Contributors: A-Z Index

A

Name Photograph Title / Role Contributions / Notes
Allen Ellis Image 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 Image 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 Image 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 Image 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 can I customize Composr without modifying the core files?
Answer Composr offers a robust override system. Instead of altering the original files, create a parallel structure within _custom directories. For example, to modify site/pages/modules/polls.php, place your customized version in site/pages/modules_custom/polls.php.

The tutorials outline additional information on how to utilise overrides.
Question What are the main components of the Composr framework?
Answer Composr consists of:
  • Modules: PHP files that provide related screens, forming the building blocks of addons.
  • Comcode: Text files containing content written in a simplified markup language.
  • HTML: Files containing standard HTML for web pages.
  • Sources: PHP code files for the core API and functionality.
  • Hooks: PHP files enabling addons to interact and extend each other's functionality.
  • Blocks/Miniblocks: Reusable components for displaying dynamic content within pages.
  • Themes: Folders containing images, CSS, and templates to define the look and feel.
  • Language files: Files holding text strings for multilingual support.
Question How can I embed third-party widgets into my Composr pages?
Answer Composr supports embedding widgets from various websites, like Google Maps, Vimeo, and YouTube, by simply pasting the URL. For manually embedding widget code, you can paste it into the HTML source view of the WYSIWYG editor or within Comcode html tags if not using the WYSIWYG editor.
Question What is the difference between blocks and boxes in Composr?
Answer Boxes are visual elements that provide a container for content, while blocks are functional units that generate and display dynamic content. Although blocks often appear within boxes in the default templates, they are not inherently tied to any visual representation.
Question Can I customize the appearance of blocks?
Answer Yes, you can style blocks by editing the associated templates and CSS. Templates are typically named after the block they represent. For example, the main_news block uses the BLOCK_MAIN_NEWS.tpl template.
Question How do I create custom filter forms for my content?
Answer The main_content_filtering block can help you generate filter forms automatically. You can use it to create a default form and then customize the generated Filtercode string to refine the filtering options. Once satisfied, you can either continue using the block or extract the HTML and modify it further.
Question Where can I use Filtercode and Selectcode in Composr?
Answer Filtercode is supported in various blocks, such as main_multi_content, main_gallery_embed, and main_cc_embed. It's also actively used in modules like catalogues, downloads, galleries, members, and news.

Selectcode is supported in blocks and Comcode tags that explicitly mention it, including the main_multi_content block and the if_in_group Comcode tag.
Question What is the difference between Filtercode and Selectcode?
Answer Filtercode is used for querying content based on properties and values, while Selectcode is used for directly specifying a list of IDs or categories to include or exclude. Filtercode offers more complex filtering options, while Selectcode is more straightforward for simple selections.
Question How can I filter content in Composr?
Answer Composr provides two filtering systems: Filtercode and Selectcode.
  • Filtercode is used for selecting content based on defined filters, such as field values, ratings, or keywords. It utilizes a syntax of comparisons, separated by commas, where each comparison specifies a field and a matching condition.
  • Selectcode is a simpler syntax for specifying a list of IDs or categories to include or exclude from the results. It uses a comma-separated list of match-specifier tokens, such as individual IDs, ranges, or wildcard characters.
Question What are blocks in Composr and how can I use them?
Answer Blocks are dynamic elements that can be inserted into Comcode pages to add interactive and data-bound functionality to your website. They are essentially reusable components that automatically generate content, such as recent forum posts or information about the logged-in user.

You can add blocks to your pages using the block construction assistant, which allows you to select from a list of available blocks, set their parameters, preview them, and generate the necessary Comcode.

Top 10 Entries

Website Legends of Nor'Ova
Screenshot Image
Short Description Legends of Nor'Ova is a website / database based on the table-top role-playing game of the same name. It contains Wiki+ pages and catalogues with a vast amount of knowledge regarding the game and its resources. It features a customized theme / templates. And it has a community for people to discuss the game.
Website supertilted.com
Screenshot Image
Short Description Super Tilted is a team of pinball enthusiasts who develop original digital pinball tables for the Visual Pinball X platform. This website showcases their releases and ongoing (public) projects. All tables are free to download. And people can request to join the team.

This site has some secret sauce behind the scenes: a custom block for Scorbit leader-boards (pinball scores), and some webhooks to alert the team in their Discord of certain site activity. It also takes advantage of the Support Tickets e-mail integration and using zones for "sub-sites" for each released pinball table.
Question Can I move a Wiki+ page?
Answer Technically, Wiki+ pages cannot be moved because they don't have a fixed location within the network structure. Creating child links forms a path, not a strict hierarchy. However, you can manipulate the breadcrumbs by ensuring only one path leads to a page.
Question Can I track changes made to Wiki+ pages?
Answer Yes, Wiki+ includes a revision history feature accessible through the page edit screen. This feature allows you to view a log of edits, see changes highlighted in tooltips, and revert to previous versions of a page as needed.
Question How can I view the complete tree structure of my Wiki+?
Answer You can access a view of the complete Wiki+ tree structure through the designated option in the admin panel. However, it's important to note that this view will reflect guest access permissions. Some pages may be hidden if they are restricted to specific user groups.
Question What moderation tools are available in Wiki+?
Answer Wiki+ offers several features to help you moderate user contributions and maintain the quality of information:
  • Email Notifications: When a new post is submitted, an email notification is sent to the designated staff address, alerting you to new contributions.
  • Permissions Control: You can configure permissions to determine whether regular users can create new pages or only contribute through posts.
  • Page History: The revision history feature allows you to track edits made to pages and revert to previous versions if necessary.
  • Composr Moderation Tools: Wiki+ integrates with Composr's site-wide moderation features, providing additional tools for monitoring and managing user contributions.
Question Can users contribute content to Wiki+?
Answer Yes, users can contribute content to Wiki+ through posts. When the "Show posts" option is enabled for a page, users can add their insights and information as posts below the main page content.
Question What are orphaned pages and how should I handle them?
Answer Orphaned pages are pages that exist within the Wiki+ database but are not linked to the main tree structure. These pages are not accessible through the tree navigation but can still be reached through direct links or cross-linking.

Orphaned pages are not necessarily problematic. They can be intentional if you prefer to link pages using the wiki-style syntax instead of a rigid tree hierarchy. You have the flexibility to choose the linking method that best suits your content organization.
Question How can I create and organize pages in Wiki+?
Answer Pages in Wiki+ can be created in several ways:
  • Referencing them in the child-list of an existing page.
  • Using the special Comcode syntax [[pagename]] to create inline links, which automatically generates new pages when accessed.
  • Utilizing the "Edit tree" button visible on Wiki+ pages to add child pages directly.
The tree structure can be easily manipulated through the same interface, allowing you to arrange pages in a hierarchy that suits your needs.
Question How does Wiki+ differ from a regular wiki?
Answer While Wiki+ shares similarities with traditional wikis, it provides two key distinctions:
  • Optional Post Contributions: Wiki+ allows users to contribute short snippets of information (posts) directly on pages, enriching the content without formally editing the page itself. This feature is optional and can be enabled or disabled as needed.
  • Optional Tree Structure: Unlike standard wikis that rely solely on cross-linking, Composr's Wiki+ offers the flexibility of organizing pages within a hierarchical tree structure. This structure can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to cross-linking.