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Topic: Good Link/Web Directory script?

Hello folks,
You all, for the most part, seem to have a good feel for which scripts and open source projects are both useful and well performing - after all, you use punbb! wink  I need to see if I can tap into that knowledge for a moment.

I'm working on a little project where I'd like to build a directory of links to sites - Yahoo! style (for lack of a better analogy)

Has anyone come across a good (preferably open source) set of scripts (php or cgi - preferably the former) that do this?  I've had moderate success in Googling, but what I've found doesn't always have substantial user reviews and the like.  I figured I'd ask you all if you had any experience with this sort of thing - especially one that might have design/performance objectives similar to that of punbb.

I found punbb via opensourcecms.com, and I've had success finding other CMS solutions there.  Unfortunately, however, there isn't much there for this type of application.  If anyone knows of a similar site that might have comparisons of these types of scripts, that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance!

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Re: Good Link/Web Directory script?

There isn't any that I know of.

But if you're good with CSS, you can turn a mini Portal or Blog into one. It comes down to using the posts as links, categorizing them and then displaying them on your front page in major category/sub-category order.

If you use a blog, pick a multi-blog solution and then each blog turns into the major category, within each blog sub-categorize each post. On the front page, display each blog in it's own little box just showing the blog's categories (sub-categories).

The only time you might need to get into the code is when you display the blog (sub-category) page, blogs display posts in chronological order. If you desire the links to display in alphabetical order, then it's a real easy change in the sorting of the posts by title in the SQL statement.

I hang out at the OpensourceCMS site, there are many users that ask for vertical applications when for the most part the site is full of generic ones. Every week another boxy portal or blog appears, it's time developers realized that it's vertical applications, unique to a task, that will drive new users to your door.

Re: Good Link/Web Directory script?

http://www.mozdex.com/ < Open source search engine

Otherwise, just build one. How hard can it be to make a directory in PHP?

Indocron
$theQuestion = (2*b) || !(2*b);

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Re: Good Link/Web Directory script?

Thanks guys!

Yeah, I know I will have to do some coding to get everything I want done.  I was just hoping to get some prefab stuff to get started with while I dust of the programming skills and get my head wrapped around php.  I've pretty much been doing just sys amdin work for so long, I lost most of what I had learned about the language (been gaining a bit back by customizing my punbb site, though). 

I do agree with you, hcgtv, though.  Something like limbo (or even more lightweight) might be a good start.  The project/hobby I'm working on basically spreads the various functionality of a bloated CMS package across several related sites. - forum, links, blog, news, etc - with a site dedicated to each.  All of them would be themed alike and linked together.  Vertical apps for each service (like punbb) that are fast and effective would be nice to grab until this is more than a hobby (highly unlikely that it will be that popular, but it's fun and the time I spend on it gives my wife something to give me a hard time about wink ).  My CSS foo is lacking too, but again, I'm getting more used to it by playing with pun. 

Anyway, thanks again for the insight.  I'll keep digging around, and go find my copy of php for dummies. smile

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Re: Good Link/Web Directory script?

A classic Perl script is Links v2.0 available at

http://www.gossamer-threads.com

It is distributed as Shareware, free for non-profit and individual use, $150 US for commercial use.

An interesting PHP script is dB Masters' Directory available at

http://scripts.dbmasters.net

It is freely usable as long as the small link back to the site stays.

I like both of them.

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Re: Good Link/Web Directory script?

Many thanks.

I will have to play with this for the next few days and see what I can do.

Thanks again to all.