Links and Downloads Manager

LDM extends VBulletin to manage a library of documents, files and links to other web sites. Documents can be stored on your own web site, stored on your server separate from the web site, uploaded by your user community, or held somewhere else altogether. So you can use LDM to provide your user community with access to your own files and allow them to share files with each other.

12/08/06 - Versions that work with vb36 are available and supported in the VB36 thread. Version 2.2.1, which works with VB 3.5 but not with VB 3.6, remains available here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with all the design, testing, etc.
Translations are provided (thanks dLutt and LeeWicked) into German, (thanks to Allan) into French, and (thanks to Hugo) into Spanish. Harry1951 has handled the Dutch translation.

Screenshots, Instructions and How to Install

Full details and instructions are available as a Wiki at http://www.eirma.org/wikis/index.php...nloads_Manager

LDM installs as a VBulletin product. There are no modifications required to standard VB code.

Basically - upload php files and run the installer through VB's Product installer. No changes needed to VB code. Remember to BACKUP YOUR DATABASE. By default, LDM prefixes its database tables 'local_'. Edit the configuration file, local_links_init.php, if you need/wish to change this.

LDM can handle an essentially unlimited number of categories and nested subcategories, and an unlimited number of entries (hyperlinks or downloadable files). Each entry can be placed in one or several categories. Categories can have styles. Descriptions and titles can optionally include BBcodes, smilies, images and html, giving the possibility to add images, colouring, etc. File types can be flagged using icons and individual entries can also have associated thumbnail images.

Standards templates are provided for libraries of links, files, documents, and photographs.

Users can offer comments and rate the links/downloads. Each user is allowed one rating and many comments per entry, and can freely edit these if they change their mind.

Permission to use specific features is established via the product's admin page, where the administrator specifies which usergroups can add and edit entries, comment and rate these entries, moderate, etc.

By default, all entries are visible to all users. You can restrict visibility/access to links and categories by using the permissions masks from your board's forums.

Moderation of new entries is available but turned off by default.

Users can report bad links to the relevant moderators/administrators.

Each user can flag links as his/her "Favourites".

Modules are provided for VBAdvanced.

Hooks are provided in suitable places in LDM and sample plugins are included in the release (see extras directory), for example to integrate with ID3 tags in mp3 files, for slideshows, to autocreate new threads in your forums, etc.

Plus much more.

[ZED28]

Just noticed a possible bug - though this IS with the current Beta version.

As an anonymous or Unregistered/Not Logged In user, you can't vote or comment on a download - even though you given them permission to.

Not really looking for a fix, just giving you the heads up.

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

Originally Posted by JumpD

I was adding images to some of my links today and thought of something that would be a nice addition, IMO.

How about for each item, wether it's a link or other, you add two more text boxes so we can add an additional link and text for that link, if we so choose. For instance, say I add a link to a certain game. And I also have a review or an article, or even a forum thread discusion for that game. I could put a link to the review and then the text "Read Our Review of Blah". The same for a discusion, etc..

this would fit well with my rec for integratign comments into VBULLETIN, instead of the inline ones at present.

Andrew, any word on whether this made it officially on the list?? its just makes sense on sooooooo many levels.

==================================
my trying-to-convince-you arguments:

the hack is great....but in a way..tooo good. Its way too much a separate entity from the actual board imo. It creates a situation where it competes with the board itself...which it bad.

I've seen threads with a media post in it that do better than the whole LDM on a forum, simply because of the visibility and ease of reply. Honestly, I'm always conflicted myself...post to the LDM?, or just make a thread I know will be more popular and can track and will make forum have more posts? I end posting to LDM then having to create a new thread saying "check out the new upload!" or something and then linking it...a pain and a waste.

integrating the replies could solve that.
======================================


its a simple shame, imo, to not integrate the replies into the main forum. Good for ldm, go for forums. win-win.


ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SEE THE REPLIES INTEGRATED IN THE FORUMS??? or have a NEW THREAD CREATED in a specified forum when a new upload is made in the LDM???

come on...I can't believe no one else think that would be incredibly beneficial. :/

[ZED28]

Originally Posted by GrendelKhan{TSU

I'm always conflicted myself...post to the LDM?, or just make a thread I know will be more popular and can track and will make forum have more posts? I end posting to LDM then having to create a new thread saying "check out the new upload!" or something and then linking it...

Funny, I hadn't thought about that but you're right. Mine is a skin site for a game called Live for Spped and the skins are applied to the cars in the game. So my site is image driven. I'll do a skin, submit it to the downloads area and you're right, go to the forums and post a link to the download.

Having said that, I don't think a seperate comments field or area tied to the downloads is any better as that will still leave the conversation in a seperate area or the forum with some kind of link back to the download.

It almost has to be forum driven though I've no clue how it would be implemented. For images at least, I really could just place them in-line as attachments but didn't want everything scattered all over the forums. Maybe for my use, the changes arn't such a big requirement and I really have no idea how or what I would want to implement to make it any different to be honest. :ninja:

[Code Monkey]

I'll bet you could use Abe1's form hack to create a form to post to the LDM and make a post at the same time.

[sydude]

Andrew, first of all, KUDOS!! Awesome product! Where can I send you some $?

