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 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.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How can I contribute to translating Composr?
Answer	You can contribute to Composr's internationalization by: Joining the translation team on Transifex: Translate language strings collaboratively with other volunteers. Becoming a language maintainer: Take responsibility for the translation and support of Composr in your native language. Reporting translation issues: If you encounter unclear, incorrect, or duplicated language strings, file bug reports. Providing feedback and suggestions: Share your thoughts on improving the translation process through feature suggestions. Your contributions are valuable and help make Composr accessible to a wider audience.

Question	What is Transifex, and how does it help with translation?
Answer	Transifex is a collaborative online platform used by the Composr community for translation. Its benefits include: Centralized translation efforts: Multiple translators can work on the same project. Improved translation quality: The platform facilitates consistency and accuracy. Simplified language pack creation: You can generate downloadable language pack addons directly from Transifex. We encourage using Transifex for translation to foster collaboration and maintain high-quality translations.

Question	Can I translate images with text on them?
Answer	Yes, you can translate images containing text. In the themes/default/images/ directory, you'll find an EN folder containing images with English text. Copy the EN folder: Create a new folder with the ISO code of your target language (e.g., FR for French). Replace the images: Replace the English images with translated versions. Ensure correct image paths: Update any references to these images in your templates or content to point to the translated versions.

Question	How do I translate the content on my Composr website?
Answer	Once you've installed a new language pack, you can translate existing content by: Editing the content directly: Go to the specific content item (page, news post, etc.) and edit it in the new language. Using the language editor: Access the language editor from Admin Zone > Style > Translate/rephrase Composr to modify language strings used on specific pages. Note that some elements like forum names are not designed to be translated directly. Instead, you should create separate forums for each language.

Question	How do I change the language of my Composr website?
Answer	Composr comes with English as the default language. To change to a different language: Download the language pack: You can download language packs from the Composr website. Install the language pack: Upload the downloaded language pack addon through Admin Zone > Structure > Addons > Import non-bundled addon(s). Change the default language: Go to `http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php` and set the desired language. Update your profile: If you had a previous language set in your profile, update it to the new language. You can test a language without changing settings by appending &keep_lang=XX to the URL, where XX is the language code (e.g., FR for French).

Question	What should I do after successfully importing data into Composr?
Answer	After importing, if all files like avatars, photos, and attachments have been copied to Composr's directories, you can remove the imported product's directory. However, it's advisable to keep the directory, database, and import session for a few weeks in case any data was not correctly imported and needs further attention. Importing is a complex process, so keeping backups and sources for a while is a good practice.

Question	Where can I get help with the import process?
Answer	The Composr documentation provides extensive information. Additionally, you can seek assistance from experienced Composr developers, including the Composr team if your project allows for professional support.

Question	Can I switch from a third-party forum to Conversr (Composr's built-in forum)?
Answer	Yes, if an importer exists for your current forum software, you can switch to Conversr during the import process. Composr will handle the forum driver switch and remap user IDs, but it's recommended to double-check permissions afterward.

Question	How does the HTML website importer work?
Answer	The HTML website importer is an advanced tool for migrating static HTML websites to Composr. It analyzes the HTML structure to create zones, Comcode pages, and a basic template. It also attempts to fix links and file paths for Composr compatibility.

Question	What is a Composr import session?
Answer	Import sessions track the progress and ID remapping for each import, allowing you to merge multiple sites or resume interrupted imports. This is particularly useful when merging multiple Composr sites into one.

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