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	What web technologies does Composr use beyond HTML, CSS, and JavaScript?
Answer	Composr relies on a wide range of web technologies (depending on what features and settings you use), including: Protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, SMTP, IMAP, POP3, DNS, and others Data formats: XML, JSON, CSV, PHP's serialized format, iCalendar, and various image and archive formats Standards: Accessibility standards (WCAG, WAI-ARIA), metadata standards (Open Graph, schema.org, Dublin Core), and microformats Server-side technologies: PHP, SQL (for database interaction) Composr-specific technologies: Tempcode (template system), Comcode (content language), Page-links, Filtercode, Selectcode, and Language packs

Question	How does Composr ensure printed web pages look appropriate?
Answer	Composr uses a combination of approaches to ensure printed web pages have a suitable layout: Automatic browser behavior: Browsers typically disable background images when printing. CSS print stylesheets: Composr utilizes CSS to define specific display rules for printed versions of pages, such as removing margins and hiding social media links. wide_print parameter: This parameter, activated through specific links or specifying it in the URL, further influences page layout for printing.

Question	How can I test my website's compatibility across different browsers and devices?
Answer	Testing your website on different browsers and devices can be challenging due to operating system limitations and device availability. Here are some solutions: Virtual Machines: Use virtual machines to run different operating systems and test various Internet Explorer versions. Device Emulation: Use built-in device emulation features in browsers like Chrome to simulate mobile devices. Online Testing Services: Employ commercial online testing services like BrowserStack to access a wide range of browsers and devices hosted in the cloud. Real Devices: Conduct testing on physical mobile devices for a more realistic user experience.

Question	What are the recommended desktop settings for viewing a Composr website?
Answer	A minimum screen resolution of 1024x768 is strongly recommended for viewing a Composr website. This is the minimum resolution for which the default theme is designed. Using a lower resolution might lead to display issues or an unsatisfactory browsing experience. As of version 11, smaller resolutions will often trigger the mobile layout automatically (responsiveness) to ensure a better UI for smaller displays.

Question	How does Composr handle browser compatibility?
Answer	Composr aims to support all modern browsers, including the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer 11. It is designed to work seamlessly with browsers that automatically update, like Chrome and Firefox. For browsers with manual updates, Composr generally supports the last two releases. While not explicitly supported, Composr will often address bug reports for other popular browsers like Opera, Chromium, and Konqueror. Additionally, Composr strives to provide an accessible experience for text-mode browsers and those designed for users with disabilities.

Question	What is CSS and how does it impact website design?
Answer	CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a language used to describe the visual presentation of a web page written in HTML or XHTML. It controls aspects like: Fonts and typography: Defining font families, sizes, weights, and styles. Colors and backgrounds: Setting colors for text, backgrounds, borders, and other elements. Layout and positioning: Controlling the placement and arrangement of elements on a page. Visual effects: Adding shadows, gradients, transitions, and other visual enhancements. By separating content structure (XHTML) from visual presentation (CSS), websites become easier to maintain and update. Changes to the design can be made without altering the underlying HTML structure. Composr utilizes CSS extensively for theming, allowing users to manipulate the website's visual appearance.

Question	Why is understanding XHTML important for website customization?
Answer	XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language) is the language used to structure web page content. It defines the various elements of a webpage, such as headings, paragraphs, images, and links. Understanding XHTML is crucial for website customization because it allows you to: Modify page layout: Change the arrangement and positioning of elements on a page. Add new content: Insert additional text, images, or other multimedia elements. Customize the appearance of existing elements: Change fonts, colors, sizes, and other visual styles. Integrate interactive features: Embed JavaScript code for dynamic functionality. Composr uses XHTML for its templates, allowing users to extensively customize the website's design and layout.

Question	How does JavaScript enhance website interactivity?
Answer	JavaScript is a programming language that runs in web browsers, allowing for dynamic and interactive elements on web pages. It enables features like: Dynamic content updates: Modifying page content without requiring a full page reload. User interface enhancements: Creating interactive elements like dropdown menus, image sliders, and form validation. Animations and visual effects: Adding visual appeal and engaging user experiences. Asynchronous communication: Fetching data from, or sending data to, servers in the background without disrupting user interaction. Composr relies on JavaScript for its default theme and administrative features.

Question	What is the difference between cookies and sessions?
Answer	While both cookies and sessions are used for user identification and maintaining state, there are key differences: Storage: Cookies are stored on the user's computer, while sessions are stored on the server. Expiration: Session cookies expire when the browser is closed, while persistent cookies have a set expiration date. Sessions typically expire after a period of inactivity. Data sensitivity: Sessions are generally used for more sensitive data, as the information is not stored on the user's computer and therefore less likely to be stolen by a hacker. Composr uses both cookies and sessions. Session cookies are primarily used for user identification (such as anonymously matching a user to a session in the server database), while persistent cookies can be used for remembering login details if the user chooses.

Question	What are cookies and how do they work?
Answer	A cookie is a small piece of data that a website stores on a user's computer. It is sent from the user's web browser to the web server each time a page is viewed. Cookies are used for various purposes, including: User identification: Cookies can be used to identify a specific user, even if they are not logged in. This allows websites to remember user preferences, shopping cart contents, and other information. Tracking user behavior: Cookies can be used to track user behavior on a website, such as the pages they visit and the links they click. This information can be used to improve the website's design and content. Advertising: Cookies can be used to deliver targeted advertising to users based on their browsing history. There are two main types of cookies: Session cookies: These cookies are temporary and are deleted when the user closes their web browser. They are often used to store information about the user's current session, such as the items in their shopping cart. Persistent cookies: These cookies are stored on the user's computer for a longer period. They can be used to remember user preferences, such as their login details or language settings.

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