But I'm also wondering if you can help me with a problem I'm having. Most (if not all) of the 'remote' links that I add give me this message:

Link check failed http://jaxwax.us/index.htm

Accept Modify

and also, the thumbnail image link (remote) that I suppy gives me the 'can't load' error on the link bit.

An example of a remote link entry that exhibits both errors (even though I 'forced' the link to work by clicking 'accept') can be found here:

http://www.teamjuicyracing.com/forum...ks.php?catid=3

I know you're going to ask, so here is what it says at the bottom of my settings page:

Links and Downloads Manager
Code 2.1.0
MySQL 4.1.15-log
PHP 4.4.0
allow_url_fopen Yes
cURL Yes
GD2 Yes
open_basedir

Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

Sy

[docvader]

Incredible piece of work. Very impressive.

But, I've got a simple problem. Stupid easy thing. Just not sure how to handle the mime types in the, let's say, mpeg attachment manager area. Just imput

Content-type: video/mpeg

in the little text box? I just haven't dealt with the whole mime type issue before, LOL.

I've enabled the proper file types, permissions, uploaded the icons, inputted that info, not sure what else I have to do to get the jukebox to work.

Thanks!
rich

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by GrendelKhan{TSU

Andrew, any word on whether this made it officially on the list?? its just makes sense on sooooooo many levels.

It made it onto the list - but the free time that I have to devote to this is being used to catch up with other requests that people (you too!) think are terribly important! I will not forget, really - just keep in mind that I have a full time job to do as well!

Originally Posted by GrendelKhan{TSU

the hack is great....but in a way..tooo good. Its way too much a separate entity from the actual board imo. It creates a situation where it competes with the board itself...which it bad.

That's a matter of opinion - compete or complement. For the first year, I studiously avoided doing anything which tied LDM to VB, but everyone was SOO persuasive!

Originally Posted by GrendelKhan{TSU

I've seen threads with a media post in it that do better than the whole LDM on a forum, simply because of the visibility and ease of reply. Honestly, I'm always conflicted myself...post to the LDM? Integrating the replies could solve that.

I use both approaches on my official site. Forums are used as a temporary holding space, and LDM as a 'library'

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by sydude

Andrew, first of all, KUDOS!! Awesome product! Where can I send you some $?

But I'm also wondering if you can help me with a problem I'm having. Most (if not all) of the 'remote' links that I add give me this message:



and also, the thumbnail image link (remote) that I suppy gives me the 'can't load' error on the link bit.

An example of a remote link entry that exhibits both errors (even though I 'forced' the link to work by clicking 'accept') can be found here:

http://www.teamjuicyracing.com/forum...ks.php?catid=3

I know you're going to ask, so here is what it says at the bottom of my settings page:



Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

Sy

You're using essentially the same environment that I use, and I do not get the link check error that you report with http://jaxwax.us/index.htm.

Best approach is to send me a pm with an admin username and password to your board, so that I can take acloser look.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by docvader

Incredible piece of work. Very impressive.

But, I've got a simple problem. Stupid easy thing. Just not sure how to handle the mime types in the, let's say, mpeg attachment manager area. Just imput
in the little text box? I just haven't dealt with the whole mime type issue before, LOL.

I've enabled the proper file types, permissions, uploaded the icons, inputted that info, not sure what else I have to do to get the jukebox to work.

Thanks!
rich

Yes, that's right - in the VB/attachmente/extensions and sizes, make sure that you have an entry for each file type that you want to handle via the jukebox.

The mimetype should read Content-type: xxx/yyy. I gave a whole set of these a few posts back.

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

Originally Posted by ZED28

Funny, I hadn't thought about that but you're right. Mine is a skin site for a game called Live for Spped and the skins are applied to the cars in the game. So my site is image driven. I'll do a skin, submit it to the downloads area and you're right, go to the forums and post a link to the download.

Having said that, I don't think a seperate comments field or area tied to the downloads is any better as that will still leave the conversation in a seperate area or the forum with some kind of link back to the download.

It almost has to be forum driven though I've no clue how it would be implemented. For images at least, I really could just place them in-line as attachments but didn't want everything scattered all over the forums. Maybe for my use, the changes arn't such a big requirement and I really have no idea how or what I would want to implement to make it any different to be honest. :ninja:

i posted a while back about a possible solution. the Drupal plugin has a nice way of doing it.

when a new file/link is added....a new thread is automatically created in the forums with a snippet of the text up to a certain number of characters (in this case, maybe the file title and description?). Then any replies that one makes is handle via the forums. There would be a link "reply/add comment" in the actual LDM which showed number of replies and when clicked would send you to that thread.

works well.


@ ANDREW:

1. GREAT!! thanks! I totally know this is just a side thing for ya...so no worries there. We're all just complete grateful you find time at all and continue to support the hack so well. big props for that. So, I didn't mean to seem to be pestering at all...

just wanted to knowif it made the list (last I knew, it was still being considered)

now I'm pumped!! WOOT!!


2. good idea for the temp vs library reference. That may help me sort out how to structure it.


keep up the great work (whenever you can ) and hope you had a great holiday!! gooooooooo LDM 2006!!