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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 Can I use the calendar as a personal diary and keep my entries private?
Answer Yes. When adding an event to the calendar, you can choose to make it public or private. Private events are generally used when someone wants to use the calendar system as a diary.
Question How can I set up reminders for events?
Answer When adding or editing an event, you can enable reminders for yourself and specific user groups. You can also choose how much notice you want for each reminder.

Members can subscribe for reminders on an individual event screen. They can also personalize their reminder settings, including removing reminders or having multiple reminders at different times.

Members can also subscribe for notifications to specific event types to be notified whenever events under those types are scheduled.
Question How can I schedule Commandr commands to run automatically?
Answer To schedule commands, create an event with the "System command" event type. This option needs to be enabled in the configuration first. In the event details, you can specify either a URL for Composr to call or a snippet of Commandr code to execute. Be sure to disable the WYSIWYG editor for this type of event. You'll also need to have the system scheduler configured for the commands to run automatically.
Question Can I add external feeds to the calendar?
Answer Yes, you can add RSS or Atom feeds to your calendar. This lets you view time-based information from external sources alongside your calendar events.
Question What do I do if a recurring event needs to be changed or skipped?
Answer Composr has a "fixing an event" feature to handle changes to recurring events. This is useful if an event needs to be cancelled or rescheduled. You edit the event as if it were a new, standalone event and choose the "Edit with fixing past recurrences" option. This separates the past occurrences from the modified event, ensuring future recurrences reflect the changes.
Question What is the "recurrence pattern" and how does it work?
Answer The recurrence pattern is a powerful tool that defines how often an event repeats. While it might seem complex at first, it provides a lot of flexibility. Think of it as a binary code where each digit represents a time period (like a day or week). A "1" indicates the event occurs, and a "0" means it doesn't. This lets you create complex schedules like "every weekday" (daily with pattern 1111100 if it starts on a Monday) or "every other Tuesday" (weekly on Tuesday with the pattern 10).
Question What are the different views available in the calendar?
Answer The calendar has five views:
  • Year view: Displays an overview of the entire year.
  • Month view: Shows events within a specific month.
  • Week view: Displays events for a selected week.
  • Day view: Shows events scheduled for a specific day.
  • Event view: Displays the details of a single event.

You can easily navigate between these views to get different levels of detail and focus on specific periods or events.
Question How do I add events to the calendar?
Answer You can add events in several ways:
  • Through the Admin Zone or Content Management Zone: Go to Admin Zone > Content > Calendar.
  • Directly on the calendar: Click on a date box on the calendar view.
  • Using the "Add Event" button on any calendar view.

Deleting events can be done at the bottom of the event's edit form. You have options for recurring events, such as editing/deleting the specific occurrence, editing/deleting future ones, or all of them.
Question How do I categorize events?
Answer You categorize events using "Event types". Composr provides default types like "Anniversary", "Appointment", "Birthday", "General", "Public Holiday", "Task", "Vacation", and the special "System command" for executing Commandr commands. You can also add your own custom event types to suit your specific needs, such as "Appraisal Session" for a business website.
Question What is an "event" in the Composr calendar system?
Answer An event is any entry in the calendar. Importantly, an event isn't limited to a single point or range in time. Events can recur based on a schedule you define. This makes them very flexible – they can represent anything from one-time appointments to recurring birthdays or even weekly team practices.