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	What are gift points, and how do they work?
Answer	Gift points are a separate points balance that can only be sent to other members as gifts. They cannot be spent directly or used in escrow transactions. Gift points are earned daily based on usergroup membership and replenish independently of the regular points balance. When a member sends gift points, they become regular points for the recipient.

Question	Can members send points to each other?
Answer	Yes, members can send points to each other as a token of appreciation, reward for a service, or as part of an agreement using the Points Escrow system.

Question	How does content validation affect point earning?
Answer	Points are typically awarded immediately upon content submission to encourage participation. However, forum posts requiring validation only earn points after approval to deter spam. To further encourage high-quality content, consider using the "awards" addon to reward exceptional contributions.

Question	Can I reward members who use specific browsers or operating systems?
Answer	Yes, Composr allows you to configure bonus points based on browser/platform criteria. You can set bonus points for members using Open Source browsers, specific operating systems, or even those who have enabled privacy features like "Do Not Track" (DNT) or "Global Privacy Control" (GPC).

Question	What's the difference between points balance and rank points?
Answer	Points balance refers to the number of points a member currently has available to spend. This is the 'liquid' currency they can use for various actions. Rank points represent the total points a member has accumulated throughout their time on the website. These points determine the member's rank, which can grant access to additional privileges and act as a status symbol.

Question	How can members earn points on my Composr website?
Answer	Members can earn points in various ways, including: Joining the website: A welcome bonus for new members. Daily visits: Encourage regular engagement. Content interactions: Liking, rating, and submitting various forms of content. Forum participation: Posting and having posts validated. Chatroom activity: Reward active participation in chatrooms. Quizzes and polls: Encourage learning and engagement. Website recommendations: Reward referrals. Receiving points from other members: Facilitate community appreciation. Selling downloads: Monetize content creation. Birthdays: Offer a special bonus on their birthdays. Most earning methods can be customized in the Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Points options to fit your website's needs.

Question	What are cleanup tools in Composr and how do I use them?
Answer	Cleanup tools assist with website maintenance by deleting unnecessary data and optimizing database tables. They are divided into "De-cachers" and "Optimizers". You can access them through: Admin Zone > Tools > Cleanup tools.

Question	How can I access PHP-Info in Composr?
Answer	PHP-Info provides a comprehensive overview of your PHP configuration. You can access it within Composr by navigating to Admin Zone > Tools > PHP-Info / Server Checks. This page also provides additional useful server information.

Question	What is the purpose of the Health Check feature in Composr?
Answer	The Health Check feature in Composr proactively identifies potential issues that may affect your website's performance, security, and overall health. It performs various checks and alerts you to problems like: Broken links and forms Security vulnerabilities Outdated software versions Server performance issues Email configuration problems The Health Check can be run manually or scheduled to run automatically and send e-mail notifications of results.

Question	How can I use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to enhance my website?
Answer	CDNs improve website performance by serving content from geographically distributed servers, reducing latency and server load. You can leverage CDNs for your Composr website by: Configuring the CDN option in Composr with a comma-separated list of CDN domain names. Ensuring your files are mirrored on the CDN servers. Utilizing the CDN_FILTER directive and symbol to control what content is served via CDN.

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