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myLinks Plug-in?

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myLinks Plug-in?
Is anyone working on adapting the myLinks plug-in for the new version of LinksSQL?

Safe swoops
Sangiro
http://www.dropzone.com/
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
In Reply To:
Is anyone working on adapting the myLinks plug-in for the new version of LinksSQL?
I didn't realise a mylinks plugin already existed.

Do you mean mylinks mod?....and I have not heard about anyone making it yet but I expect it will on the top of some peoples list.

Paul Wilson.
new - http://www.wiredon.net
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
I suspect you're right! My boo-boo. Hope somebody has this plug-in on the radar.

Safe swoops
Sangiro
http://www.dropzone.com/
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
I think the likely person to have created it would have been Jerry Su but I don't think he will do it now. Pugdog is busy with other plugins, Alex is very busy with many things and so unless a mystery man creates it then Im not sure where it will come from.

Paul Wilson.
new - http://www.wiredon.net
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
i been away for a while. jerry created mylinks mod for links2 and he created one for linksql.
i just purchased linksql & gosammer mail and i'm waiting for GT to install it for me. i do not see any mods for the mail. and i do not see too many mods for the latest version of linksql.
i hope that would change soon. does anyone know jerry's contacts. i rememeber a while ago he said he will be doing something else and i doubt if he will be able to do it but it does not hurt to ask. i think for a smart guy like him. he probably can do it in less than an hour. it should not be too hard

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
You are probably right but I really don't think Jerry will be willing to make any mods for you.

Maybe you can tempt him with some cash.

Paul Wilson.
Installations:
http://www.wiredon.net/gt/
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
sure! i do not expect him to do it for free. do you have his contacts.
i like to add all the mods i'm currently using for links2 by the end of march. do you think i can do it?

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
His website is www.jerrysu.com

Paul Wilson.
Installations:
http://www.wiredon.net/gt/
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
I have MyLinksNG in development.

Features:

- Integration with Links SQL NG Users table
- MyLinks saved in SQL table
- Links added to main directory by user are automatically in their MyLinks list, giving them the option to update them

I'd be interested to hear what other features people would like for this plug-in.

ETA - It will be a few weeks before this is done and tested..

AlexJ


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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
Here is a list of requests made for My LINKS in the past, which have only been addressed on a piecemeal fix basis:

1) Sort by Category.
2) Delete all My Links and individual My Links.

Hope this helps...and hope that you heed the advice I've given in terms of improving Jerry Su's My Links for LINKS SQL modification, which had some database design flaws...you should create a table called MyLINKS with the following fields:

UserID (Index - no tracking, NOT unique)
LinkID (Index - UNIQUE)

In terms of referential integrity, don't forget to hack the ADMIN scripts that will delete the the records from the MYLinks table when you delete links from the LINKS table.

Good luck....

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
Eliot,

The table as you described is included in the plan under way. Its good to hear I might be headed in the right direction.

As far as the hacking of the admin scripts, you have an excellent point that I had not though of, and will work to include.

Thanks for your input,

AlexJ

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
In Reply To:
As far as the hacking of the admin scripts, you have an excellent point that I had not though of, and will work to include.
Shouldn't be hard at all...I have this working in Links v.1.13 with no problems....

I use the following codes in the sub delete_records routine in the admin.cgi script:

Code:

if ($db->{'db_table'} eq 'Links') {
$db->do ("DELETE FROM Bookmarks WHERE LinkID = $id");
}


(Bookmarks is the table I use to store MYLINKS.)

Of course, these codes would have to be upgraded to work with the NG version (LINKS SQL v.2.0.3).

I have seen that in the latter versions of LINKS SQL v.2.0 that there are some referential integrity notices like "foreign key" warnings...I am unsure whether this has been integrating into deleting records in tables.

Anyway...the above codes may give you a head start.

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
UPDATE:

MyLinksNG is coming along. Here are the features I have currently working:

- Runs off the Links User database
- Allows any link in the system to be added to your 'MyLinks' page
- MyLinks are kept in an SQL table
- You can delete any link from your MyLinks page
- You can delete all links from your MyLinks page
- If you try to add a link to your MyLinks page and you are not logged in, you are presented with the login page

TO DO:

- Integrate with admin delete function, deleting any MyLinks for a link, when it is deleted from the main database
- Add edit feature for any links you submitted to the database
- Sort by category (I'm not too sure on this one... any ideas..anyone?)
- General cleanup of code and new templates

Now is the time to speak if you have any great ideas I have not included for MyLinks... I'm sure there are plenty...

AlexJ

BTW - This was designed from the ground up as a self installing plugin, and already can install itself 100% through the plugin system. This is going to be released as SHAREWARE, with a reasonable $25 registration fee for those that use the plugin or any part of its code.

