Joined Chris Graham behind the scenes in the development of Composr CMS in 2016.
Took on the lead developer role in 2023 when Chris Graham stepped back to attend to his new lifestyle changes.
Spearheaded the development of Composr CMS v11 and the new website, Composr.app.
Formed the company PDStig, LLC to take on professional support and development for Composr CMS users especially after the discontinuation of ocProducts, Ltd.
How can I ensure my website complies with email marketing laws?
Answer
Email marketing laws like CAN-SPAM protect recipients' rights to unsubscribe. Your website must include a clear 'List-Unsubscribe' header in every email, offer an easy unsubscribe process, and respect unsubscribe requests promptly. Composr provides built-in mechanisms, including an unsubscribe endpoint and support for the List-Unsubscribe header, to facilitate compliance.
What are my responsibilities regarding user privacy?
Answer
You must have a comprehensive privacy policy that details the personal data you collect, its usage, and if it's shared with third parties. Laws like GDPR have strict requirements, including logging data access, data purging, and security measures. California law mandates specific elements in your policy, like handling "Do Not Track" requests and a clear process for communicating changes.
Composr has an automatic Privacy Policy generator block to help you get started. This is used by default.
A well-defined rules page is crucial for setting expectations for user behavior and outlining consequences for violations. It should cover a range of offenses with appropriate punishments, reference relevant laws, and assign legal responsibility to users. Composr provides default rules pages that can be customized, and this page is displayed to users upon joining the site.
What are the key legal considerations for running a website?
Answer
Several legal aspects need careful attention when operating a website, especially for large or corporate sites. These include establishing clear rules and terms of service, adhering to privacy laws like GDPR and California's regulations, managing personal data responsibly, complying with email marketing regulations like CAN-SPAM, ensuring website accessibility, addressing eCommerce regulations, and understanding liability for content and user actions.
How do data-tpl and data-view behaviors work in Composr's JavaScript?
Answer
Composr uses data-tpl and data-view behaviors for associating HTML templates and JavaScript views, respectively. This facilitates clean separation of presentation and logic:
data-tpl: Used with the $cms.behaviors.initializeTemplates function and PARAMS_JSON tempcode directive to bind JavaScript logic to HTML templates.
data-view: Used with the $cms.behaviors.initializeViews function to associate JavaScript view classes (inheriting from $cms.View) with specific HTML elements.
How does Composr implement the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern?
Answer
Model/API: The sources directory primarily houses scripts forming the Model/API, handling data logic and business rules.
View: Templates in themes/default/templates represent the View, responsible for presenting data to the user. Comcode pages can also be considered part of the View.
Controller: Entry scripts like index.php and site/dload.php act as front controllers, directing requests. Modules and blocks, residing in */pages/modules and sources/[mini]blocks, respectively, serve as controllers, managing user interactions and determining which View to render.
Can I translate my content into multiple languages?
Answer
Yes, Composr supports multi-language content. You can enable this feature by:
Installing multiple language packs: Make sure you have at least two language packs installed.
Enabling the Conversr multi-language option: Go to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Site options > Internationalisation.
Running a Commandr command: Execute the necessary command to set up the database structure for multi-language content (unless you already enabled Support content translations when installing).
Once enabled, you can translate your content into different languages and allow visitors to choose their preferred language.
My language uses gendered descriptors. How can I handle this in Composr?
Answer
Composr offers solutions for languages with gendered descriptors:
Template editing: You can modify templates to use different language strings based on user gender. This involves adding Tempcode logic to dynamically select the appropriate string.
Custom Profile Fields: Create a Custom Profile Field for "Gender" and use it to conditionally display gendered language strings in templates.
These methods allow for flexible handling of gendered language variations.
Language strings are phrases or pieces of text used throughout Composr. They're identified by unique codenames, like WELCOME_MESSAGE. These strings are stored in .ini language files and used to display text in the user interface.
By translating language strings, you change the text displayed on your website without modifying the underlying code.
Server issues: Your server might be on a spam blacklist, or there may be problems with your server's reverse DNS or HELO settings.
Content issues: Your email content might trigger spam filters due to factors like an unreasonable image-to-text ratio, broken reply-to addresses, or inconsistent text and HTML versions.
SPF records: Your "Website email address" might be hosted on a different server with an SPF record that doesn't authorize your web server to send emails from that address.
Composr can use either its own SMTP connection code or PHP's built-in SMTP functionality. Using PHP's SMTP settings is generally recommended and can be managed at the server level. However, if your SMTP server requires authentication (which PHP doesn't support natively) or if your server lacks an SMTP server, you'll need to use Composr's SMTP connection code, configurable in the Configuration module.
Composr constructs emails using language strings and templates written in Comcode. It sends emails in both HTML and plain text formats to ensure compatibility with different email clients. To minimize the chance of emails being marked as spam, Composr embeds CSS and images directly into the email instead of linking to them externally.
How can I make my website design more appealing to different thinking styles?
Answer
Different individuals process information differently. Some are more visual, while others are more analytical. To appeal to diverse thinking styles, a website design should incorporate a balance of elements. For instance, using a striking header image coupled with well-structured, informative text can cater to both visual and analytical thinkers. Understanding your target audience and their thinking styles is key to creating a design that resonates with them.
What considerations are necessary when designing for different user levels on a website?
Answer
User levels often necessitate different content or functionalities. For instance, administrators might need access to content creation tools, while regular visitors only view published content. Consider these factors during design:
Visibility: Some elements might need to be hidden or displayed based on user roles (e.g., admin-only links).
Permissions: Design elements and interactive features should reflect the permissions granted to different user levels.
Customization: Consider allowing users to customize their experience based on their preferences and roles.
Remember, a well-designed website should cater to all user levels while maintaining security and a cohesive experience.
How do I make my website theme mobile-friendly in Composr?
Answer
Composr offers several features to optimize themes for mobile:
Mobile mode: You can design separate layouts and CSS styles specifically for mobile devices, which Composr automatically activates when a mobile user visits your site.
Tempcode's 0 symbol: This symbol helps conditionally display content based on whether the user is on a mobile device or desktop.
CSS media queries: By using media queries, you can target specific screen sizes and adjust styles accordingly, making your theme responsive.
Viewport meta tag: This tag controls how the browser scales and displays the webpage on mobile devices, ensuring a properly sized and zoomable experience.
What is responsive design, and why is it essential for mobile devices?
Answer
Responsive design ensures a website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, providing an optimal viewing experience across devices, particularly mobile phones and tablets. It utilizes techniques like flexible grids, fluid images, and CSS media queries to adjust layout and content based on screen dimensions.
This is crucial because mobile device usage is significant, and a non-responsive site leads to a poor user experience on smaller screens, potentially driving visitors away.
How can I create a theme pack for release in Composr?
Answer
After designing your theme, go to the admin panel's "Addons" section. You'll find an option to export your current theme as an addon. Composr will package the necessary files into a downloadable archive, ready to be shared with others or submitted to the Composr community for installation on other sites.
