Contributors: A-Z Index

A

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Allen Ellis		Founder	Original designer for ocPortal Also conceived and coded the Theme Wizard and Point Store Son of one of the early inventors of Internet protocols (Usenet, aka Internet newsgroups) Token non-brit	View

C

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Chris Graham		Founder	Original developer of ocPortal, former lead developer of Composr CMS Masters degree in Computer Science from The University Of Sheffield Undertaken work for over 15 FTSE-100 companies, as well as many small and mid-sized organisations. Includes a number of banks and major brands.	View
Chris Warburton		developer for ocProducts	Made some key contributions to ocPortal	View

H

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Haydn Maidment		project manager for ocProducts	None available	View

J

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Jim Davidson		contributor	written many tutorials via Arvixe	View

P

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Patrick Schmalstig		Lead Developer	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.	View
Philip Withnall		Early Developer	Coded the chatroom, blogging support, the analytics system, and OcCLE (now Commandr) Masters Degree in Computer Science degree from The University Of Cambridge Other work has included helping out with Firefox, and ongoing work on GNOME	View

R

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Robert Goacher		Founder	Ran some of the early websites where ocPortal came from Technically the original developer of ocPortal, in that he wrote the first few lines of code Heavily involved in the feature design process Hosted some of our early meet-ups	View

S

Name	Photograph	Title / Role	Contributions / Notes
Steve Jarvis		project manager for ocProducts	Wrote many tutorials via Arvixe	View

Newest 10 Entries

Question	How do I set up the forum base URL correctly?
Answer	The forum base URL should be a URL prefix to your forums without a script name. For example, `http://forums.example.com` is correct, while `http://forums.example.com/index.php` is incorrect. You can fix this using the config_editor.php script and then clear the Comcode page cache.

Question	How do comment topics work?
Answer	Most Composr resources with commenting enabled create comment topics in the configured comment forum. If the forum uses BBCode, Comcode features not supported by BBCode may not display correctly. Moderate comments from the forum as you would any other topic.

Question	Can I switch forums after installing Composr?
Answer	It's not easy to switch forums after installing Composr. The member and usergroup IDs referenced by Composr would lose their association. Check the "Importing data into Composr" tutorial for more information on this.

Question	What is Conversr and why is it recommended?
Answer	Conversr is Composr's built-in forum system. It offers seamless integration, allowing you to use Comcode for forum posts, a unified Admin Zone, shared themes and templates, and innovative features like Private Topics and in-post whispers. Using a third-party forum can be clunky and may lead to maintenance headaches.

Question	What forum drivers does Composr support?
Answer	Composr supports several forum drivers, including Invision Board, phpBB, myBB, vBulletin, Burning Board, and Simple Machine Forum. If your forum is not listed, professional developers can add support. Composr also provides converters for migrating from these forums to its own forum system, Conversr.

Question	What are the web server requirements for running Composr?
Answer	Composr is compatible with Apache and IIS servers. For Apache: Enable mod_rewrite for URL Schemes or URL Redirects. Ensure AllowOverride All or at least AllowOverride Options FileInfo Limit is set in the server configuration. Recommended modules for optimal performance include mod_headers, mod_setenvif, mod_env, mod_deflate, and mod_filter. For IIS: Don't disable default Feature Delegation for settings changed in the bundled web.config file. Install the URL Rewrite module, essential for URL Schemes, URL Redirects, and basic security. Configure IIS for additional mime-types if needed, as it doesn't serve unrecognized file types by default.

Question	What are the PHP requirements for running Composr?
Answer	Composr requires PHP 7.2 or higher, but versions not officially supported by PHP developers are discouraged. The maximum tested version is PHP 8.3. Required PHP extensions: GD2 (gd) with PNG and JPEG support MySQL extension (mysqli or pdo_mysql) XML extension (xml) Multibyte String (mbstring) cURL extension (curl) JSON support (usually available by default) Sodium (libsodium) ZIP extension (zip) if ZIP file support is needed Additional recommendations: posix extension for permission checks zlib extension for faster upgrades, compressed backups, and page compression ctype extension for slightly faster performance IMAP extension (imap) for managing newsletter bounces OpenSSL extension (openssl) for encrypted CPFs, DKIM, and SSL certificate expiry checks Pspell (pspell) or Enchant (enchant) extensions for spell checking Ensure the following PHP settings are configured: File upload size limit of at least 5MB (or higher as needed) Maximum execution time of at least 30 seconds Memory limit of at least 128MB The installer will warn you if any critical functions have been disabled via disable_functions or other PHP modifications. Avoid web hosts that heavily restrict standard PHP functionality.

