Freeware software which lets you to store the list
of the favorite users from the "VKontakte" social network.

Platform: Windows
Software status: Freeware

Download VkLinks v0.2.3.
Forum thread about VkLinks.

Main features:

• users favorite list storage;
• instant access to user's profile pages;
• watch clipboard for the user's ID;
• may be put on top of other windows;
• user's online status aware;
• auto load user's name and avatar from the server;
• access to the "VKontakte" server using custom login/password;
• users list online status autoupdate;
• available for platforms, which supports Qt4 framework.

After downloading installation package you should run it and follow it's instructions. By default, VkLinks will be installed into <Program Files>/XlabSoft/VkLinks folder. Also installer will create an entry in the Programs menu (as well as on the desktop), so to launch VkLinks, it is only needed to click on its icon.

VkLinks preferences

On the first start it is likely that you will need to adjust VkLinks preferences. To call the preferences dialog press the "preferences button".

• Watch the clipboard for the ID — when on, periodically checks the clipboard and copies it's content into the "User ID" field. The software is able to recognize the user ID in three formats:
  
  1. a number, for example "1000000";
  2. a substring "id=<number>", for example "http://vkontakte.ru/profile.php?id=0000";
  3. a substring "id<number>", for example "http://vkontakte.ru/id0000".
• Minimize to tray on close button — when checked, pressing the close button will minimize the program to tray. In this case to exit the program you'll need to call a context menu clicking the right button on the tray icon and choosing to exit.
• Always show on top of other windows — show VkLinks window on top of other windows.
• Application language — choose the application language, english and russian are available. To apply language change you should restart the software.
• Request user name and avatar from the server — when this option is on, the program will try to request user name and avatar from the "VKontakte" server.
• Work with the following "VKontakte" login/pass — choose the method to retrieve the information from the "VKontakte" server. When this option is off, the request goes through our server's script, in this case your login/password are not needed. When the option is on, the request goes straight to the "VKontakte" server, so the valid login/password are needed to access the server. Connecting through our server may be usefull for the slow speed connections as in this case the data been transfered is in tens times lesser.
• Store password (not safe) — when on, the password is saved in the system, otherwise you should provide the password on every program run.
• Autoupdate online status for the users list every — periodically updates the users online status. This option works only with custom login/password, our server doesn't support this feature. The reason is the limitation of the "VKontakte" server — requests can not be served with frequency faster than one in a second.

Working with VkLinks

Everything starts with the user ID which you should enter to the "User ID" field. You can do this by simply typing his/her number or by pasting the link which contains the ID from your browser address bar. If the program recognized the user ID then the following buttons become active.

	changes the meaning of the buttons, which opens user's profile pages.
	opens the user information window, available only when the option "Request user name and avatar from the server" is on.
	adds the current user to the favorite list.
	removes the selected user from the favorite list.
	opens in a browser the link to the photo albums of the current user. The link is opened in the default system browser. To view the albums you should be authorized on the "VKontakte" server and the user permissions for this album should be granted to you.
	opens in a browser the link to the photos with the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the notes of the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the questions of the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the friends list of the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the video of the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the video with the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the music of the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the applications of the current user.
	opens in a browser the link to the groups list of the current user.

The information window

The information window is available only when the "Request user name and avatar from the server" option is on. The information is requested automatically when the user Id is provided in the "User ID" field. To manually update the information you can press "Update user info" button. To manually update the user's online status you can press the "Update online status" button, in this case the name and avatar are not updated.

Favorite list functions

For the favorite users list the following functions are available:

• clear the list;
• load a list;
• save the list;
• add user;
• remove user;
• move user's position up/down;
• update user's information;
• update user's online status.

By default the favorite users list is saved on exit in the vklinks.vkl file, which is located in the program folder. This user's list is loaded automatically on every start of the program. To choose a user from the list you should double click him/her and the user's ID will be put to the "User ID" field.

VkLinks v0.2.3 changelog

• added server info request using custom login/password;
• when using custom login/password online status autoupdate is available;
• added function switch button;
• added favorite list buttons;
• installer modified and extended;
• English and Russian languages support.