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	What is Tempcode, and how is it used in website themeing?
Answer	Tempcode is a templating language used within Composr. It offers a powerful way to control the output of dynamic content and design elements on a website. It works by using: Parameters: Placeholders for content passed to the template from Composr / PHP. Symbols: Global functions that perform operations, calculations, or retrieve information. Directives: Instructions that control the flow or logic of content, such as conditional statements and loops. Language strings: References to pre-defined text stored in language files for easy translation. Escaping: Ensures the content generated is properly escaped according to its use case. Tempcode empowers theme designers to create highly customizable and dynamic websites, allowing for logic, conditional rendering, and manipulation of various website elements.

Question	What are some alternatives to Photoshop for web design?
Answer	While Photoshop is a popular choice, there are other excellent options available, including: GIMP/GIMPShop: These free, open-source image editors provide a robust set of features comparable to Photoshop. Paint.NET: This free, Windows-only software offers a user-friendly interface and essential image editing tools. Corel Paint Shop Pro: A more affordable alternative to Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro delivers a good balance of features and ease of use.

Question	How can design elements like dominance and attention to detail improve a website?
Answer	Dominance and attention to detail are key to a balanced and engaging website. Important elements can be emphasized using techniques like larger text, unique colors, and increased spacing. Conversely, less crucial elements should receive less emphasis. This interplay helps guide the visitor's eye and ensures a visually harmonious layout. Attention to detail involves eliminating inconsistencies and distractions, such as typos, misaligned elements, and low-quality images, that can detract from the overall aesthetics and message of the website.

Question	What is the importance of color schemes in website design?
Answer	Color schemes are crucial as they convey emotions and brand identity. Choosing colors that align with your website's purpose can evoke desired feelings in visitors. For example, a website selling chocolates might use shades of brown to subconsciously trigger associations with chocolate. However, an environmental website would be better suited using green, aligning with pre-existing perceptions of environmentalism. It is also important to maintain consistency with your color scheme, limiting the number of colors used to avoid a conflicting and cluttered appearance.

Question	Can I use Comcode / resource IDs directly when working with the repository?
Answer	Using Comcode / resource IDs directly is not recommended as they may not match between different sites. Use GUIDs instead, which Composr automatically substitutes for IDs before parsing Comcode. You can use Commandr commands like find_guid_via_id to find the GUID for specific resources.

Question	What precautions should I take when using the Composr Repository?
Answer	Exercise caution when working with the repository: Avoid using it as the sole backup method; rely on regular database backups. Work primarily under the "var" meta-filesystem and copy specific folders/files rather than the entire repository. Do not use tools like "rsync" or Git on the whole repository without careful consideration.

Question	What are the limitations of the Composr Repository?
Answer	While powerful, the repository has limitations: Automatic syndication is not performed for content added via the repository. Multi-language content translations are not retained. Transferring complex data schemas between staging sites may have limitations. Merging separate websites into one is not supported through the repository. You should use Composr's import tool instead.

Question	How can I access the Composr Repository?
Answer	You can access the repository using WebDAV (non-bundled addon), which allows you to view it as a folder on your computer. Composr uses the SabreDAV PHP library for WebDAV functionality. However, please be aware that SabreDAV is deprecated and may not function correctly on newer PHP versions.

Question	How is the Composr Repository structured?
Answer	The repository is structured as a filesystem with various meta-filesystems mounted under a root directory. These meta-filesystems include: bin: Stores Commandr scripts. database: Provides access to the raw database. etc: Allows access to Composr configuration options. home or filedump: Provides access to the File/Media Library. home contains the files in a special JSON format with metadata filedump contains the raw files members: Lists registered members with their settings and user groups. raw or root: Provides access to the Composr installation directory. raw contains the raw files without overrides, and modifying any file modifies them directly without automatic override handling root contains the files with applicable overrides applied automatically, and Composr will automatically handle overrides and utilizing _custom directories when these files are modified var: Contains structured website resources and content.

