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	How do I add dynamic content to my Comcode pages?
Answer	Composr utilizes "blocks" to embed dynamic content and functionality within Comcode pages. These blocks can range from displaying recent forum posts to showing information about the logged-in user. To add a block, you can use the "block construction assistant" accessible via a button above the editor. This tool provides a user-friendly way to: Browse and select available blocks. Configure the block parameters. Preview the block output. Generate the necessary Comcode to embed the block.

Question	How do I create a new Comcode page?
Answer	Composr provides two easy ways to create a new Comcode page: Method 1: Direct URL Entry Type the desired URL of your new page into your browser's address bar. Since the page doesn't exist yet, Composr will present you with a 404 error and a link to create it. Click the link to open the Comcode page editor. Method 2: Admin Zone Navigate to Admin Zone > Content > Pages (Comcode pages). Scroll down to the list of existing pages and enter the name of your new page using the ":" (page-link) format. For example, a new page in the Welcome zone named "about" would be entered as ":about", or a new page in the "site" zone named "foobar" would be entered as "site:foobar".

Question	What are Comcode pages?
Answer	Comcode pages are standalone content pages within the Composr system that you can create and edit using either a WYSIWYG editor, a simple markup language called Comcode, or a combination of both. Think of them as documents within your website, offering flexibility beyond the structured content provided by modules like forums or news. You can use them to build landing pages, about us sections, contact pages, and more.

Question	Can I create custom Comcode tags?
Answer	Yes, you can create custom Comcode tags through the Admin Zone > Setup > Custom Comcode. This allows you to add unique functionality or wrap specific HTML code (especially if you use a certain block of HTML frequently on your site) for easier use. Custom Comcode tags can be tailored to your needs and even include your own parameters. You can also specify if the Comcode is dangerous so only those with elevated privileges can use it.

Question	What are the security considerations when using Comcode?
Answer	Composr has a multi-tiered security system for Comcode. HTML code is filtered based on user permissions to prevent XSS attacks. Content is parsed with different credentials depending on who is editing or adding it, ensuring users can't elevate their privileges by modifying existing content.

Question	What is oEmbed and how does it work with Comcode?
Answer	oEmbed is a system that allows you to embed content from other websites simply by pasting its URL. When you paste a supported link in Comcode, oEmbed will automatically embed the content for you in a nicely-formatted box. For example, pasting a YouTube video link will embed the video directly into your content so it can be played on your website.

Question	How do I add attachments to my content?
Answer	Composr has an integrated attachment system. You can upload files, like images or documents, via the attachments section (or the image button if using the WYSIWYG editor with simplified attachments UI), and they will be automatically added to your Comcode using the attachment tag. You can then move this tag within your content to position the attachment as needed.

Question	How do I use Comcode tags?
Answer	Comcode tags are similar to HTML tags, but use square brackets [] instead of angle brackets <>. Each tag has an opening and closing tag, with content in between. Example: `[b]This text would be bold.[/b]` Tags can also have parameters: Example: `[img src="image.jpg" alt="Image description"]` A shorthand exists for the param parameter (the primary parameter of Comcode tags): Example: `[page="_SEARCH:howdy_do"]Howdy do[/page]`

Question	What are the advantages of using Comcode?
Answer	Comcode offers several advantages: Intuitive content authoring: It's written like plain text, making it easy to learn and use. Dynamic functionality: You can embed dynamic content like blocks, comments, and forms using Comcode. Special effects: You can easily add prebuilt graphical features like tabs, carousels, and more. Basic styling and layout: Comcode allows for basic website styling and page layout. HTML integration: For advanced styling and layout, you can embed HTML code within Comcode with the semihtml tag.

Question	What is Comcode?
Answer	Comcode is Composr's markup language, similar to BBCode used in forums. It allows you to create formatted text, embed dynamic content like blocks and attachments, and even mix in HTML for advanced styling. It's user-friendly and designed to work alongside standard web technologies.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How can I contribute to translating Composr?
Answer	You can contribute to Composr's internationalization by: Joining the translation team on Transifex: Translate language strings collaboratively with other volunteers. Becoming a language maintainer: Take responsibility for the translation and support of Composr in your native language. Reporting translation issues: If you encounter unclear, incorrect, or duplicated language strings, file bug reports. Providing feedback and suggestions: Share your thoughts on improving the translation process through feature suggestions. Your contributions are valuable and help make Composr accessible to a wider audience.

Question	What is Transifex, and how does it help with translation?
Answer	Transifex is a collaborative online platform used by the Composr community for translation. Its benefits include: Centralized translation efforts: Multiple translators can work on the same project. Improved translation quality: The platform facilitates consistency and accuracy. Simplified language pack creation: You can generate downloadable language pack addons directly from Transifex. We encourage using Transifex for translation to foster collaboration and maintain high-quality translations.

Question	Can I translate images with text on them?
Answer	Yes, you can translate images containing text. In the themes/default/images/ directory, you'll find an EN folder containing images with English text. Copy the EN folder: Create a new folder with the ISO code of your target language (e.g., FR for French). Replace the images: Replace the English images with translated versions. Ensure correct image paths: Update any references to these images in your templates or content to point to the translated versions.

Question	How do I translate the content on my Composr website?
Answer	Once you've installed a new language pack, you can translate existing content by: Editing the content directly: Go to the specific content item (page, news post, etc.) and edit it in the new language. Using the language editor: Access the language editor from Admin Zone > Style > Translate/rephrase Composr to modify language strings used on specific pages. Note that some elements like forum names are not designed to be translated directly. Instead, you should create separate forums for each language.

Question	How do I change the language of my Composr website?
Answer	Composr comes with English as the default language. To change to a different language: Download the language pack: You can download language packs from the Composr website. Install the language pack: Upload the downloaded language pack addon through Admin Zone > Structure > Addons > Import non-bundled addon(s). Change the default language: Go to `http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php` and set the desired language. Update your profile: If you had a previous language set in your profile, update it to the new language. You can test a language without changing settings by appending &keep_lang=XX to the URL, where XX is the language code (e.g., FR for French).

Question	What should I do after successfully importing data into Composr?
Answer	After importing, if all files like avatars, photos, and attachments have been copied to Composr's directories, you can remove the imported product's directory. However, it's advisable to keep the directory, database, and import session for a few weeks in case any data was not correctly imported and needs further attention. Importing is a complex process, so keeping backups and sources for a while is a good practice.

Question	Where can I get help with the import process?
Answer	The Composr documentation provides extensive information. Additionally, you can seek assistance from experienced Composr developers, including the Composr team if your project allows for professional support.

Question	Can I switch from a third-party forum to Conversr (Composr's built-in forum)?
Answer	Yes, if an importer exists for your current forum software, you can switch to Conversr during the import process. Composr will handle the forum driver switch and remap user IDs, but it's recommended to double-check permissions afterward.

Question	How does the HTML website importer work?
Answer	The HTML website importer is an advanced tool for migrating static HTML websites to Composr. It analyzes the HTML structure to create zones, Comcode pages, and a basic template. It also attempts to fix links and file paths for Composr compatibility.

Question	What is a Composr import session?
Answer	Import sessions track the progress and ID remapping for each import, allowing you to merge multiple sites or resume interrupted imports. This is particularly useful when merging multiple Composr sites into one.

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