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

[13th_Disciple]

Originally Posted by Tradjick

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="tborder" width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
<table cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td class="tcat" style="text-align: center">
<a style="float:$stylevar[right]" href="#top" onclick="return toggle_collapse('vbindex_customblock$box')"><img id="collapseimg_vbindex_customblock$box" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/collapse_tcat$collapseimg_vbindex_customblock.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>
<strong>Custom Block $box</strong>
</td>
</tr>
<tbody id="collapseobj_vbindex_customblock$box" style="$collapseobj_vbindex_customblock">
<tr>
<td class="alt1">
<div class="smallfont">Block $box Content</div>


<?php
chdir ("./forums");
error_reporting)E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE);
$globaltemplates = array(
'links_main'
);
require once ("./global.php")
eval ('print_output("' . fetch template('links_main') . ");');
?>


</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br />

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

Blame me but I still got no idea how to do that.

PHP Code:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="tborder" width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
<table cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td class="tcat" style="text-align: center">
<a style="float:$stylevar[right]" href="#top" onclick="return toggle_collapse('vbindex_customblock$box')"><img id="collapseimg_vbindex_customblock$box" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/collapse_tcat$collapseimg_vbindex_customblock.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>
<strong>Custom Block $box</strong>
</td>
</tr>
<tbody id="collapseobj_vbindex_customblock$box" style="$collapseobj_vbindex_customblock">
<tr>
<td class="alt1">
<div class="smallfont">Block $box Content</div>


<a href="http://www.yourdomain.com/forums/local_links.php?action=links&catid=1">Downloads</a>

</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br /> 


something like this here will work.. at least that's what i did.. Natch is a bit more aware of the way it works and may be able to give more insight into what you can do well beyond what i demonstrated there.. but that is the hard-coded, simplistic way, that i used on my site..

[PixelFx]

can you add image/text attachment type system in the description fields that if you user group permits, shows images or links of images etc? this is seperate from the file download link ...

this way you could post a description of item, with screenshots then have a download for it ..

[Natch]

Originally Posted by gmarik

So I need to link to files or I can upload them as attachments?

You can upload them as attachments, and link to the attachments, or you can simply link to files on your server, or on another server

Originally Posted by Tradjick

Could you just tell me please what to write into the vbindex_customblock_1 template in order to show the links?

Take a wee look at the Addon I scripted - it's got a simple set of instructions as well as a new template to add, and a new file to upload - the reason I did it this way was to show the number of links to all users for the customblock only - so my new file simply doeesn't make the permissions calls

[13th_Disciple]

Originally Posted by PixelFx

can you add image/text attachment type system in the description fields that if you user group permits, shows images or links of images etc? this is seperate from the file download link ...

this way you could post a description of item, with screenshots then have a download for it ..

yar.. i was thinking along those lines too.. also, maybe a couple of custom fields for downloads and links.. such as author/contributor, file size for DL's if it is a DL link..

also maybe a field for a link back to the authors site if it is a DL.. no need if it's just a link.. this way, if a field has no text in it, it's not echoed/printed out on the page.. probably just a template mod for those, but would also have to have a field for each in the db table for the hack as well or maybe a small additional table that only contains certain add-on fields..

is there gonna be adminCP integration at some point? i remember seeing folks ask for that, but don't remember reading an answer for it..

and Natch, you keep coming out with those add-ons and i will keep adding em on to my site..

[Natch]

AndrewD decided that AdminCP integration was no t the way to go - as I used the HTL to install this, it created my AdminCP link for me ... but all it does is link from the sidebar menu of the ACP to the admin link of the script ... easy to add

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by 13th_Disciple

yar.. i was thinking along those lines too.. also, maybe a couple of custom fields for downloads and links.. such as author/contributor, file size for DL's if it is a DL link..

also maybe a field for a link back to the authors site if it is a DL.. no need if it's just a link.. this way, if a field has no text in it, it's not echoed/printed out on the page.. probably just a template mod for those, but would also have to have a field for each in the db table for the hack as well or maybe a small additional table that only contains certain add-on fields..

is there gonna be adminCP integration at some point? i remember seeing folks ask for that, but don't remember reading an answer for it..

and Natch, you keep coming out with those add-ons and i will keep adding em on to my site..

Author/contributor is already there - just modify the links_linkbit' template to refer to $linkusername. You should probably think about who can see this information.

DL Filesize should be there, and will be next time.

Other items like link back to the authors site, images and so on can all be done by including standard bbcodes in the link/category descriptions when you set up/edit the link/category. It just requires a bit of discipline in how you lay out the entry.

I avoided admincp integration - I try to keep hacks as free of VB as possible, to avoid difficulties when upgrading. But as Natch says, it's just a link, so as/when I get round to understanding htl properly, I may find that that is the way to do it.

[Sadie Frost]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

All those messages are correct, up to the last SQL error. Did you carry out steps 2 and 3 as instructed - i.e. in step 3 did you enter a valid forum id into the box halfway down the page? I know that the code should not fall over if you forget - I shall fix that - but it looks to me as if you haven't initalised the database tables correctly. Try looking at step 3 again.

I am really dumb - getting the same error as Tradjick - where exactly is the box?

[Tradjick]

@Sadie Frost:

Edit: try this:

1.) you have to overwrite a style of your chice with the included .xml file.

2) use a link similar to this http://localhost/forum/local_links.php?s=&styleid=X
while X is the styleid that you overwrote in step 1.

3) link to this: http://localhost/forum/local_links.php?action=admin

4.) link to this: http://localhost/forum/local_links.php?action=links

[Mickie D]

erm i can add a catogorie fine but i cannot see it

and i dont get any links up to view either i get the links navbar with search and links

i get the admin section, i think i get most of it but i cant see anything under the links bar

also i am using my general chat room for the permissions as it lets everyone view it

please help this seems so good but i am just lost as to what is going wrong for me


also it installs fine but where is the links ???

[13th_Disciple]

what's the URL of your site?