The Download Manager - Close but No Cigar

[_Pegasus]

The Download Manager is one of the major "features included in TinyPortal that enticed me to use it... even though its still a beta product. Unfortunately, the Download Manager is a "close... but no cigar" feature that does not appear to be viable for any use other than a small, simple "admin only" download section.

My apologies if this offends anyone, but the Download Manager has all the appearances of having been about 75% complete... then hurriedly tossed into TinyPortal so it could claim to have a file download system.  I'm not sure how TinyPortal can ever get out of beta when it's included primary features are in the alpha testing stage, at best.

With the Download Manger, by "close" I mean that it appears to have the basic capacity and performance to provide a usable download section that can also operate as an "exchange" where multiple members can upload files as well as download.

By "no cigar" I mean that its just lacking some very basic features that are required to allow extending upload permissions to certain MemberGroups and making it a truly viable addition to TinyPortal.


The glaring omissions include:

1. Upload permissions can be granted to MemberGroups. This works great.  However, there is no way to allow those members to EDIT their files except to also grant them dlmanager admin permissions.

Unfortunately, this allows them to edit & delete anyone's files, not just their own. It also gives them full admin access to the dlmanager settings and categories. Obviously, this is not a viable solution for editing files.


2. Even with dlmanager admin access, there is no way to re-upload a file. A screenshot/picture can be re-uploaded in the dlmanager file edit screen, but not the uploaded file. An admin can manually FTP a new version of the file, delete the old one and change the file name accordingly. But this obviously isn't something a non-admin can do.


3. No search function. I've read messages here that this may be included in some future version. When?  Soon or someyear?  Its a pretty basic function that should be included, even in a beta version. However, not a "biggie" for me personally as I can easily add it.


4. Very limited permissions. In fact... just the two; the Upload (or not) permission and the Full Admin (ie.. "For God's sake don't touch anything!!") permission. This lack of permission options, and the absence of a non-admin file edit function, dramatically reduces the usefullness of the Download Manager.

At minimum, there should be a permission that allows (or not) those with uploading permissions to edit their own files. If enabled, a separate [Edit File] link should be displayed along with any files the current viewer personally uploaded. That link should display a page just like the upload page... except the fields should be populated with the existing data for that file.
* And `updateDate` field should also be added to the smf_dlmanager table and be updated anytime the file is edited.


* For my personal use, I needed the Uploader's Name to display along with the individual files when listed in the category views. When making the changes for this, I noticed that the Uploader Name is not stored in the database along with all the other file's data. Instead, a more complicated & server intensive multi-table query is used to pull the member's name from the smf_members table, matched on the member's ID from the smf_dlmanager table. That's not a big issue when viewing only a single file... but a tad resource-intensive when looping through a long list of files.

I changed this by adding an `uploaderName` field to the smf_dlmanager table that gets populated with the $users('name') value when the file is uploaded. I then rewrote the query to pull this data directly from the smf_dlmanager table and eliminated the join to the smf_members table.


So essentially, if the "Edit File" permission and separate non-admin edit screen can be included... quickly...  I think you will have a much more flexible and viable product to offer.

Other key features like Search and improved permissions to include individual upload permissions per category, are a lower priority but should still be included as soon as possible.


*** Please do not misinterpret the opinions and suggestions expressed here as being unappreciative of all the time & effort poured into TinyPortal & the Download Manager. As a developer, I know full well the time commitment such projects demand and how, as labors of love not profit, development can take a back seat to other priorities.

[IchBin]

Some great points, and I whole heartedly agree on pretty much all of them. So, if you don't mind I'd like to move this post to the appropriate board.

[bloc]

Many good points indeed, and just reminds me that large portions of the dl manager needs rewriting - something I have been foreseeing for quite some time now.

[_Pegasus]

Many good points indeed, and just reminds me that large portions of the dl manager needs rewriting - something I have been foreseeing for quite some time now.

Excellent!!Ã,  Then my work here is done....Ã, Ã, 

My underlying motives for posting that message were, of course, purely selfish. I'm the one with an immediate need for a more flexible downloads/exchange feature. I was hoping to "light a fire" or at least do a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge... to get the ball rolling in that direction.


I'm not sure if this steps on any toes or not, bit I'm currently eyeballing the Gallery-Lite package as an existing package that could be very simple to convert into a feature-laden downloads add-on. Pretty much everything you'd need is already in it... including thumbnails of the pictures/screenshots for various displays. Am IÃ,  or does this sound like a faster track to a solid solution?

I'm new to SMF/TinyPortal after years of running & modding phpBB. I was very excited about the upcoming/someday/maybe release of the new phpBB version 3....Ã,  and I'm sure that my children's children's children may someday get to see it. But I've given up waiting and applying endless security patches is not my idea of a good time.

Anyway, I'm not sure who the players are in this community (although your name rings a bell!Ã,  )... so I don't even know if its possible to get permission to modify & redistribute the Gallery-Lite package... or what challenges there would be making it part of TinyPortal. But from the outside looking in... it appears to be worth exploring.

[Yellowrose]

I have to agree with a lot of those points as well and it was the downloads manager that also attracted me to TP. we have a site that has over 2800 files to offer our members and a lot of the above mentioned functionality is also needed at my site.

[domineaux]

Not cause I wanta rag on Bloc about the downloads.  I'm using it on a site without a lot of traffic and it's working fine for that.

---------------

I've looked for a downloads app that is really whupup stuff. A downloads that has full permissions for darn near anything you can think of.

