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SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade

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SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade
Hi All

I'd like to switch to Links SQL 2, but I've added many features to my flatfile system that I'm not sure are available or compatible with SQL 2, though I know that some of these are available for 1.x. I've been hunting around (searches, Gossamer FAQ, demo site, user sites) and looking at various FAQ sites (thank you for these!), but I still have a few questions about features and functions. I've installed some mysql stuff before. So, I can do a little of the speak. If anyone is able to help me out with these, I would be most grateful.

In no particular order:

1. Adding Extra tags in links.cfg
I know that there is no links.cfg in SQL, but what is nice in flatfile is that we could just add extra tags and their contents in links.cfg and then plug them into the templates. Is there something like this in SQL?

2. Site Map (Tree)
Is there a static site map or tree building function? I found something called treelinks doing some searches, but I couldn't find anything that describes this.

3. Adding Fields - links
I have to add about 10 extra fields, including Image, additional description fields, and a few others.

4. Adding Fields - categories
I'd love to add Category Heading and Meta Title fields. The Category Heading would be an additional description field that would go below the category title on that cat page. The Meta Title would be in addition to the Meta Descrip and Meta Keywords fields.

5. Universal Header and Footer
This would be a site-wide header and footer (added to template pages, as well), instead of just category header/footer.

6. Extra Static Templates
Yes, I found this over at Pugdog's FAQ. Thanks! I need to about 6 more static template pages like Policy, Help, etc.

7. Webring Mod
This creates Next and Prev links within each category of detailed pages. The user doesn't have to jump back to the category page. They can stay on the detail page and jump to the next detail page.

8. Bulk additions, deletions, modifications
When adding a category, I might have upwards of 5,000 items. I'd like to be able to use a text file and import the whole list all in one shot, rather than having to add one item at a time. Also, if I just wanted to modify a current database or table, and still keep what is already installed, can I do this, or do I have to reinstall the entire list (including the additional material)? I'd like to be able to do selective bulk deletions, as well. Like, all files in X category beginning with the letter Q, or older than 6 weeks, etc.

9. Backup
Can we make backups of the mysql db's?

10. Yahoo 2.1 Style Subcats
In addition to being able to show linked subcats, I'd also like to be able to include a descrip of the main cat below the cat name but above the subcats.

Main Cat
description...
sub1, sub2, sub3...

11. Hopto Mod
Ability to jump from one main cat to any other main cat

12. List Category Subcats in sidebar
Create a list of a Main Cat's subcats and place them in the side bar.

13. Priority Mod
I know that this exists for 1.x, but is it available for 2.x ?

14. AltaVista-style Span Pages

15. Multi link.html templates within same category AND from category to category
A - Vary link template WITHIN category (could switch between link1a.html and link1b.html back and forth within a single category)
B - Could use link1.html for cat 1, and link2.html for cat 2. I saw something like this where you can enable different template sets for each category, but is there a way to just have 2 link.html's instead of 2 separate template sets?

16. Vary vary numbers of columns for home page versus category and subcat pages.

17. Category Pic
I believe Pugdog has this for 2.x, but is Pugdog running an "NG" version that is different? Is this also the upload mod?

18. Jump to detail and Random jump to detail. I want to display items for sale. So, for these categories, I want jump.cgi to go to an internal link, rather than external. To do this in the flatfile, I had to modify jump.cgi to build a separate URL db to search for the random function.

19. Build static detailed pages under their respective categories and subcategories. I happen to like this, rather than having one large detail directory.

20. Build homepage in root doc directory, but the rest of the pages are built within a subdirectory

/index.html
/subcat/rest-of-links

21. Related Links - like related categories, but you can specify links

Sorry for such a long list. I've been trying to piece things together, and I look forward to upgrading. I appreciate your help.

Super Thanks Smile

DT

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Re: SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
 
>>1. Adding Extra tags in links.cfg

you have much, much more flexibility with Links 2.x, you use the globals.txt file, and can create whole anonymous functions.

>> 2. Site Map (Tree)
Not that I know of, but someone may have done it (eliot??)


>> 3. Adding Fields - links
the same as in the flat file, but even easier, with more functionality. the editor is on-line, and all html based.

>> 4. Adding Fields - categories
trivial, and you have auto-parse functions to include custom headers and footers in the categories, and more.

>> 5. Universal Header and Footer
<%include whatever_file_you_want_here%>


>> 6. Extra Static Templates
No problem.... I think I've posted two variations of how to do it easily, and proposed a method for Alex to add this into Links....


>> 7. Webring Mod
Not sure.... But you could do this with the function tags, maybe. You can't assume LinkID's are in order, so you'd need to alter some code, but it could be done.


>> 8. Bulk additions, deletions, modifications
Hmmmm.... I'm not exactly sure how you operate, but Links SQL has much improved import/export, and you have the full functionality of MySQLMan in dumping databases, and re-importing them. By using the LinkID field, to overwrite records, you can update. This would require a bit of customization, i'm sure, but it shouldn't be hard, and the built in features are better now. You might have to change how you work, and maybe you'll even find you don't have to do whatyou were doing, because of how an SQL database operates.


>> 9. Backup
Both from in links, and via MySQLMan.

>> 10. Yahoo 2.1 Style Subcats
chec, the FAQ site... I think made this mod... I haven't released it, but it's fairly trivial.

>> 11. Hopto Mod
This could probably be don in java script and shouldn't be too hard.... The internal browser
uses javascript -- but I don't know enough of it.

>> 12. List Category Subcats in sidebar
I did this for 1.1x, I haven't done it for 2.x. Should actually be easier ... I used an include file that was re-generated on each build, but only generated once.