Question	What are the benefits of using the Composr Repository?
Answer	The repository offers several benefits: Opacity: Provides a clear view of Composr's content and resource data. Tactility: Allows easy manipulation of data through drag-and-drop operations. Data transfer: Simplifies transferring data between sites. Desktop application integration: Enables using text editors and file-search tools for tasks like mass search and replace. Configuration management: Tracks changes to options and facilitates transfer between sites. Backups: Allows backing up portions of the repository. Revision control: Supports built-in and advanced revision control. Filesystem for Commandr: Acts as a file system for the Commandr command line. Resource API: Offers an abstract resource API for programmers. API for external apps: Provides an API for mobile apps and other external applications.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How do I report an emergency problem with my Composr site?
Answer	Emergency problems are events that have significantly and suddenly affected your website's functionality due to legitimate bugs or undocumented usability issues. To report these: Open a tracker issue explaining the problem and providing as much detail as possible (mark it as a major bug). Help the developers help you. Provide access to your site (see the software feedback tutorial for more information), describe the exact situation, and avoid protracted back-and-forth communication. Take backups before upgrading. This allows for easier recovery in case of problems. Remember that bug fixing is not a free service. While developers are committed to Composr's stability, maintaining backups and practicing restoration procedures is your responsibility.

Question	How can I get support for Composr?
Answer	The community forum is an excellent resource for support. Users can help each other out with various problems. However, please remember that there's no guarantee of free professional support. If you need immediate or guaranteed assistance, consider hiring a professional developer.

Question	I'm getting a lot of spam on my site. What can I do?
Answer	Composr offers various anti-spam measures. Refer to the Anti-spam settings tutorial for advice on configuring these settings. If you believe there's an issue with the anti-spam system itself, report it to the issue tracker. Do not report general spam incidents.

Question	My website is experiencing performance issues. What should I do?
Answer	If you are experiencing performance issues, first identify the specific problem with your web host's help. Composr provides tools to manage database size, bandwidth, and disk I/O. However, high request volume or CPU usage may require server upgrades like a VPS or dedicated server. If your web host complains about resource usage, gather detailed information from them, including specific URLs causing problems and resource usage metrics. If their limits are unreasonable, consider switching web hosts.

Question	How do I report a security problem?
Answer	Security problems must be reported privately. You can do this by marking the issue as 'Private' on the issue tracker (if you use the Report Issue Wizard, it will do that automatically when you select security-hole). Publicly disclosing security holes is irresponsible and may result in penalties. The core developer team will disclose the issue after a patch is released.

Question	How do I report a bug in Composr?
Answer	Every bug, no matter how small, should be reported. You can report bugs using the Report Issue Wizard or directly through the issue tracker. There is also a link to report bugs on your Admin Zone Dashboard where the version information is located. And when clicking that link, you can view open issues specific to your version of Composr. When reporting a bug, be sure to: Check for duplicates: Make sure the bug hasn't already been reported. Report bugs individually: Each issue should be reported separately for better tracking and resolution. Verify it's a Composr bug: Issues with third-party addons and code should be reported to their respective developers. Consult the FAQ and tutorials: Check for common problems and solutions, particularly server configuration issues. Provide comprehensive information: Include a clear and specific title, detailed steps to reproduce the problem, your browser version, Composr version, error messages, stack traces (if available), and any other relevant details. Use clear and concise language: Write in proper English, use correct terminology, and avoid vagueness. Be respectful and patient: Remember that developers are volunteers and may not respond immediately.

Question	What is the role of robots.txt in SEO?
Answer	The robots.txt file provides instructions to search engine crawlers about which parts of your website they should and should not access. You can customize the robots.txt file to prevent sensitive content from being indexed or to guide crawlers toward the most important areas of your site.

Question	What is SEO and why is it important for my Composr website?
Answer	SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By improving your SEO, you increase the visibility of your website, driving more organic (non-paid) traffic to your content.

Question	How can I edit the metadata in Composr?
Answer	Composr provides several ways to customize your metadata: Site-wide Settings: You can configure default metadata for your entire site in the Admin Zone under Setup > Configuration > Site options. Content-Specific Settings: When adding or editing content like Comcode pages or news posts, Composr provides fields for customizing titles, descriptions, and keywords specific to that content under the "Metadata" section. Automatic Detection: Composr can automatically generate metadata by analyzing your content, but it's generally recommended to refine these suggestions manually for best results.

Question	Should I trust agencies that promise top search engine results?
Answer	No; be wary of agencies guaranteeing top rankings for any desired keyword. Achieving top results for competitive terms requires significant effort, expertise, and often, an ongoing strategy. Focus on agencies that prioritize ethical "white-hat" SEO techniques like creating valuable content, optimizing website structure, and building natural backlinks. Avoid those employing "black-hat" methods that can lead to penalties from search engines.

Statistics

Forum statistics:	45 topics, 14 posts, 2 members Our newest member is test