Question	How do I uninstall Composr?
Answer	To uninstall Composr, access the uninstall.php file in your web browser, enter your administrator password, and follow the prompts to remove the database data. Afterward, you can safely delete the Composr installation directory.

Question	What are the recommended web hosting options for Composr?
Answer	Choosing a web host is crucial. Avoid the cheapest options and look for hosts with recent positive reviews and minimal credible complaints. Ensure they meet Composr's requirements, including adequate disk space, no restrictive file size limits, and support for required PHP extensions. Composr is compatible with various hosting control panels like Plesk and cPanel, and works on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS servers.

Question	Can I install Composr on a Windows desktop?
Answer	Yes, you can install Composr on a Windows desktop using software packages like WampServer, XAMPP, EasyPHP, or ampps for simplified setup. Alternatively, you can manually install Apache, PHP, and MySQL, following the instructions provided in the respective documentation. Remember to configure file permissions appropriately and ensure the webserver isn't accessible from outside your network.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How do I set the correct file permissions for Composr?
Answer	If you're using the quick installer, it will handle file permissions automatically. On a suEXEC-style server, default permissions (744 for directories and 644 for files) are usually sufficient. However, _config.php should have 600 permissions for security. Without suEXEC, specific directories (e.g., caches, uploads) and files (e.g., _config.php) require 777 (full access) or 666 (read/write) permissions. The fixperms.php script can automate this process on Linux and Windows.

Question	How do I install Composr on Linux?
Answer	After ensuring your web host meets the requirements and you have a database ready, you can install Composr on Linux using the following steps: Upload the Composr files to your web directory. Navigate to the install.php file in your web browser. Follow the on-screen instructions, providing the required information, such as database details and administrator credentials. After the installation is complete, delete the install.php file for security reasons.

Question	What are the prerequisites for installing Composr?
Answer	Before installing Composr, ensure your web host meets the minimum requirements. Familiarize yourself with your web host's control panel (e.g., Plesk, cPanel), which you'll use to manage databases, subdomains, and other settings. Gather your SFTP/FTP credentials (hostname, username, password), usually emailed upon signup. Set up a MySQL database and note its details: hostname (often 'localhost'), username, password, and database name. Ensure the database user has full read/write/administer access to the database.

Question	What tools are available for debugging Composr code?
Answer	Composr offers a code quality checker addon that helps identify various types of errors, including parser errors, run-time errors, and logical errors. This tool can significantly reduce debugging time and enhance code reliability. It is available through the testing_platform addon.

Question	What are some key coding standards in Composr?
Answer	Composr emphasizes clean, well-structured code with a focus on readability and maintainability. Key standards include proper indentation, consistent use of comments, and clear function headers with type definitions. Remember: beautiful code leads to better functionality and collaboration!

Question	Where can I find resources for learning PHP programming?
Answer	While Composr documentation doesn't cover basic PHP, resources like the official PHP documentation ( PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world. View ), online tutorials, and the Composr API guide can help you learn.

Question	What is the purpose of the Code Editor?
Answer	The Code Editor is a web-based tool for editing Composr code files directly on the server. It requires password authentication and automatically manages overrides within _custom directories. To access it, go to `yourbaseurl/code_editor.php`.

Question	How can I export and import custom addons?
Answer	Composr allows exporting addons as TAR files, containing all necessary files and an addon.inf file for metadata. You can import these addons to share and reuse them across different Composr installations. To do this, make your necessary files for the addon in the Composr installation, and then go under Admin Zone > Structure > Addons > Export addon. You can select the relevant files for the addon, provide information about the addon, and then download the TAR file (which can then be imported on other Composr sites).

Question	Can you give an example of creating a new module?
Answer	Imagine creating a "Testing" module to manage collaborative testing: Define purpose: Allow testers to add, assign, and track tests, with security and forum integration. Design database: Plan the necessary database tables and fields to store the module's data. Create module shell: Write the basic module structure based on standard Composr modules. Define screens: Identify the module's screens and code their corresponding functions. Utilize API functions: Use Composr's built-in API functions like create_table, add_privilege, and do_template to implement functionality.

Question	What are the different ways to extend Composr functionality?
Answer	You can extend Composr through: File overrides: Replacing existing source files with modified versions in _custom directories. New Modules/Mini-modules: Creating new modules for complex functionalities or mini-modules for simpler ones. New Blocks/Miniblocks: Adding reusable content blocks. New API code: Adding new PHP files to the sources_custom directory. Hooks: Writing hooks to add features to specific areas of functionality.

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