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
In Reply To:
- Integrate with admin delete function, deleting any MyLinks for a link, when it is deleted from the main database
This can all be done by making sure that the LinkID column in your new table is registered as a foreign key to the links table. See pugdog's post about this.

Hope this helps,

Alex

--
Gossamer Threads Inc.
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
Alex,

Thats great! That just makes all too much sense..... This is how I setup the MyLinks table to be created during the install. It didn't even cross my mind that it would take care of the admin integration for me.

I just tested it and it works perfectly, with no additional code.

Thank you so much for pointing that out to me.

AlexJ

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
In Reply To:
Now is the time to speak if you have any great ideas I have not included for MyLinks
i like to see the option of adding any site whether it's in the directory or not. i know several people have asked for this feature

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
So you mean kind of like making your own bookmark list?

I can see how that relates to the whole 'My' theme.... Similar to the way you can add anything you want to my.yahoo.com....

Easy as it sounds, because of the design of MyLinksNG, it would actually involve an additional table and an extra routine for the display of my bookmarks.

Because it strays a little from the original concept, I will add this feature after the initial release. I will also add additional 'My' type features to the plugin as they are suggested. Making MyLinks more than just a list of saved links, and more like a homepage. Having people use your site as their homepage is always a great traffic boost.

AlexJ

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
Possible suggestions:

i) as suggested the add a link and an easy way to sugggest this link for inclusion in the directory. I also wonder if this could be somehow used as the basis of a bulk link adder?
ii) make mylinks public or hidden dependant on user choice. So other people can see your link list if you want.
iii) a way to import, export links to and from a computer so people can download them. If you go for option i) an easy way for someone to upload their list of links from a text file (perhaps this text file could be generated from their IE shortcuts but don't know about that one).
iv) A way for a user to add their own comments to saved links. This would require a table like:

ID, LinkId, UserID, Comment

the comment could then be displayed either instead of or beneath the description. I would imagine it quite likely that people might want to use a different description for their saved links.
v) Admin limits on the number of links storable per user.

All i can think of, you seem to have most of it covered.

http://www.ASciFi.com/ - The Science Fiction Portal
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
You would NOT really need an extra table...what you could do is add column called OtherSite. Of course you would have to play around with the foreign key setting.

Then in the mylinks.cgi script or whatever you use, you could add in additional conditional statements that checks for the existence of values in the LINKID field and in the OTHERSITE field...you could even do this in the MYLINKS template files...

Yes...it does stray from your original project focus, but I don't really think you need to add another table.

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
Actually, padders, since the MyLINKS table is an intersection relation between USERS and LINKS, you do not need the primary key of ID.

You would only need USERID (Index, NOT UNIQUE), LINKID (Index, UNIQUE), COMMENTS (UNIQUE)

This also creates a secondary index, which speeds up data processing.

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
ar i see what you mean on both accounts. Yes, just having the alternative description in the original mylinks table makes a lot of sense i don't know why i didn't see it. The later thing, arr.. learning more stuff about SQL every day!

when you say: USERID (Index, NOT UNIQUE), LINKID (Index, UNIQUE),

does that mean the linkid is unique in relation to the userid, ie you can't have

5 25
5 25

but can have

5 25
6 25

cheers

http://www.ASciFi.com/ - The Science Fiction Portal
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
That is correct...using Unique (or in MS Access, Index (Yes (No Duplicates) means that the value is unique based on the other indexed field in the table. So, the examples you gave are correct.

In database relation connection terms, it is a M-M (Many to Many) connection (between the USERS and LINKS tables)...meaning that MANY users can HAVE MANY Links stored and MANY Links can be associated with MANY Users...by applying the UNIQUE and INDEX attributes to the column will ensure that you don't have duplicate columns of values associated with the whatever foreign key you have identified....

And...I have learned all this database design stuff recently, since I am taking a database modeling course at the University where I work.

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
alexj;
how about an update on your work?

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
UPDATE:

This seems to be taking a bit longer than I had expected, one because I under estimated my current workload, and have had some personal things keeping me busy. (Like 2 weeks worth of first birthday parties for my son.)

In any case, from my previous to do list:

- Integrate with admin delete function, deleting any MyLinks for a link, when it is deleted from the main database *DONE*
- Add edit feature for any links you submitted to the database *90% DONE*
- Sort by category (I'm not too sure on this one... any ideas..anyone?) *Not started*
- General cleanup of code and new templates *In progress*

So things are moving along. In the next day or two I should have a demo site up...

AlexJ

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Re: myLinks Plug-in? In reply to
When can we expect this Mod?? anyone?

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