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Question What is Wiki+?
Answer Wiki+ is a feature in Composr that allows you to create a collaborative, tree-structured database of information. It functions similarly to a traditional wiki but offers enhanced features such as post contributions, a hierarchical structure, and moderation capabilities.
Question Are there other Composr features helpful for support?
Answer Yes, features like:
  • Staff-only replies in the Support Ticket system enable private communication among support staff.
  • Notifications for new tickets, replies, or feedback ensure timely responses.
  • Blocks like main_contact_us provide a simplified front-end for ticket creation.
  • Forum moderation tools help manage support discussions effectively.
Question Can I integrate a dedicated issue management system with Composr?
Answer While Composr doesn't have a built-in issue tracker, a non-bundled addon (cms_homesite_tracker) provides an integrated, modified version of Mantis. Additionally, the Support Ticket system can function as a basic private issue tracker using features like Post Templates.
Question How can I restrict access to the support system to specific users?
Answer Utilize Composr's page access permissions to control who can access the Support Ticket page. This ensures only authorized users can submit support requests.

You can also control permissions based on ticket type when adding or editing a ticket type. Make sure if you go this route that the Support Ticket page permissions are very liberal (e.g. allow anyone to access, or just restrict to guests if you will never allow guests to make tickets). Otherwise, some people cannot make tickets even if they have permission on the type.
Question What are Post Templates and how are they beneficial for support?
Answer Post Templates are predefined text blocks that can be used as templates for new forum posts. They are particularly useful in support scenarios by:
  • Providing quick responses to common questions.
  • Ensuring consistency in staff responses.
  • Saving time and effort for staff.

Post Templates can be configured to be the default post in specific forums or restricted to certain user groups.

Go to Admin Zone > Structure > Forums > Post Templates.
Question How does Composr handle email integration for support?
Answer Composr can integrate with email for ticket management, assuming certain requirements are met:
  • PHP IMAP extension installed.
  • Functional PHP mail command (local SMTP server or configured Windows SMTP settings).
  • Active system scheduler (Cron).

With email integration, users can submit tickets via email, and staff can reply through the system. Composr cleans up email text for ticket clarity and allows forwarding emails to the integrated address for efficient handling.
Question How can I categorize and prioritize support requests?
Answer Support Ticket System: Utilize support ticket types, managed in the Admin Zone > Setup > Support tickets. Staff can set individual notifications for different types.

Discussion Forums: Create dedicated subforums for different support categories or priority levels.

Feedback System: The content to which the feedback is attached implicitly categorizes it. For prioritization, subforums can be used.
Question What are the advantages of using the Support Ticket system over the Discussion Forums?
Answer While both systems can be used for support, the Support Ticket system provides advantages like:
  • Separating replies into individual tickets.
  • Ticket assignment to specific staff members.
  • Tracking who has read a ticket.
  • Private replies between staff members.
  • Filtering tickets by type.
  • Automatic ticket creation, unlike manually creating forum topics.
  • Conflict detection when multiple staff are working on the same ticket.
  • Real-time alerts and display updates upon ticket replies.
Question How can Composr be used as a support desk tool?
Answer Composr offers three main systems for providing online support:

1. Support Ticket System: This system allows users to submit tickets and staff to respond, track, and resolve them. It features email notifications, ticket categorization and prioritization, staff assignment, and attachment support.

2. Discussion Forums: Conversr, Composr's built-in forum software, can be utilized for support by creating dedicated forums or subforums. Features like post templates and multi-moderations enhance support capabilities.

3. Feedback System: This system allows for comments on various content types, facilitating support directly related to that content.
Question How can I access the raw data behind the statistics graphs?
Answer Every graph in Composr offers a spreadsheet export option. This allows you to download the data in a spreadsheet format, enabling detailed manual review or further analysis using third-party tools.

