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Modifications

During the time I've been giving advice on the Gossamer Threads forum, I've seen a number of requests for modification that come up time and again. Below are some of these requests, plus some that I came up with on my own.

All of these mods, plus many written by other people, are also available at Gossamer Threads.

Please be sure that you back up all of your files before you make any changes and be certain that the modification does what you want it to before you get rid of your backups. Also, only install one modification at a time and test it thoroughly before going on to another one.

Each modification title has a link which will take you to a text file that describes the mod. Most of these are not full scripts, but merely instructions on how to change the scripts. Please read and follow the instructions carefully.

Note that there are some "missing links" here. I pulled the ultimate stupid move and lost all of my mod files. With the help of Lois, Karen, Peter and others on the DBMan forum at Gossamer Threads, I was able to recreate most of the list. (Thank you, guys!) However there are still some files missing and a few that are not the most recent version. The missing files have no clickable link. The "old" files have a * after the "last updated" date. If you have any of the missing or old files, I'd love to hear from you.

Also, if you find an error, especially in one of the files marked with a *, I'd like to hear about it.

Add Permission last updated 1 Nov 2000
This mod is for anyone who wants to add another level of permission to their database. You might want to have two levels of users, with one level having more restricted access than another. This will show you how to create the extra level.
Archive Records last modified 31 May 2000
Allows you to select records to be deleted from the active database and placed into an archive database. You can also restore records to the active database.
Autogenerate Enhancements last modified 11 Aug 1999
-- Allows selection of "admin-only" checkboxes, radio fields, select fields and textareas
-- Creates "clickable" links for email addresses and URLs
-- Allows you to set whether you would like skip rows in the record display if the field value is blank.
-- Maintains line formatting in textarea fields
Automatic View/Modify Search last modified 1 Sep 1999
If you have set up your database with either $auth_modify_own=1 or $auth_view_own=1 (or both), this mod will allow users to view or modify their records without having to first go to the search page. It does allow anyone with admin permission to search for records to view or modify.
Ban email domains from signup last modified 19 Jun 2000
This mod will allow you to prohibit users who have certain domains in their email addresses. The most common use of this is to ban free email domains, requiring users to give their true email address. This mod will also allow you to edit the list of domains within the DBMan script, so you don't have to download the file, edit it and then upload it again.
Bug Fixes last modified 16 Aug 1999
-- A bug in sub query prevented "-gt" and "-lt" searches from working properly on date fields.
-- A bug in sub validate_record would not allow blank date fields
-- A bug in a previously released mod of sub get_date resulted in an incorrect date in log files (same as sub get_date in the Miscellaneous changes mod)
-- Creates a link on the login form for users to sign up for an account
Column Record Display last updated 3 October 2000
Allows you to display search results in either horizontal or vertical columns.
Dirty Word Censor last updated 10 Aug 1999
The purpose of this modification is to censor any words that you might not want to appear in your database. There are 6 different levels of censoring you can choose from. Each is described within the modification itself.

The wordlist is completely editable, so that you can decide for yourself which words you consider "dirty." There is a list to start with, but you can add or delete any words you want.
External Text File last updated 21 May 2000
The purpose of this mod is to allow you to save an external text file at the same time you add a record to your database. This comes in very handy if you want to have large amounts of text, but you don't want your .db file to be filled up too quickly.
File Upload last modified 30 Mar 2003
There are two file upload mods. One allows only one file per record. The other allows multiple files per record. Thanks to Wes Johnston for finding a bug and giving me the fix for the multiple upload mod.
Forward Record last updated 22 Jun 2000
This mod will allow your users to mail the contents of a record to themselves or someone else.
Hit Counter and Top Ten List last updated 21 Apr 2000
This mod will allow you to keep track of the number of times a record is accessed. You can then generate a top ten list of the most accessed records.

There is a further refinement of this mod which allows you to have top ten lists according to the value of one field.
Image Dimensions last updated 27 Jun 2000
This is a set of instructions for installing a Perl module which will determine the dimensions of a graphic file. It will work on .jpg and .gif files and probably others. It is very useful if you are using one of the file upload mods.

