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 bhxtyrant

HEy again i seem to have gotten it working.It's kinda weird though.I went into the admi panel for Links databae and set the default permissions mask to a forum that is only accessable by admins but it didn't work.So i decided to manually edit my 5 main catagories which contains all the files one by one and set there permission mask to the same forum and it works fine.Perhaps some sort of unseen bug with the admin panel?

Also since the other dude hasnt replied as of yet think you could answer my question in my previous post about changing "links database" in the breadcrumb to "Downloads"?

Now I understand...

If you use the admincp to change the 'default forum' *after* you have created links/categories, the permissions for those that already exist do not get reset automatically. You can change them one at a time as you did, or you can go to the admin/categories page, where there is a feature to mass edit the access permissions. The documentation explains this, but I realise that it is probably not what people expect.

Concerning changing the title in the breadcrumb, this feature is available in the VB3.5 version of this hack. I've stopped updating this VB3.0.x code (unless there are serious bugs) - it's too much work to keep the two versions in sync - I'll add the 'default forum perms' to the 'to do' list.

[Tradjick]

Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

Also since the other dude hasnt replied as of yet think you could answer my question in my previous post about changing "links database" in the breadcrumb to "Downloads"?

It?s in your phrases. Have a look for either "ll_menu_home" or "ll_links_database".

Andrew, as you haven?t replied, i guess it must be quite difficult to do those changes in showthread. I? ll give it a try myself then...

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Tradjick

It?s in your phrases. Have a look for either "ll_menu_home" or "ll_links_database".

Andrew, as you haven?t replied, i guess it must be quite difficult to do those changes in showthread. I? ll give it a try myself then...

Tradjik, sorry that I didn't reply.

My time has been given to producing the VB35 version of this code - it has been quite an exercise to make sure that everything works properly - the VB people have written quite a bit of the interface.

This means also that the changes that interest you in showthread will probably be coded in a different way, e.g. as a plugin rather than code change. It may be worthwhile waiting for VB35 to go gold.

[Tradjick]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Tradjik, sorry that I didn't reply.

My time has been given to producing the VB35 version of this code - it has been quite an exercise to make sure that everything works properly - the VB people have written quite a bit of the interface.

This means also that the changes that interest you in showthread will probably be coded in a different way, e.g. as a plugin rather than code change. It may be worthwhile waiting for VB35 to go gold.

When the system changes so much, i won?t mess around with it yet as vB Gold will be relased in the near future.

Thanks for keeping me informed.

[bhxtyrant]

Originally Posted by Tradjick

It?s in your phrases. Have a look for either "ll_menu_home" or "ll_links_database".

Andrew, as you haven?t replied, i guess it must be quite difficult to do those changes in showthread. I? ll give it a try myself then...

Hey man,thanks for the reply,I gave your suggestion a try but it doesnt seem to work.I changed the phrase for "ll_links_database" which was originally called "Links Database" to "Downloads" but it still shows up as "links database" i even deleted the phrase file completely and uploaded the new modified version and still the same.

[digitalSite]

I have created subcategories of all 50 states...I would like to copy (or export) these subcategories under another top-level category...is there a way to do this? I would hate to enter all 50 states again manually.

I tried exporting the file and then importing it, but it doesn't look like I can select a top-level category and import in that way.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by digitalSite

I have created subcategories of all 50 states...I would like to copy (or export) these subcategories under another top-level category...is there a way to do this? I would hate to enter all 50 states again manually.

I tried exporting the file and then importing it, but it doesn't look like I can select a top-level category and import in that way.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

There is no 'mass copy' command available for categories (it is 'copy' you want, not 'move'?), but I'm sure there is an easy way to do this. Let me think about it and get back to you soon.

[digitalSite]

That's correct, I would like to copy 50 subcategories from Top-level category #1 to Top-level category #2. Thanks

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by digitalSite

That's correct, I would like to copy 50 subcategories from Top-level category #1 to Top-level category #2. Thanks

Here you are. Edit lines 27 and 28 of this script to hold the category ids to copy FROM and TO. Upload and run. It will clone all categories that are children of the FROM into TO, leaving the new ones empty.

Probably a good idea to back up your database first. Let me know that it works.

Also a good idea to delete the script when you've run it - otherwise your friendly hackers may decide to keep cloning things for you.

Andrew

[digitalSite]

Excellent!!!! Worked Like A Charm!!! Thank You!!!

(Was wondering...is there a way to import 50 or so links into specific categories? I have about 237 links - half go in one top-level category, and the rest in the other...I really don't know how else to do it but to manually enter each. If you have a soltuion for this I would REALLY appreciate it! THANKS!)

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by digitalSite

Excellent!!!! Worked Like A Charm!!! Thank You!!!

(Was wondering...is there a way to import 50 or so links into specific categories? I have about 237 links - half go in one top-level category, and the rest in the other...I really don't know how else to do it but to manually enter each. If you have a soltuion for this I would REALLY appreciate it! THANKS!)

Why not create a csv file and use the import/export feature, see instructions.txt?

link,link_name,link_url,link_desc,link_catid,link_ forumid

The first field contains the word "link".
link_name, link_url and link_desc are text fields
link_catid and link_forumid are numbers, link_forumid being optional

[digitalSite]

Thanks for clarifying that for me..I didn't quite understand the instructions. Woohoo! Thank you!

[Slave]

Hi AndrewD ..

I know you're working mainly on the 3.5 version of this hack .. but, due to the amount of hacks I have on my forums, I'm not going to be moving over to 3.5 for, it seems, years ..

Any chance you could add the "new features" you've added to the 3.5 version to this one?

The main one for me would be the "change of styles per cat" feature which I suggested, although the comments feature would be nice too

What do you think?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Slave

Hi AndrewD ..

I know you're working mainly on the 3.5 version of this hack .. but, due to the amount of hacks I have on my forums, I'm not going to be moving over to 3.5 for, it seems, years ..

Any chance you could add the "new features" you've added to the 3.5 version to this one?

The main one for me would be the "change of styles per cat" feature which I suggested, although the comments feature would be nice too

What do you think?

I'm really sorry, but I cannot spend the time to back-implement these changes - there are so many new features in the 2.x code and I have hardly the time to cope with these.

[Slave]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I'm really sorry, but I cannot spend the time to back-implement these changes - there are so many new features in the 2.x code and I have hardly the time to cope with these.

.. bugger, that's a shame.

Could you at least point me in the direction of how to add the styles per cat feature? .. as that's all I need really.

Thanks