Top 10 Entries

Question What are the different media types supported for banners?
Answer The Composr banner system supports various media types:
  • Images: Uploaded directly or via an image URL.
  • Text: Textual banners, including support for "hot text" that dynamically displays banners based on keyword matches within the content.
  • Frames: Banners embedded within frames using an iframe URL.
  • Direct Code: Raw HTML or PHP code can be used to integrate banners from third-party banner networks or create custom banner implementations.
Question What is a banner wave, and how is it different from a banner rotation?
Answer A banner wave displays all banners within a specific type as a single advertising block, similar to a list of sponsors. In contrast, a banner rotation randomly displays banners from a set based on factors like display likelihood.

You can add a banner wave using the main_banner_wave block and configure it to show a specific number of banners or all banners within a type.
Question What is a banner network, and how can I create one?
Answer A banner network is a system for exchanging banners between websites. You can create a banner network in Composr by associating banners with specific websites.

When a site joins your banner network, you provide them with an iframe code to display banners from your rotation. Composr uses a "hit balancing" system where sites in the network receive banner impressions based on the clicks they generate for other sites in the network.
Question Can I restrict who can see specific banners?
Answer Yes, by enabling the "Permissions" configuration option in the Admin Zone (Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options > Banners), you can control which usergroups can see individual banners. This feature allows for banner targeting and prevents inappropriate banners from being shown to specific audiences, such as adult banners to minors.
Question What are the different types of banner deployment agreements?
Answer There are three types of banner deployment agreements:
  • Permanent: These banners are always displayed as long as there is available space.
  • Campaign: These banners have a limited number of impressions or clicks before they stop displaying. They can be associated with specific campaigns and can have their hits increased if needed.
  • Default: These banners are displayed only when there are no permanent or campaign banners available to show.
The system displays permanent and campaign banners with a 50:50 split.
Question What should I do if URL Schemes are not working properly?
Answer If URL Schemes, which rely on web server rewrites, are not functioning correctly, you can disable them using the http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php script. Enable the option "Whether to block the URL Scheme (mod_rewrite)" to override the main configuration setting.
Question What should I do if an addon causes problems on my Composr website?
Answer Composr's Safe Mode can help isolate addon-related problems.
  • Enable Safe Mode: Use the safe mode link or the config editor (http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php) to enable Safe Mode.
  • Uninstall the problematic addon: Once in Safe Mode, navigate to the addon management section and uninstall the addon causing the issue.
  • Disable Safe Mode: After resolving the problem, disable Safe Mode through the config editor.
Question How can I manually edit my Composr database?
Answer phpMyAdmin is a widely used web-based tool for managing MySQL databases. It allows you to:
  • Browse tables: View and edit individual rows within database tables.
  • Run SQL queries: Execute SQL commands directly for specific tasks.
  • Repair corrupted tables: Access table repair functions.

Refer to the "Manually editing your database with phpMyAdmin" tutorial for more detailed instructions.
Question How can I reset a forgotten account password in Composr?
Answer If you have access to phpMyAdmin:
  • Access the f_members table.
  • Find the row corresponding to the user whose password needs to be reset.
  • Edit the row, setting m_pass_hash_salted to the new password using MD5 encryption, clearing m_pass_salt, and setting m_password_compat_scheme to 'md5'.

If you have FTP access:
  • Obtain your IP address.
  • Edit your _config.php file, setting $SITE_INFO['backdoor_ip'] to your IP address. This enables a temporary backdoor login for your IP address, bypassing security restrictions.
  • Remove the backdoor entry after logging in and resetting the password through standard means.
Caution: Using the backdoor method is a security risk and should be done with extreme caution.
Question My Composr installation seems corrupted. How can I repair it?
Answer Composr offers several tools and methods for repairing corrupted installations:
  • Integrity checker: The upgrader tool, accessible via http://yourbaseurl/upgrader.php, includes an integrity checker that identifies outdated or corrupted files.
  • MySQL table repair: The Admin Zone > Tools > Cleanup tools provides access to MySQL table repair functionalities. Alternatively, use phpMyAdmin or your web host's database management tools for more direct control.
  • Safe Mode: Access safe mode via the bookmarked link from the setup wizard or by adding &keep_safe_mode=1 to any website URL. This disables custom themes and caching, helping isolate problems caused by themes or custom code.