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	Can I display different content to different usergroups?
Answer	Yes, you can achieve this by leveraging Tempcode within your templates. By using conditional statements like `{$IS_IN_GROUP}` and `{$HAS_PRIVILEGE}`, you can show or hide specific content sections based on the user's group membership or privileges. This technique allows you to "tease" premium content to non-paying users or tailor the user experience based on their access level.

Question	What are match-key permissions and why would I use them?
Answer	Match-key permissions provide a more granular level of access control beyond the standard zone, page, and category permissions. They allow you to restrict access based on specific "match-keys", which are unique identifiers for different actions or content within Composr. For instance, you could use match-key permissions to prevent guests from submitting banners or to restrict access to the member directory for all but specific usergroups. You can also specify custom access denied errors for each match-key. A "match-key" is typically a page-link, such as `cms:cms_banners:add`.

Question	How can I control who can view specific pages or categories?
Answer	You can manage access control for zones, pages, and categories primarily through the Permissions Tree Editor (Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor). This tool provides a central location to set view permissions for different usergroups. You can also edit individual zone and category permissions through their respective editing interfaces, but the Permissions Tree Editor offers a more streamlined and efficient approach.

Question	What is the difference between access permissions and privileges in Composr?
Answer	Access permissions control whether members of a certain usergroup can view specific areas of your site, such as zones, pages, and categories. A member only needs one of their usergroups to have access permission to view the content. But permissions work on a deny-first policy; if one of the permissions applicable to viewing something is denied for a usergroup, then the whole thing is denied for that usergroup (e.g. even if a download itself grants access, access will be denied if its category denies access). Privileges, on the other hand, dictate what actions a usergroup is allowed to perform across the website, like using advanced Comcode or bypassing the word filter.

Question	How can I change the news archive display to show summaries instead of just headlines?
Answer	By default, the news archive screen shows only headlines. To display summaries like the news block, add :inline=1 to the page-link. For example, if your news archive page-link is site:news, modify it to site:news:inline=1. This will show summaries instead of just the headlines in the archive view.

Question	What are Trackbacks and how do they work in Composr?
Answer	Trackbacks are a blogging feature that creates a link from an article on one blog to an article on another, acting as a citation mechanism. How Trackbacks Work: The original article includes a "trackback" link in its HTML. When another blogger writes an article referencing the original, their software uses the trackback link to inform the original site. Composr receives the trackback and displays a list of articles linking back to the original. To enable trackbacks, go to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options and check the "Trackbacks" option. You can then enable trackbacks for individual content items.

Question	How can I filter the news archive to show specific content?
Answer	The news system allows advanced filtering: Blog vs. Non-Blog Posts: Choose to display blog posts only, regular news posts only, or both. Category Filtering: Limit results to specific news categories. Double Filtering: Apply a second category filter for a two-level categorization system (useful for large sites). These filters are controlled through parameters passed to the news blocks and carried through navigation links. When viewing a news post, you can also filter by the categories associated with that post.

Question	How do I display external RSS feeds on my Composr website?
Answer	Composr offers two blocks for displaying RSS and Atom feeds in a news-like format: main_rss block: Suitable for main content areas side_rss block: Designed for sidebars and smaller spaces To add a block, use the Block Construction Assistant or insert the following Comcode into your page: `[block="http://example.com/feed.xml"]main_rss[/block]` `[block="http://example.com/feed.xml"]side_rss[/block]` Replace "http://example.com/feed.xml" with the actual feed URL. Important: Exercise caution when using external feeds. Ensure the source is trustworthy, as malicious feeds can contain harmful code.

Question	What are RSS/Atom feeds and how do they benefit my website?
Answer	Feeds, in formats like RSS and Atom, are XML files that syndicate your website content, making it accessible beyond your website. They can be viewed using feed reader applications (e.g., Feedly, Vienna) or integrated into other websites or web browsers. Composr supports both RSS and Atom for syndicating news and other content. While RSS is more common, Atom is a cleaner, standardized format. Both effectively share your content updates. Benefits: Wider audience reach: Your content becomes accessible to those using feed readers and aggregators. Content repurposing: Other websites can incorporate your feed, increasing visibility. Increased traffic: Users discovering your content in feeds may visit your website directly. Staying on top: Those who use your RSS feeds will see when you post new news articles.

Question	What are Personal Categories/Blogs in Composr? How do I create one?
Answer	Composr allows members of permitted usergroups to have their own personal news categories, also known as "blogs". These blogs appear as a tab on the member's profile (Conversr-only) and may also appear in the main news block depending on your configuration. To create a blog, a member simply adds a news post and selects their personal category. If the category doesn't exist, it will be automatically created upon submission. A dedicated "Blogs" CMS module (Admin Zone > Content > Blogs) is available if the "Separate blogs" configuration option is enabled. This simplified module focuses on blog posting and can be used to restrict members from submitting to general website news.

Top 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.

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