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

[Lizard King]

I have it installed and translated to Turkish perfectly.Working very good.
The only problem is the local file root. In no condition I got this working but having no problem in anything else. Perfect Job Andrew.

[Catch-22|BL]

AndrewD, I have a stupid question. I tried to read the instructions and I tried to review the code but am still not sure.

Let's pretend I have a message board with five forums and each forum has a different moderator. Can I give each forum its own "category" and set it so that forum's moderator must manage all incoming links/files in that category? In other words, each moderator would care about his/her area and not be bothered with the rest.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Catch-22|BL

AndrewD, I have a stupid question. I tried to read the instructions and I tried to review the code but am still not sure.

Let's pretend I have a message board with five forums and each forum has a different moderator. Can I give each forum its own "category" and set it so that forum's moderator must manage all incoming links/files in that category? In other words, each moderator would care about his/her area and not be bothered with the rest.

Not a stupid question. Currently, there is no distinction between moderators of different categories - either you can moderate (i.e. everything) or you can't (i.e. nothing). It would not be very difficult to change this in the way you suggest (i.e so that moderation was also linked to the category forum) - how big a deal is this to anyone?

[Imperial Fritz]

Excellent. Although I'll probably wait for the official release. I won't lose anything after upgrading, right?

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Imperial Fritz

Excellent. Although I'll probably wait for the official release. I won't lose anything after upgrading, right?

If you email me a) your full VB phrase translations and b) the translations you made for this hack, I'll make sure that you don't lose anything.

[MustangLisa]

Works perfectly, thanks.

[Craigr]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Here is an early beta of v1.52. The main change is that all the text messages in the main templates and script have been "phrased", i.e. use VBulletin's language system. So it should be straightforward to offer translated versions of this hack.

I have not (yet) done this for the text messages used on the admin page.

There are a couple of other changes
- users with can_set_permissions can change the forum permissions en-masse for all the links in a category
- if the hack spots that the size or url or a link has changed, either during an edit or a regular vlinks validation, then the link is flagged as 'new', i.e. appears in bold in the category listings

I'd appreciate it if someone can test this beta, perhaps by installing it and trying to provide a translation using the normal vb facilities.

Installation now requires uploading also the file local_links_phrases.xml to the main forum directory

Installed it last night and it works great. Thanks for the nice hack and easy to follow instructions.

[Viks]

I know it does not explicitly say but I want to confirm if this Mod works with MySql v3.23??

if anyone has it running on MySql3.2x..do let me know.

thanks

[Imperial Fritz]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

If you email me a) your full VB phrase translations and b) the translations you made for this hack, I'll make sure that you don't lose anything.

I meant the uploaded links. Don't worry about the translations, I'll redo them manually, not much work as I did only a few pages.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Viks

I know it does not explicitly say but I want to confirm if this Mod works with MySql v3.23??

if anyone has it running on MySql3.2x..do let me know.

thanks

The hack installer checks that you have MySQL version 3.23.23 or higher. It will not work with anything earlier. It will work fine with 3.23.23, etc, although it handles searches differently with version 3 than with version 4 (Boolean mode, if that means anything to you).

Good luck