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 can I communicate privately with other members?
Answer	Conversr offers two ways to have private conversations: Private Topics: Start a private topic from a member's profile, by clicking "Whisper" on their post and selecting "Quote post to a new Private Topic with this member," or from your account by selecting "Start a Private Topic" and entering the desired username. Participate in the topic just like a regular forum topic. You will receive notifications for new posts in your private topics. Topics can be moved to the "Trash" category or other categories of your choosing for organization. Inline Personal Posts (Whispers): Send a private message within a public topic by clicking "Whisper" on a post and selecting "In-topic personal post to this member." Whispers are visible only to the sender and recipient, and the whispered post is highlighted. Receive notifications for new whispers.

Question	What are some key considerations when choosing field types for my catalogue?
Answer	When selecting field types, consider: Data type: Choose the appropriate field type for the data you want to collect (text, numbers, dates, etc.). Comcode support: If you need rich text formatting or translation support, opt for fields that support Comcode. Validation: Some field types offer built-in validation to ensure data accuracy. Privacy implications: Be mindful of the sensitivity of the information and whether it requires specific privacy considerations.

Question	How can I ensure the privacy of personal information stored in my catalogues?
Answer	Composr's privacy system can help manage personal data within catalogues. To leverage it: Use specific field types: Utilize dedicated field types for sensitive data like member IDs, usernames, emails, IP addresses, and passwords for efficient handling by the privacy system. Enable "May contain personal information": Mark fields that may contain personal information, enabling the privacy system to identify and handle such data during purging or downloading.

Question	What are some specialized types of catalogues available in Composr?
Answer	Composr supports specialized catalogues, including: eCommerce catalogues: Integrate with the Composr shopping cart for online stores. Classified ads: Offer features like archival categories and usergroup-specific advert durations.

Question	How are breadcrumbs handled in catalogue views?
Answer	Catalogue breadcrumbs can be customized using XML code (Admin Zone > Structure > Configure breadcrumb overrides). By default, they include the list of catalogues. However, Composr provides default breadcrumb XML that removes this, focusing on the current category hierarchy. Tree catalogues omit the index link, while non-tree catalogues include it.

Question	What is a tree catalogue and how do I create one quickly?
Answer	A tree catalogue has a hierarchical category structure (which can contain sub-categories), similar to the download system. Composr offers a special feature for creating tree catalogues by simply typing the desired categories in a specific format (which is explained and available when adding a new catalogue), which automatically generates the tree structure. Alternatively, a non-tree catalogue is simpler and only has top-level categories.

Question	Can I customize the look and feel of my catalogue?
Answer	Yes, Composr allows advanced users to customize catalogue appearance through Tempcode programming. This involves using template IF directives to apply specific styles based on the catalogue's name and manipulating template parameters for complex layouts. Alternatively, you can create new template files using the catalogue name in the file to specify complete templates for specific catalogues. Check out the tutorials for more information.

Question	What are the different display types for catalogue entries?
Answer	Composr provides four main display types for catalogue entries: Title lists: Simple lists of entry titles linking to the full entry page. Field-maps: Highly flexible, displaying as many fields as you desire within the category view. Tabular listings: Organizes entries into columns, suitable for short data fields. Grids of images: Displays entries as a grid of images, ideal for visual catalogues. It is possible to create your own templates including ones that are specific to a catalogue. Check out the catalogues tutorial for more information.

Question	Why might I need a programmer for my catalogue?
Answer	While Composr catalogues offer great flexibility, they can become complex if you need sophisticated data relationships, efficient searching, high data reliability, or advanced customization. In these cases, a programmer's expertise in database design, normalization, and templating can be invaluable.

Question	What are catalogues in Composr?
Answer	Catalogues are custom databases you can create within your Composr website. They allow you to define your own records with custom fields and organize them into categories. Think of them as powerful tools for managing various types of content, like a database of books, a directory of businesses, or even a classified ads system.

Top 10 Entries

Question	What is rate limiting and how can I enable it in Composr?
Answer	Rate limiting prevents server overload by restricting the number of requests allowed from a single IP address within a specific timeframe. To enable Composr's built-in rate limiting, add the following to your _config.php file: Code (`PHP`) $SITE_INFO['rate_limiting'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['rate_limit_time_window'] = '10'; $SITE_INFO['rate_limit_hits_per_window'] = '5'; This configuration limits each IP to 5 requests every 10 seconds. This feature generates soft errors early in the process before Composr fully loads.