A downloads that asks for alot of information, multiple graphic file uploads.  Also needs to have ability to display submitted information as selected by the approving admin. 

An automatic thumbnailer for graphic files 

A downloads with a broad range of search and sort tools so users acquire files with just a few search and sort criteria.  This should also lower bandwidth significantly.

An example... http://www.joomlahacks.com/joomla/templates/0,0,0,0,6,0,8/

Look at the criteria for finding files.  If users had to individually scroll through all those files...whew.

I remember a most excellent one that allowed about 8 sort and 12 search criteria.  That was the best I've ever seen.  The number of files for DL was about 8,000 on that site.  The guys that ran it finally shut it down, because files were graphics that took 500KB minimum per file.  Everyone loved the downloads, but the server was running too hot, and costs were a couple hundred per month.

-------------

Honestly speaking... this is not the first thread on this subject.  Bloc has been nice about it everytime someone starts a rant (I've done it too)

TinyPortal does infer a "not so" comprehensive application. When it becomes the BigPortal or the BigA$$Portal then I'll be ranting from some world class coded projects. 

I love the themes and the fact they work so well.  The TinyPortal is just a perk on top of the themes available, IMO.




 

[bloc]

As for Gallery Lite it has been mentioned before that my plan is to write a module without using already existing scripts.

I am not so concerned about the speed in development, or even re-inventing the wheel issues. If I were, i could just do a cut'n'paste job and be done a long time ago... I belive in doing things properly and will stick to that philosophy - but of course listen to any improvements and suggestions along the way, as I have done since TP was started.

DL manager was my first "module" and as such a bit of trying area. Many things I did not foresee or simply hadn't learned, became clear as I went or even long after. Now, I have been holding back doing drastic changes to keep it stable, but with the shift to v1.0 it will include these major changes, as the code has reached a level where every optimisation is needed. The "tiny" part is getting anything but that, but it should still signal as light footprint as possible.

And that also answers the other point here: that it should rival or even surpass dedicated scripts for (example) gallery or downloads. It simply won't be as comphrehensive as dedicated ones like Coppermine, it can't be. But it can be a working solution for those that like a one-stop deal rather than doing multiple scripts side-by-side.

[Yellowrose]

Please don't take my earlier post as anything sounding even remotely ungreatful.

I have been looking for a downloads script for 1 of my 2 sites for about a year. When I recently got the second site I discovered Tiny Portal and found the extra functionality it offered just great.

The downloads manager offers a lot more then what I found available anywhere else I looked and I am quite happy waiting for the next version even though some functionality may be needed now we will learn to adjust and adapt until the needed options are added for the next release.

I know there are a lot of others like me who don't have the knowledge you do to do the things you do with TP and we all very much appreciate all the work you have put into this for the rest of us to enjoy without being a programing wiz ot having much knowledge beyond copy and paste.

[_Pegasus]

Is there something within the Download Manager that restricts the size of the upload? I mean other than the setting in the admin menu?

I have that set to 15000000000 Kb (just for testing)... and I can manually FTP very large files to my host... but I can not upload a file via the Download Manager that is more than a meg or so in size.

I always get the following error message:

An Error Has Occurred!
The upload was not able to complete.This might happen because it took too long to upload or the file is bigger than the server will allow.

Please consult your server administrator for more information. 


As mentioned ealier, I can FTP large fioles to this host. I also checked the error logs on the host system and there weren't any.

* The forum errors logs show the same error message, with the script where thre error is trapped being  ...index.php?action=tpmod;dl=upload

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

[bloc]

Its due to 2 things: the allowed http upload size in php - settable in php.ini and the time-out limit of 30 or 60 seconds of execution of a php script. Both these will limit the upload.

There are upload scripts that actually upload in bits to overcome this..but my knowledge is rather limited on how these work.

[Yellowrose]

I had this same problem as well but there is an easy solution to this.

Upload your files through ftp.

Once you have so many uploaded you go into admin panel/downloads manager.

You will see an ftp tab. When you click the ftp tab you will see all the files you uploaded with little check boxes beside them. You will also see asign this to the right of each filename with boxes set below the list. You can create new categories and asign where each file will be found in the downloads.

Whoever you give the manage downloads permission to in the permissions will also be able to asign files in this manner. I know it's going to be a huge help to me and I hope you can find this method useful as well.

Hope it helps.

[domineaux]

Is there something within the Download Manager that restricts the size of the upload? I mean other than the setting in the admin menu?

I have that set to 15000000000 Kb (just for testing)... and I can manually FTP very large files to my host... but I can not upload a file via the Download Manager that is more than a meg or so in size.

I always get the following error message:

An Error Has Occurred!
The upload was not able to complete.This might happen because it took too long to upload or the file is bigger than the server will allow.

Please consult your server administrator for more information. 


As mentioned ealier, I can FTP large fioles to this host. I also checked the error logs on the host system and there weren't any.

* The forum errors logs show the same error message, with the script where thre error is trapped being  ...index.php?action=tpmod;dl=upload

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

You upload anything via FTP size wise in most cases.

You cannot use a browse/upload utility from your site and do this as a rule, because your host has probably set a limit in PHP.INI on file sizes. Mine for example only allows 8MB.  He wanted more money for 10MB up and down.  I just tell everyone to build a pile of archives that link with the WINRAR and then I host the files in 8MB increments.

G'day

[olti]

Is there any way to add to the DL Manager files from external servers/sites? I mean simply to add an url and not uploading files in my server.

[IchBin]

Nope, there is not. Future plans will have more options though.