>> 13. Priority Mod
You can sort or order by any field.

>> 14. AltaVista-style Span Pages
??? what's that

>> 15. Multi link.html templates within same category AND from category to category
This could be done using the <%loop%> construct, which would be the default for Links 2.1.
Many ways to do it, depending on how you need it to be done.

>> 16. Vary vary numbers of columns for home page versus category and subcat pages.
Probably... again, using loop tags.

>> 17. Category Pic
>> I believe Pugdog has this for 2.x, but is Pugdog running an "NG" version that is different?
>> Is this also the upload mod?

NG was a reference to "Next Gen" when we didn't know what Links SQL 2.0 would be called.

>> 18. Jump to detail and Random jump to detail. I want to display items for sale. So, for these
>> categories, I want jump.cgi to go to an internal link, rather than external. To do this in the
>> flatfile, I had to modify jump.cgi to build a separate URL db to search for the random function.
I've modified jump.cgi, but the detail_page.cgi does it much better. Free download.

>> 19. Build static detailed pages under their respective categories and subcategories. I happen
>> to like this, rather than having one large detail directory.
Probably, but haven't done this. I use dynamic detail pages, since actually more hits per page are on the browser screens, and any single detail page doesn't get hit too terribly much. I imagine overall improvement could be had by using the "cache" (alex was working on thsi for awhile).

>> 20. Build homepage in root doc directory, but the rest of the pages are built within a subdirectory
You probably can, but it's somewhat better to use Apache Rewrite if you have your own server, or access to the access files.

>> 21. Related Links - like related categories, but you can specify links
Not that I know of... but it sounds like something I'm working on, sort of. I don't understand why/when you'd use it, but I have done a sort of "grouping" for the domain names, and such.


PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin
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Re: SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
Wowsee, wow!

Thank you so much, Pugdog! I am so very grateful Smile

The AltaVista-style Span Pages allows you to show the next and previous pages using numbers in addition to Next and Prev. It helps cut down on visitor frustration when going from page to page. I, too, hate being on a site where I can't tell how many pages there are in a section and also not having a quick way to jump to the desired page. The AltaVista-style Span Pages takes care of that.

[<< Prev] 1 2 3 4 5 [Next >>]

I'll have to try the dumping thing with mysqlman. This looks like the way to manage things.

What's nice about AnthroRules Hopto mod is that is built automatically with each build. So, it's always correct. I can use a javascript thing, or even the standard redirect that comes with Links 2.0.

I know that I can sort by any field. However, is there a way for me to select, say, 3 links in a category to come to the top, and then have the rest of the links in that category sorted by whatever field that I have selected (or even randomly if I would prefer that)?

Man-O-Man! Thank you so much. I am reeeeeeeeeeellly appreciative of your taking the time to so thoughtfully respond to my monster newbie note. I was hoping that perhaps someone might answer a few of my specific questions and then say, "...and the other stuff, too", but you have certainly done yeoman's work. I look forward to upgrading as soon as I can, and from everything that I've read, it looks like I'll start to have fun with my site, rather than a lot of drudge work.

Thanks, again, so much. Smile Smile

DT

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Re: SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
Hi,

Yes, "AltaVista style" pages are included. Not sure about the hopto mod, it would be quite easy if you are comfortable with perl, but otherwise not built in.

As for Sorting, you would:

Add a Priority column (Goto database->Links->Properties->Add Column), and then in setup set sort order to Priority,Title to have ones with priority put first, then alphabetically. If you are using Mysql 3.23, you can even put RAND() in the sort order and it will sort them randomly.

Hope that helps,

Alex

--
Gossamer Threads Inc.
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Re: SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
Many thanks, Alex. What I want to do is use the script as a very flexible storefront and just tie in some shopping cart script. That's why I need jump.cgi to refer to the static internal detail pages (I'm going to consider the dynamic ones as well as mentioned by Pugdog). I didn't know that setting up the Priority/Title sorting was so darned easy. What a difference. Thanks so much for your help. I look forward to upgrading. It will be a little later in the summer, I expect, before I can upgrade, and then I'll probably keep my current system while fooling with the SQL version until I get it the way that I want it. Thank you both, Pugdog and Alex, for your help and suggestions.

Smile Smile

DT

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Re: SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
BTW -- Related links -- I assumed you meant a link related to another link.

If you meant a link belonging to multiple categories, you can do that very easily. In fact, it's much easier, and better, than in previous versions, since a Link doesn't store a category at all. There is no "primary" category. You select (or deselect) categories from the admin easily.

PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Plugins:http://LinkSQL.com/plugin
Quote Reply
Re: SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
Yes, related links is linkA related to linkB. Actually, for me it will be related products since I am using the script to build a storefront.

That's also why (1) having a pic for the categories and subcats, (2) having jump.cgi go to an internal detail page, (3) having a sidebar with subcats and topcats, (4) multi-column links, and (5) having additional description fields for the detail page are so important. You can see why in the link below to one of the categories that I'm building:

http://www.armynavy.com/uniforms/

Many of the links in the header/footer/sidebar don't work, but that's okay for now. I think once I switch to SQL that this will all be a lot easier to organize.

I am anticipating a very large site with a ton of categories. I've examined zillions of catalog scripts, shopping carts, and tons of other stuff, but nothing beats good old Links for creating what I need. My anticipation for Links SQL is great.

I hope to upgrade very shortly since it looks like I need that capacity earlier than I originally expected.

Thanks very much to all. Smile

DT

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Re: [pugdog] SQL 2.x capabilities - would like to upgrade In reply to
Hi pugdog

How did you modify jump.cgi to jump to detailed pages instead of the URL?

Thanks very much. Smile

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