Question	How can I reduce disk activity to improve performance?
Answer	If your hard disk is slow, you can implement the following settings in your _config.php file to minimize disk access: $SITE_INFO['disable_smart_decaching'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['no_disk_sanity_checks'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['hardcode_common_module_zones'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['prefer_direct_code_call'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['charset'] = 'utf-8'; $SITE_INFO['known_suexec'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['dev_mode'] = '0'; $SITE_INFO['no_extra_logs'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['no_extra_bots'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['no_extra_closed_file'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['no_installer_checks'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['assume_full_mobile_support'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['no_extra_mobiles'] = '1'; Note: These settings override default behaviors and may have unintended consequences. Use with caution.

Question	What is static caching and how do I enable it?
Answer	Static caching drastically improves performance by serving pre-generated pages to bots and guests. This works because these users typically don't require dynamic content. To enable it: Go to the Installation Options editor (`yourbaseurl/config_editor.php`). You will need your maintenance password. Activate the static cache option. Composr intelligently determines what to cache, and you can further control this via options within the Installation Options. Be aware that enabling static caching may disable eCommerce features for guests unless specifically configured.

Question	What are Composr caches and how do they improve website performance?
Answer	Composr utilizes various types of caches to enhance performance by storing pre-calculated results and reducing repetitive tasks. These caches include: Language cache: Eliminates the need to parse language files on each page load. Template cache: Avoids reparsing template files repeatedly. Comcode page cache & Comcode cache: Reduces the need to parse Comcode pages and general Comcode usage. Block cache: Caches blocks based on their parameters, minimizing execution. Theme image cache: Prevents redundant searches for theme images. Values caches: Stores calculated values like member post counts. Persistent cache: Keeps frequently used data in memory for faster access. Advanced admin cache: Allows admins to view cached pages while the server generates updates. Static cache: Serves static pages to bots and guests, bypassing much of the framework. Self learning cache: Optimizes resource loading by learning which resources each page requires.

Question	How can I troubleshoot notification problems?
Answer	If you're having issues with notifications, here are some troubleshooting steps: Check Email Logs: View the email log (Admin Zone > Audit > E-mail queue/log) to see what notifications have been sent. Use the SU Feature: Impersonate a member using the SU feature (described in the "Testing access and privileges" tutorial) to view their notification settings and confirm they are set up correctly. Enable Carbon-copy Email: Configure a "Carbon-copy e-mail address" in the configuration settings to receive copies of all outgoing emails, including notifications. This helps you monitor email delivery. Verify System Scheduler: Ensure the system scheduler is configured correctly if members are not receiving digest emails. Check Digest Settings: Confirm that "Enable digest notifications" is enabled in the Messages configuration settings. Review "Safety listing limit": If a notification has too many categories, members might not see the full selection tree. Adjust the "Safety listing limit" in the configuration settings if necessary.

Question	Can I control which notifications members receive?
Answer	Yes, you can control notification settings through two mechanisms: Notification Defaults: You can set default notification preferences for all members. You can enable or disable specific notifications and choose the delivery method (Admin Zone > Setup > Notification defaults). Notification Lock-down: You can force members to receive or prevent them from receiving certain notifications (Admin Zone > Setup > Notification lock-down). This allows you to enforce specific notification policies and manage email volume.

Question	What notification options are available to members?
Answer	Members can choose from a wide range of notifications, including: Content Updates: Notifications for new or updated content, such as news articles, forum posts, and gallery images. Private Messages: Alerts for new private messages received. Friend Requests: Notifications for new friend requests. Administrative Actions: Alerts for actions taken by site administrators, such as account approvals or content moderation decisions. Members can choose to receive notifications via: Email: Notifications sent directly to their email address. Digest Email: Combined summaries of activity sent in batched emails. This requires the system scheduler and the digest e-mails configuration option to be enabled. Private Topics: Notifications delivered as private forum topics. SMS: Notifications sent as text messages (requires configuration and incurs costs). Web Notifications: Real-time alerts displayed within the Composr interface.

Question	Can I share content like news and banners across the M.S.N.?
Answer	Yes, you can share news by placing it on the central site and using RSS blocks on satellite sites to display it. Banners can be shared by adding them to the central site and configuring satellite sites to use the central site's banner.php script.

Question	What should I consider when managing usergroups for subcommunities?
Answer	Rank ladders: Use the default rank ladder for main site ranks and secondary usergroups for subcommunity memberships. New member status: Set default usergroups for new members to grant them initial access while allowing removal if necessary. Leadership: Assign leaders to usergroups to allow members to manage subcommunities. Clubs: Consider using Clubs for member-driven subcommunities with their own forums.

Question	What are Composr Clubs and how are they useful for subcommunities?
Answer	Clubs are special usergroups in Conversr (Composr's forum system) designed for creating subcommunities. They come with their own dedicated forums and are managed by members, taking pressure off site staff. Key features: No special permissions by default, simplifying permission management. Members can join and leave like regular usergroups. Provide a dedicated forum for the club.

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