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Newest 10 Entries
| Question | Can I display different content to different usergroups? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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:
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? |
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| Answer | The news system allows advanced filtering:
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? |
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| Answer | Composr offers two blocks for displaying RSS and Atom feeds in a news-like format:
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? |
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| 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:
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| Question | What are Personal Categories/Blogs in Composr? How do I create one? |
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| 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 web technologies does Composr use beyond HTML, CSS, and JavaScript? |
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| Answer | Composr relies on a wide range of web technologies (depending on what features and settings you use), including:
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| Question | How does Composr ensure printed web pages look appropriate? |
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| Answer | Composr uses a combination of approaches to ensure printed web pages have a suitable layout:
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| Question | How can I test my website's compatibility across different browsers and devices? |
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| Answer | Testing your website on different browsers and devices can be challenging due to operating system limitations and device availability. Here are some solutions:
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| Question | What are the recommended desktop settings for viewing a Composr website? |
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| Answer | A minimum screen resolution of 1024x768 is strongly recommended for viewing a Composr website. This is the minimum resolution for which the default theme is designed. Using a lower resolution might lead to display issues or an unsatisfactory browsing experience. As of version 11, smaller resolutions will often trigger the mobile layout automatically (responsiveness) to ensure a better UI for smaller displays. |
| Question | How does Composr handle browser compatibility? |
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| Answer | Composr aims to support all modern browsers, including the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer 11. It is designed to work seamlessly with browsers that automatically update, like Chrome and Firefox. For browsers with manual updates, Composr generally supports the last two releases. While not explicitly supported, Composr will often address bug reports for other popular browsers like Opera, Chromium, and Konqueror. Additionally, Composr strives to provide an accessible experience for text-mode browsers and those designed for users with disabilities. |
| Question | What is CSS and how does it impact website design? |
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| Answer | CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a language used to describe the visual presentation of a web page written in HTML or XHTML. It controls aspects like:
By separating content structure (XHTML) from visual presentation (CSS), websites become easier to maintain and update. Changes to the design can be made without altering the underlying HTML structure. Composr utilizes CSS extensively for theming, allowing users to manipulate the website's visual appearance. |
| Question | Why is understanding XHTML important for website customization? |
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| Answer | XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language) is the language used to structure web page content. It defines the various elements of a webpage, such as headings, paragraphs, images, and links. Understanding XHTML is crucial for website customization because it allows you to:
Composr uses XHTML for its templates, allowing users to extensively customize the website's design and layout. |
| Question | How does JavaScript enhance website interactivity? |
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| Answer | JavaScript is a programming language that runs in web browsers, allowing for dynamic and interactive elements on web pages. It enables features like:
Composr relies on JavaScript for its default theme and administrative features. |
| Question | What is the difference between cookies and sessions? |
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| Answer | While both cookies and sessions are used for user identification and maintaining state, there are key differences:
Composr uses both cookies and sessions. Session cookies are primarily used for user identification (such as anonymously matching a user to a session in the server database), while persistent cookies can be used for remembering login details if the user chooses. |
| Question | What are cookies and how do they work? |
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| Answer | A cookie is a small piece of data that a website stores on a user's computer. It is sent from the user's web browser to the web server each time a page is viewed. Cookies are used for various purposes, including:
There are two main types of cookies:
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