receive the following error while creating tables:

mysql error: The used table type doesn't support FULLTEXT indexes

You're right - get_hotlinks.php is only used for an integration of this hack with VBindex/VBadvanced developed by Natch. I'd forgotten that the code was a subdirectory deep. I'll update the instructions accordingly.

On the second point, I'll have a look how to adjust the installation script to deal with MySQL 4.1

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

You're right - get_hotlinks.php is only used for an integration of this hack with VBindex/VBadvanced developed by Natch. I'd forgotten that the code was a subdirectory deep. I'll update the instructions accordingly.

On the second point, I'll have a look how to adjust the installation script to deal with MySQL 4.1

It should be sufficient to add one line in the local_links_install.php script. Can you test and let me know? (you'll have to uninstall and reinstall)

	echo "--- Creating ".THIS_TABLE."linkslink if it does not exist<br />";

	$asb = $DB_site->query("
	CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS ".THIS_TABLE."linkslink (
		 linkid int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
		 linkname varchar(255) NOT NULL,
		 linkdesc text NOT NULL,
		 linkurl text NOT NULL,
		 linkhits mediumint(8) UNSIGNED DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
		 linkforum smallint(5) NOT NULL,
		 linkcheck int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
		 linkstatus int(10) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
		 linkdate int(10) NOT NULL,
		 linkusername text NOT NULL,
		 linkuserid int(10) NOT NULL,
		 linkmoderate int(2) NOT NULL,
		 linkmoddate int(10) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
		 linkreviewfreq smallint(5) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
		 PRIMARY KEY (linkid),
		 FULLTEXT KEY namedesc (linkname,linkdesc)
	)
	TYPE = MYISAM
	");

[Sovereign]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Sorry, one of us is confused default_cat_dseq is the name I have given to one of the settings used by this hack. This variable simply defines the default sub-group that new categories are given within their parent category. There is normally no reason to change this setting.

Am I missing what you are trying to achieve?

I was wondering whether there was a language string. As in the vB Phrase system...cause I noticed that some of it was not expressed in variables...

[Tbird66]

It should be sufficient to add one line in the local_links_install.php script. Can you test and let me know? (you'll have to uninstall and reinstall)

The database install completed successfully, and step 2 Set up templates completed successfully, but now I get the following message:

Step 2 - Template import complete
Run Step 3: Goto Links/Files AdminCP to check/initialise permissions?
Installation complete: Goto Links/Files main page
Delete this script when done
Go back to the start

If I click either Goto link then I get the follwing error:
PHP Warning: array_merge() [function.array-merge]: Argument #2 is not an array in C:\Forum Site\includes\init.php on line 517 PHP Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in C:\Forum Site\includes\sessions.php on line 270 PHP Warning: array_merge() [function.array-merge]: Argument #2 is not an array in C:\Forum Site\includes\functions.php on line 3615

Any ideas?

Thanks!