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 are "breadcrumbs," and how can I customize them?
Answer	Breadcrumbs are a navigation aid that shows the user their current location within the website's hierarchy. In Composr, breadcrumbs are customizable through an XML file. You can override default breadcrumbs using "match-keys" to target specific pages and define the desired breadcrumb structure. This allows you to adjust the breadcrumb trail to better match your website's organization. To edit, go to Admin Zone > Structure > Configure breadcrumb overrides.

Question	How can I control which panels are displayed on specific pages?
Answer	Panels are the areas around your main content area where you can place menus, blocks, and other dynamic elements. You can control panel visibility using display rules within your panel's Comcode: `{+START,IF,{$NEQ,{$PAGE},example_page_1,example_page_2,example_page_3}} ... panel content ... {+END}` This example prevents the panel from showing on pages named "example_page_1," "example_page_2," and "example_page_3."

Question	What is a "page-link," and how does it differ from a URL?
Answer	A page-link is a Composr-specific way to reference a page or screen within your website. It's a simplified, local representation of a URL, independent of the URL scheme you might be using. For example, the page-link `site:downloads:browse:10` points to the download category with ID 10 in the site zone. This page-link remains consistent even if your URL scheme changes the way URLs are structured. Page-links also do not consider monikers, so if a URL moniker changes, page-links will stay the same. This is a powerful feature as you can use the Comcode `[page="page-link"]Page title[/page] tag to generate URLs of local content. And these will always work regardless of URL scheme or moniker.`

Question	How do menus work in Composr, and can I customize them?
Answer	Composr has a flexible menu system that can be customized to your needs. Default Menu: Generated automatically from the Sitemap, reflecting the structure of your content. Editable Menus: You can create and fully customize these menus, adding links to specific content or external websites. Menus can be added to panels (sidebars, headers, footers) or embedded directly within Comcode pages. The menu editor provides tools for adding branches, setting captions, tooltips, and URLs, and even defining context-sensitive behavior using "match-keys."

Question	What are "zones" in Composr, and what are they used for?
Answer	Zones are like sub-sites within your Composr website. They provide a way to organize content and apply different settings, like permissions, themes, and navigation. Some default zones include: Welcome Zone: The initial landing page, often used for login/signup. Site Zone: Your main website content, with features for viewing, submitting, editing, and deleting content on the member level. Admin Zone: For site administrators to manage the website. Content Management Zone: Where content is added, edited, and deleted, typically by site staff. Forum Zone (if using Conversr): Houses the forum section of your site.

Question	What are the different ways to control access in Composr?
Answer	Composr offers a robust permission system with various methods for controlling access: Zones, Pages, and Categories: Control which usergroups can view specific zones, pages, and categories (permissions). Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor, or on the UI for the Zone / Page / Category. Global Privileges: Define permissions for actions like using advanced Comcode or bypassing the word filter, applicable across the entire site. Admin Zone > Security > Global privileges Module/Page Overrides: Tailor privileges for particular content types by overriding them on the controlling module or page. Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor [> Content permissions] Category Overrides: Modify privileges for specific categories, allowing fine-grained control over actions within those categories. Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor Match-key Permissions: Implement ad-hoc access control based on specific match-keys, offering flexibility beyond traditional permission structures. Admin Zone > Security > Match-key page restrictions

Question	What happens when I add a new usergroup to a third-party forum integrated with Composr?
Answer	If you are not using Conversr as your forum, Composr won't automatically assign any permissions to the new usergroup. To rectify this, you can use the "Absorb usergroup-permissions" feature in the Admin Zone. This tool allows you to copy the permissions from an existing usergroup to the newly created one, ensuring consistent access and functionality.

Question	What are some security considerations regarding super-moderators and super-administrators?
Answer	While super-moderators have extensive access to manage your site, certain sensitive privileges are reserved for super-administrators. This includes the ability to impersonate other users, execute arbitrary code, and view private content. These restrictions help prevent potential privilege escalation and ensure the overall security of your website. Exercise caution when granting super-moderator status and trust only reliable individuals.

Question	What are some useful tools for debugging permission issues?
Answer	Composr provides a couple of tools to help pinpoint permission problems: FirePHP: This browser add-on allows you to view detailed logs of permission checks performed by Composr. By analyzing these logs, you can identify which checks are failing and adjust your settings accordingly. Permission Check Logging: Enable logging of failed permission checks to a file (data_custom/permission_checks.log). This provides a persistent record of permission issues that you can review and troubleshoot.

