We have a large collection of externally hosted files and screenshots we are allowed to link to that we want added into our Downloads system. The files are useful items our customers will benefit from, and we want them searchable and downloadable in our application.

There are about 10,000 items we want to add.

1. Can IPB handle this volume?
2. What is the best way to add the data into our system?

This is not something you are going to be able to achieve unfortunately. You can multiple add, but only on items you upload to the system, or pull from one of your systems directories. Without modification, you are only going to be able to do this individually. There is no way around it

What about inserting this data directly into the IPB database? If I create a JSON file with all the information, how easily can that be translated into database entries?

{
	[
		{
			"title": "Apple",
			"description": "I hope you like it!",
			"tags": "fruit,food,red",
			"author": 1,
			"category": 3,
			"files": 
			{
				"apple_1K.zip": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple_1K.zip",
				"apple_2K.zip": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple_2K.zip",
				"apple_4K.zip": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple_4K.zip"
			}
			"screenshots": 
			{
				"apple.jpg": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple.jpg"
			}
		}
	]
}

 

1 hour ago, Interferon said:

What about inserting this data directly into the IPB database? If I create a JSON file with all the information, how easily can that be translated into database entries?

{
	[
		{
			"title": "Apple",
			"description": "I hope you like it!",
			"tags": "fruit,food,red",
			"author": 1,
			"category": 3,
			"files": 
			{
				"apple_1K.zip": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple_1K.zip",
				"apple_2K.zip": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple_2K.zip",
				"apple_4K.zip": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple_4K.zip"
			}
			"screenshots": 
			{
				"apple.jpg": "https://www.xxxxx.com/files/apple.jpg"
			}
		}
	]
}

 

I'll await a dev answering you on this, but personally I would say you should be using the API to do this, or creating an application to use the relevant functions to add items. Adding directly to the database isnt something we would ever recommend

The API does not support adding externally linked files. I want these files and screenshots to always be loaded from the other server they are already stored on. This is probably about 500 GB of files.

Edited October 7, 2024Oct 7 by Interferon

I found a service provider here who is able to complete this task, so it's basically solved:
https://invisioncommunity.com/third-party/providers-directory/

There is another way to do this. You can upload a .url file that when opened downloads the real file. It's not a great solution but it does sort of work.

[InternetShortcut]
URL=https:www.google.com