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

[LeeWicKeD]

@Xtrm2Matt

Originally Posted by AndrewD

You create (or choose) a forum on your board, and give that forum the permissions you want to use for the file (for example, only registered users can view posts in the forum). Then you associate the file with the forum. You do this within the form for adding or editing the link. You can do the same for categories.

If you want to apply this condition to every new file you make available, then on the links admin page, you set that forum to be the default forum for new links/categories.

[Xtrm2Matt]

Thanks

[cclaerhout]

Thanks for this hack. It's really good.

I've translated it into french (only the user visible part). I've also made a little style modification. Hope you'll like it :-)

[Zain Jaffer]

I'm getting a "status unknown" for all of the dloadz atm, what's going on?

http://www.juicyduff.com/forum/local_links.php

[Dep]

get a small problem when i tried to install

Error

SQL-query:

--
-- Table structure for table `local_linkslink`
--
CREATE TABLE `local_linkslink` (
`linkid` int( 11 ) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT ,
`linkname` varchar( 255 ) NOT NULL default '',
`linkdesc` text NOT NULL ,
`linkurl` text NOT NULL ,
`linkhits` mediumint( 8 ) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`linkforum` smallint( 5 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkcheck` int( 10 ) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`linkstatus` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkdate` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkusername` text NOT NULL ,
`linkuserid` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkmoderate` int( 2 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkmoddate` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkreviewfreq` smallint( 5 ) NOT NULL default '0',
PRIMARY KEY ( `linkid` ) ,
FULLTEXT KEY `namedesc` ( `linkname` , `linkdesc` )
) TYPE = MYISAM AUTO_INCREMENT =1

MySQL said: Documentation
#1283 - Column 'linkname' cannot be part of FULLTEXT index

any ideas how to fix it plz

[taxfree]

Excellent hack! Just got a quick question for you (don't we all?). I'm using this as a URL link manager for my reciprocal links. Right now, the links are all pointing to an internal link, like http://www.mydomain.com/forum/local_...tion=jump&id=3. Is there a for the link to show the actual link? My link exchange partners won't be too pleased when they find their inbound links gone.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Zain Jaffer

I'm getting a "status unknown" for all of the dloadz atm, what's going on?

http://www.juicyduff.com/forum/local_links.php

The hack only checks the availability/size of your links/files at certain times. For simple links or for downloadable files which are obviously within the file structure of your own web server (i.e. have no URL associated with them), this happens when the entry is set up. However, if it is a download which involves a URL, the check happens the first time someone (including possibly yourself) accesses it, because the check involves reading the whole file from the remote site.

I've just done this to one of your entries that was showing "status unknown". After accessing it and refreshing the links page, the description has changed to saying [52 kbytes] i.e. the file size.

If you don't like this behaviour, you can always edit the links_linkbit template. Find and delete the line which reads as follows:

<if condition="$linkstatus==0"> [$vbphrase[ll_unknown_status]]</if>

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by taxfree

Excellent hack! Just got a quick question for you (don't we all?). I'm using this as a URL link manager for my reciprocal links. Right now, the links are all pointing to an internal link, like http://www.mydomain.com/forum/local_...tion=jump&id=3. Is there a for the link to show the actual link? My link exchange partners won't be too pleased when they find their inbound links gone.

There's an easy but not perfect way, and a less easy way which I could include in the next release if you prefer.

The easy way is to go to the links admin page and change the setting of force_redirect to 2. This makes all your links completely visible, but it has the side effect that the hit counter no longer works.

An alternative is to edit the links_linkbit template. Find the line which reads

<if condition="$linkurl"><a href="local_links.php?action=jump&amp;id=$linkid" target="_blank"></if>$linkname<if condition="$linkurl"></a></if>

Before the text target="_blank", insert title="$linkurl", i.e.

<if condition="$linkurl"><a href="local_links.php?action=jump&amp;id=$linkid" title="$linkurl" target="_blank"></if>$linkname<if condition="$linkurl"></a></if>

That way, the actual url will become a pop-up when someone hovers over the link.

Please note that this will make the location of all your links and downloads visible, so you will not be able to hide things.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Dep

get a small problem when i tried to install

Error

SQL-query:

--
-- Table structure for table `local_linkslink`
--
CREATE TABLE `local_linkslink` (
`linkid` int( 11 ) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT ,
`linkname` varchar( 255 ) NOT NULL default '',
`linkdesc` text NOT NULL ,
`linkurl` text NOT NULL ,
`linkhits` mediumint( 8 ) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`linkforum` smallint( 5 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkcheck` int( 10 ) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`linkstatus` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkdate` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkusername` text NOT NULL ,
`linkuserid` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkmoderate` int( 2 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkmoddate` int( 10 ) NOT NULL default '0',
`linkreviewfreq` smallint( 5 ) NOT NULL default '0',
PRIMARY KEY ( `linkid` ) ,
FULLTEXT KEY `namedesc` ( `linkname` , `linkdesc` )
) TYPE = MYISAM AUTO_INCREMENT =1

MySQL said: Documentation
#1283 - Column 'linkname' cannot be part of FULLTEXT index


any ideas how to fix it plz

Hello, what version of MySQL are you using?

[Dep]

version 4.1.9