Question	How can I test if my permission settings are working correctly?
Answer	Composr's "SU" feature allows administrators to temporarily assume the identity of another user, enabling you to experience the site as they would. Simply enter the desired username in the "SU" box in the footer. You can also use "Guest" to browse as an unauthenticated visitor. Remember that using "SU" doesn't accurately reflect online status and retains administrator access to sensitive areas.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How can I ensure my website complies with email marketing laws?
Answer	Email marketing laws like CAN-SPAM protect recipients' rights to unsubscribe. Your website must include a clear 'List-Unsubscribe' header in every email, offer an easy unsubscribe process, and respect unsubscribe requests promptly. Composr provides built-in mechanisms, including an unsubscribe endpoint and support for the List-Unsubscribe header, to facilitate compliance.

Question	What are my responsibilities regarding user privacy?
Answer	You must have a comprehensive privacy policy that details the personal data you collect, its usage, and if it's shared with third parties. Laws like GDPR have strict requirements, including logging data access, data purging, and security measures. California law mandates specific elements in your policy, like handling "Do Not Track" requests and a clear process for communicating changes. Composr has an automatic Privacy Policy generator block to help you get started. This is used by default.

Question	How can I create effective website rules?
Answer	A well-defined rules page is crucial for setting expectations for user behavior and outlining consequences for violations. It should cover a range of offenses with appropriate punishments, reference relevant laws, and assign legal responsibility to users. Composr provides default rules pages that can be customized, and this page is displayed to users upon joining the site.

Question	What are the key legal considerations for running a website?
Answer	Several legal aspects need careful attention when operating a website, especially for large or corporate sites. These include establishing clear rules and terms of service, adhering to privacy laws like GDPR and California's regulations, managing personal data responsibly, complying with email marketing regulations like CAN-SPAM, ensuring website accessibility, addressing eCommerce regulations, and understanding liability for content and user actions.

Question	How do data-tpl and data-view behaviors work in Composr's JavaScript?
Answer	Composr uses data-tpl and data-view behaviors for associating HTML templates and JavaScript views, respectively. This facilitates clean separation of presentation and logic: data-tpl: Used with the $cms.behaviors.initializeTemplates function and PARAMS_JSON tempcode directive to bind JavaScript logic to HTML templates. data-view: Used with the $cms.behaviors.initializeViews function to associate JavaScript view classes (inheriting from $cms.View) with specific HTML elements.

Question	What are the advantages of using Composr's JavaScript libraries?
Answer	Composr's JavaScript libraries like $cms, $util, and $dom offer several advantages: Organization: They provide a structured way to access Composr-specific functionalities, avoiding global namespace pollution. Abstraction: They encapsulate common tasks, simplifying DOM manipulation, form handling, and interaction with Composr's UI. Consistency: They offer a consistent API across different parts of Composr.

Question	How does Composr implement the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern?
Answer	Model/API: The sources directory primarily houses scripts forming the Model/API, handling data logic and business rules. View: Templates in themes/default/templates represent the View, responsible for presenting data to the user. Comcode pages can also be considered part of the View. Controller: Entry scripts like index.php and site/dload.php act as front controllers, directing requests. Modules and blocks, residing in */pages/modules and sources/[mini]blocks, respectively, serve as controllers, managing user interactions and determining which View to render.

Question	Can I translate my content into multiple languages?
Answer	Yes, Composr supports multi-language content. You can enable this feature by: Installing multiple language packs: Make sure you have at least two language packs installed. Enabling the Conversr multi-language option: Go to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Site options > Internationalisation. Running a Commandr command: Execute the necessary command to set up the database structure for multi-language content (unless you already enabled Support content translations when installing). Once enabled, you can translate your content into different languages and allow visitors to choose their preferred language.

Question	My language uses gendered descriptors. How can I handle this in Composr?
Answer	Composr offers solutions for languages with gendered descriptors: Template editing: You can modify templates to use different language strings based on user gender. This involves adding Tempcode logic to dynamically select the appropriate string. Custom Profile Fields: Create a Custom Profile Field for "Gender" and use it to conditionally display gendered language strings in templates. These methods allow for flexible handling of gendered language variations.

Question	What are language strings, and how are they used?
Answer	Language strings are phrases or pieces of text used throughout Composr. They're identified by unique codenames, like WELCOME_MESSAGE. These strings are stored in .ini language files and used to display text in the user interface. By translating language strings, you change the text displayed on your website without modifying the underlying code.

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