You must have telnet access to your webspace in order to install this module.
Limit number of records per user last updated 12 Jun 2000
There are a number of possible permutations of limiting the number of records a user can add. Here's a list of them. (Note: there aren't many here any more. They were lost. If you have any other limit records files, please let me know.)
List Categories and Give a Count last updated 12 May 2000
This mod will allow you to list the entries in one field of the database and count how many records have that same entry in the field. It will also create a link that will perform a search for records which have that category.
Mass Mailer last updated 1 Jul 2005
This mod will allow you (as admin) to send a message to multiple users in your database.
Miscellaneous changes last updated 20 Feb 2006
-- Sorts the user list in the admin display.
-- Allows you to get dates other than the current date
-- Ignores a default "http://" in fields if the user has not entered a URL
-- Adds a utility subroutine that you might need to use : urlencode
-- Inserts userid into add form if you have defined a userid field
Modify Multiple Records last updated 14 Aug 2000
Allows you to modify more than one record at a time.
Multiple Select Field last updated 7 Jun 2000
Allows you to create select fields that can accept more than one selection.
Newest Records last updated 13 Apr 2000
This modification allows you to set up a link to search for the latest x number of records added to the database. You must either have a counter as the key field ($db_key_track = 1) or a field which automatically enters the date when a record is added.
Preview Record last updated 20 May 2000
This mod allows users to preview their records before the records are added to the database.
Private Mailer last updated 14 Mar 2006
This mod will allow your users to receive email from other visitors to your site, while at the same time maintaining some degree of privacy. Instead of using a "mailto:" link with their email address, this mod creates a form for the email and then looks up the recipient's email address in the and sends it.

The mod requires that you have the "sendmail" program on your system and that you have a field in your database for the email address of each user.

Thanks to delicia for pointing out the security vulnerabilities and suggesting solutions.
Range Select Field last updated 23 Jun 2000
This will allow you to build a select field by which your users can search for a range of values in your database.
Relational Databases last modified 2 Aug 2000
This modification is different from my others. It is much longer and there is no code for you to copy and paste into your own script. It is an explanation of the concepts involved in making DBMan act as though it was a relational database. There is code here, but it is only to be used as a pattern. You will have to adjust all the code to match your own databases.
Secure Password Lookup last modified 19 Jun 2000
Allows users who have forgotten their passwords to have a new password sent to them. The mod retains encryption in the password file and assures you that the email address entered by the user is valid. There are more details within the mod itself.

The old non-secure password lookup mod is still available, but I strongly suggest that you not use it.

There is also a semi-secure password lookup mod. All encryption is retained but the email address is not verified before login. Users may choose their own passwords.
Send email after record is added last modified 2 May 2001
The script will send an email to the administrator, the user or both.
Short/Long Display of Records last modified 25 Jul 2000
This allows you to have a "two-tiered" display of search results. The first consists of a few fields, with a link to the full record display. The full record display will allow you to "page through" the other records returned by the search, using "Previous" and "Next" links.

There are two versions. One is for the default html.pl file that comes with the DBMan distribution. The other is for use with the "User Friendly" html.pl file, which you can find below.

There is also a "User Friendly" html.pl file with the mod already inserted, if you would prefer that.
Spreadsheet Format Display last modified 13 Jun 2000
Allows you to display records in a spreadsheet format, with one record per row of a table. Optionally, you can add clickable links to the column headings which will cause the records to be redisplayed, sorted on that field.
Universal Date Translator last modified 5 Apr 2001
This mod will let users enter dates in just about any format. There are still some entries it might reject, but not many.
User-friendly html.pl last modified 13 Jun 2000 *
This is a replacement for the html.pl file.

It is a rearrangement of the file in the original distribution, which allows you to set the formatting for all pages by editing subroutines, rather than editing each individual page.
Validate Records last modified 12 Jun 2000
Allows you (as admin) to approve new (and, optionally, modified) records before they can be returned in a search. It also sends email to the owner of the record when the record is validated. You may also (optionally) be notified whenever a new record is added that requires validation.
What's New last updated 10 Aug 2000
This modification allows you to set up a link to search for records added within the past x number of days -- whatever you want. You must have a field that contains the date the record was added. In the code below, I have called this field "Date." You may call it anything you wish, but you must change the reference to "Date" below in the link to match your field name.

Includes the bug fix for sub query and the enhanced sub get_date from the Miscellaneous changes mod.
Who's Online last updated 30 Jun 2000
This mod will allow you to add a link to the footer which will display the userids of those who are currently logged in to the database.

Included is a "true logoff," which removes the session file for the user when he logs off the database. Also, since many users do not log off when they leave the database, their session ids will be deleted after 10 or 20 minutes of inactivity.

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