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 the Composr Repository?
Answer	The Composr repository is a user-friendly representation of Composr's data, which is typically stored in a database and on the filesystem. It presents the data in an easily accessible format using the JSON standard and can be accessed as a folder on your computer via WebDAV.

Question	What is Commandr?
Answer	Commandr is a command-line interface designed for experienced system administrators who prefer using a command line over a GUI. It supplements the Composr Admin Zone, allowing you to execute commands in the form of: PHP code (prefix `:`) SQL database queries (prefix `@`) (queries must be executed one at a time; semi-colon separation is not supported) Shell commands (prefix `#`) Commandr-code scripts (store in the Composr filesystem's bin directory, and just type the name of the script) Commandr-code commands (no prefixes) You can access Commandr via the Admin Zone > Tools > Commandr or using the Commandr button in the footer.

Question	Are there alternative chat solutions that integrate with Composr?
Answer	Yes, you can integrate third-party chat solutions with Composr. For example, CometChat is a commercial chat system that provides a Composr integration. You can also leverage video chat services like Talky, Jitsi, or appear.in by embedding links within your chat templates. For sales-chat needs, consider integrating a dedicated live chat platform like Comm100.

Question	Are there any limitations to the Composr Chat system?
Answer	While the Composr Chat system provides robust chat and IM features, it does have some limitations. Currently, it does not support video chat, sales-focused chat features, desktop app integration, or optimal performance for very high volumes of concurrent users. Additionally, it is only near real-time as Composr queries for new messages using AJAX at a set interval.

Question	Are there any safety guidelines for younger users?
Answer	It's crucial to emphasize safety, especially for younger users. Encourage them to follow these guidelines: never arrange to meet anyone from a chatroom in person, be cautious about sharing personal information, and report any suspicious behavior to moderators.

Question	Can I download chat logs?
Answer	Yes, you can download logs of any chat conversation. Simply navigate to the chatroom, click on the "Download chat logs" link, specify the desired date/time range, and the system will generate a downloadable log file for you.

Question	How can I moderate the chatrooms?
Answer	Composr offers a range of moderation features. Moderators can edit or delete messages, ban disruptive users, and delete entire chatrooms if necessary. Inline moderation links are available within chatrooms for quick actions, while the Admin Zone provides comprehensive moderation tools for managing chat content and user behavior.

Question	What is Chatcode and how can I use it?
Answer	Chatcode is a system of simple commands that you can embed within your chat messages to perform advanced actions. These actions include sending private messages to specific users within a chatroom, interacting with automated bots, sending chatroom invitations, and even creating new chatrooms.

Question	How does the chat system work?
Answer	The chat system utilizes AJAX technology, enabling dynamic updates without requiring page reloads. It includes a "Chat Lobby" where users can view available chatrooms and manage their friend lists for instant messaging. Users can join chatrooms to participate in group conversations or engage in private conversations with friends.

Question	What is the Composr Chat system?
Answer	Composr Chat is a feature built into the Composr CMS that provides both chatrooms and instant messaging capabilities. It offers real-time, text-based communication for users on your website.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How can I improve my search results?
Answer	Here are some tips for improving search results: Use specific keywords: The more specific your keywords, the better your results. Use boolean operators: Use "+", "-", and quotation marks to refine your search. Optimize content titles and meta keywords: These fields are given priority during search, so make sure they accurately reflect your content. Consider enabling the fast custom index: Especially beneficial for large websites or frequent filtered searches.

Question	What is the fast custom index and why should I use it?
Answer	The fast custom index is Composr's own search engine, designed to be faster and more efficient than MySQL full-text search, especially for large websites and filtered searches. Benefits of the fast custom index: Faster filtered searches: Significantly improves search speed when you add filters like category or author. Configurable stop words: Control which common words are ignored during search. Better stemming: More accurately recognizes variations of words (e.g., "like" and "liking"). Multilingual support: Indexes content based on different language translations. Downsides of the fast custom index: Slight lag in indexing new content: New content takes a short time to be indexed. Less accurate ranking: Ranking is based on the most obscure keyword, not a blend of all keywords. Cannot perform blank searches: You must enter at least one keyword.

Question	Can I filter my search results?
Answer	Yes, you can filter your search results by: Content type: Choose to search specific content types like news, forum posts, or Comcode pages. Author/Submitter: Search for content submitted by a specific member. Date: Limit your search to content submitted within a specific time frame. Category (for certain content types): Narrow down your search to specific categories within a content type.

Question	What is the difference between natural and boolean searching?
Answer	Natural search is a more relaxed approach where you type in your search terms and Composr tries to find the most relevant results, even if they don't contain all the words. It's like a Google search. Boolean search requires more precision and uses operators like "+", "-", and quotation marks to define exactly what you're looking for. For example, searching for "+car -maintenance" will only return results that contain the word "car" but not "maintenance".

Question	How do I search my Composr website?
Answer	There are a few ways to search your Composr website: Using the search bar in the header: This is the simplest way to search. Just type your search term in the box and click the search button. Using the 'Search' module: This module offers more detailed search options. You can access it via the 'site:search' page-link (usually under About > Search in the default menu). From the Forum: Click the 'Search' button on the forum or use the contextual search box on the forum member bar. This will search within your current forum or topic.

Question	How do I mark correct answers in a quiz?
Answer	For questions with predefined answers, you can mark correct answers by adding [*] after the answer. If no answer is marked correct, the question will require manual marking. You can also use the [UNMARKED] tag after a question to exclude it from scoring.

Question	What is the input syntax for quiz questions?
Answer	Quiz questions are inputted in blocks, separated by blank lines. The first line is the question, followed by potential answers on subsequent lines. Different question types are indicated by tags after the question, such as [MULTIPLECHOICE], [MULTIMULTIPLE], [LONG], [SHORT], and [SHORT_STRICT].

Question	Can I create complex, multi-screen quiz interfaces in Composr?
Answer	While Composr's built-in quiz system is excellent for standard formats, creating intricate multi-screen quizzes might require custom development using Composr's decision tree framework or other programming tools. This allows for highly customized quiz structures and advanced branching logic.

Question	How can I analyze quiz results effectively?
Answer	Composr enables you to export quiz results to a spreadsheet file, facilitating in-depth data analysis. This is especially useful for manually marked questions, identifying competition winners, and processing data for marketing or research purposes.

Question	What are Quiz Sets and how can I use them?
Answer	Quiz Sets are a helpful organizational feature in Composr. By prefixing quiz names with "Example: ", you can group related quizzes together. This allows for combined scoring and percentage calculations, particularly beneficial for multi-part questionnaires or tests.

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