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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 What are some of the default endpoints available in the server-side API?
Answer Default endpoints cover various functionalities, including:
  • Account: join, login, lost_password, setup_push_notifications
  • Misc: contact_us
  • Content: commandr_fs

Specific details on parameters and response data for each endpoint can be found in the documentation.
Question How does authentication work with the server-side API?
Answer Authentication is handled automatically using cookies, similar to regular website requests. If cookies are not feasible, the response parameters device_auth_member_id_cn/device_auth_pass_hashed_cn/device_auth_member_id_vl/device_auth_pass_hashed_vl from the login endpoint can be resent as POST parameters in subsequent requests.
Question How do I access the server-side API for my mobile app?
Answer The server-side API can be accessed via HTTP calls to http://yourbaseurl/data/endpoint.php. Results are returned in JSON format. The API utilizes endpoints with a 'hook' name and a 'hook type' categorization. Both REST-style and GET-parameter style requests are supported, with the latter recommended for simplicity.
Question What is the purpose of the Composr Mobile SDK Toolkit?
Answer The Toolkit, part of the composr_mobile_sdk addon, aids in mirroring Composr website resources into a mobile app. It includes tools for generating iOS/Android string resources from language files and exporting theme images in a directory structure suitable for iOS/Android app image assets.
Question How can I obtain Composr Mobile SDK?
Answer The iOS/Android SDK can be found on GitLab at: Composr ecosystem / Composr Mobile SDK · GitLab.

To connect to a Composr site, you will need to install the composr_mobile_sdk addon, which is not bundled. This addon provides scripting to generate app assets from the Composr site.
Question What is Composr Mobile SDK?
Answer Composr Mobile SDK (CMS SDK) is a toolkit designed for experienced iOS and Android developers to build mobile apps that integrate with a Composr-powered website. It offers both Composr-specific integrations and a collection of standalone utilities for building apps, providing a common base between iOS and Android akin to the PHP and Composr APIs, enabling easier code porting while maintaining a native experience.
Question What is the Composr maintenance policy?
Answer Composr follows a rolling release model. This means:
  • New major/minor versions are released as they are ready.
  • Patch releases, primarily containing bug fixes, are only released for the latest supported major/minor version branch.
Users are responsible for staying updated to the latest release or applying necessary hotfixes.

This policy allows developers to focus resources on the latest versions and encourages users to leverage the ongoing improvements. You can find the release status on the Composr maintenance status page.
Question What are the general courtesy guidelines for interacting with the Composr community?
Answer
  • Understand that Composr is developed and maintained by volunteers who dedicate their time to the project.
  • Refrain from demanding free support or expecting developers to work on specific schedules.
  • Avoid placing undue pressure on volunteers or pushing them beyond their capacity.
  • Approach the community with respect and a collaborative spirit.
  • Remember that offering financial sponsorship for desired features can accelerate development.
Question How can I provide design feedback for Composr?
Answer Constructive design feedback is valuable. To provide effective feedback:
  • Be specific and detailed. Identify particular issues and provide clear examples.
  • Offer solutions. Suggest improvements or provide mockups demonstrating your ideas.
  • Avoid vague statements. General comments like "it looks dated" are unhelpful.
  • Understand design constraints. Consider factors like modularity, generality, feature density, compatibility, performance, and the subjective nature of design.
Directly reporting specific design bugs to the tracker or redesigning Composr interfaces yourself are excellent ways to contribute.
Question How do I make a feature suggestion for Composr?
Answer You can suggest features through the tracker or the Report Issue Wizard. When making a suggestion:
  • Be comprehensive and self-contained. Provide all necessary information and context for the developers to understand your suggestion.
  • Focus on widely beneficial features. Esoteric suggestions are less likely to be implemented.
  • Understand developer constraints. Feature development depends on factors like developer availability, funding, and project strategy.
  • Consider sponsoring features. Financial contributions can prioritize the development of desired features as it affords developers the time to implement it.