Hello everyone. Since I cannot seem to wrap my brain around the MODs or PERL I'm going to try something else. Could someone please tell me ASAP if the below will ruin or confuse something in Links 2.0:

OBJECTIVE: In one particular category I'd like to add "FEATURED LINKS" above the normal set of links.

So I opened the HTML of that particular page (the first of many pages in the category) and inserted some HTML just ABOVE the tags (I've done this and viewed it OFFline):

<!-- Subcategories-->

<!-- Links in this category. -->

QUESTION: Can I upload and replace that particular page and expect everything else to operate normally now and in the future, with BUILD ALL in the administrative menu, and also with new and normal additions and normal "movement" of the links from new to regular and popular, etcetera??

Thank you and please please please if someone can give an "expert" and solid answer to this ASAP I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks!!

If you're editing pages created by Links, you are wasting your time, as they will be replaced when you rebuild. You have to change the templates, which usually means you also have to change code in a script, too. For what you want, use the Editor's Pick mod, it works great! The instructions are good, and there's four pages of discussion in the thread linked.


Leonard
aka PerlFlunkie

Thank you SO much, PerlFlunkie, for your reply. I DO appreciate it. And that's to create "Preferred Links" in any given category? It kind of looks like it's to create an individual page with a collection of "Preferred Links" like you have on your site @ http://theonetruechurch.com/links/Featured/ . I don't want to do this. I want to "Feature" links in one particular category at that top of that category. Using your site as an example (hope you don't mind), I'd want to put a "Featured Link" at the top of a page like yours @ http://theonetruechurch.com/...hurch/church_growth/ .


But after "looking over" the extensive thread to which you so kindly referred... wow... head's spinning... cold sweats.... imagining a lost weekend with this "issue".... ANYONE dare to offer their "professional services" for a fee? Ho-hum...

there are listings in the resource center (located the "support" section of this site) where installers, modifiers are listed.

Philip
------------------
Limecat is not pleased.

Thanks, fuzzy logic! I'll try that.

From the Resources page, there seems to be only ONE "resource" which does what I'm seeking. It's MyCGIscripts @ http://www.mycgiscripts.com/linksmod.html . They offer an install of "Links 2.1 Extended" which does a bunch of stuff I don't really need PLUS adding the PRIORITY LINKS "MOD" for $120 for customers whom already have a Links 2.1 (like me). Thing is, in their support forum (similar to this one) all the postings are about problems. This in itself isn't suprising because that's what these forums are for in part but it seems that very very very few of those posted problems have replies or solutions. This worries me. Any other ideas?

I would NOT recommend any services from mycgiscripts.com (poor support, etc.). I'd say the best person to contact for custom work would be Andy, although he focuses mostly on Links SQL mods now. I'd offer to help you out but I'm already swamped with writing a message board system.

Philip
------------------
Limecat is not pleased.

Good idea to stay away from that place, which has had many reported problems! Is your install new, with all stock code? How many links do you already have? This affects how hard it would be to install the mod. Actually, this is an easy mod to do, the instructions are clear. Here is the link again: http://www.gossamer-threads.com/...i?post=255384#255384. Look at the attachment to that post. What you can do is leave out this part...

Graphic => [14, 'alpha', 40, 75, 0, '', ''],
Gwidth => [15, 'alpha', 5, 5, 0, '', ''],
Gheight => [16, 'alpha', 5, 5, 0, '', ''],

And change the number on this

Priority => [17, 'alpha', 0, 5, 1, 'No', 'No|Yes']

to

Priority => [14, 'alpha', 0, 5, 1, 'No', 'No|Yes']

then leave of the last step, which is the change to link.html. What you will end up with is an option when you add a link to make it a priority, using a yes/no drop-down box. A link with a yes will appear above all the others. All that discussion in the other thread is about other sort configurations; giving each link a ranking number and sorting that way. This mod will work as presented, without any problem. You will need to add a pipe delimiter ( | ) to the end of any existing links in your database, with a 'no' for most of them and a 'yes' for the ones you want to be priority. Any links added after installing this mod will have the delimiter automatically. What you will need is like so:

|no
|no
|yes

Then rebuild. This would be a good way to start your edumacation in perl!


Leonard
aka PerlFlunkie

I TRULY WISH I had time to start my "edumacation" in perl. Seems to come up more and more often these days/years.

Thank you BOTH for your information and direction. I particularly appreciate the "guidance" AWAY from MyCGIscripts. I DEFINITELY don't want to make a bad situation worse.

I've also contacted the support people at Gossamer Threads directly and with their help I should have the ball rolling very soon. Thanks everyone!