Hello

Please help me! I need the funktion "upload .doc .xls .pdf"

I'm sorry but this is IMHO not a good idea. There are a few points to be said against it.

Further additional file types

You want to be able to upload .doc, .xls and .pdf and you are not the first one (see this thread branch with a former discussion (among other issues)). Others want to upload zipped files or audio or video. Even the file type list in the script, you linked to in the opening posting, will not [edit]be[/edit] the end of everyones wish list. Where to draw the line, especially with the next points in mind?

Upload validation

We can't validate wether the type of an upload (with exception of images) nor the upload being free from malware (file types like .doc(x) or .xls(x) are often infected with malware, even .pdf can be infected). That's also a valid diagnosis for Micha's script that wants to add these file types: zip, rar, ace, jar, doc, docx, txt, rtf, pdf, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx). There is only a check for the file ending and nothing more (with exception of the image types). That's IMHO far from being enough.

First point (file type) will lead to the danger of corrupted files and last point (malware) would lead to the danger of the forums being not only sources but centrifuges for spam and malware. This is nothing we can handle or even solve.

Legal issues

There is the danger of copyright violation with every upload (catchword: upload filters). With additional file types we make it IMHO worser than with images only. You as the forum operator can see the images and you are (generally) able to evaluate them. But with text documents and maybe sound or video documents IMHO one as a forum operator can (and IMHO will) lost control.

There are hundreds of cloud and file sharing services. Some of them also check the uploads for malware or for bad contents in near future (at least in the EU with the new copyright regulation (if and when it's done)). At least everyone should be able to set a link to an external download location and everyone, who sets such a link, is responsible for the link first and foremost. (yes, I know, that a forum operator can be made responsible dependent from the jurisdiction)

Additional complexity

With every new functionality we add complexity. IMHO we should concentrate our selfes to functions, that make a better usability for the existing functions and add only new functions, that are really forum-related. Uploading files to the internet is (much more) easy as we ever could implement it with other already existing solutions.

Sorry to say that, but no, I'm not convinced to implement it into the forum software.

Tschö, Auge