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	What web technologies does Composr use beyond HTML, CSS, and JavaScript?
Answer	Composr relies on a wide range of web technologies (depending on what features and settings you use), including: Protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, SMTP, IMAP, POP3, DNS, and others Data formats: XML, JSON, CSV, PHP's serialized format, iCalendar, and various image and archive formats Standards: Accessibility standards (WCAG, WAI-ARIA), metadata standards (Open Graph, schema.org, Dublin Core), and microformats Server-side technologies: PHP, SQL (for database interaction) Composr-specific technologies: Tempcode (template system), Comcode (content language), Page-links, Filtercode, Selectcode, and Language packs

Question	How does Composr ensure printed web pages look appropriate?
Answer	Composr uses a combination of approaches to ensure printed web pages have a suitable layout: Automatic browser behavior: Browsers typically disable background images when printing. CSS print stylesheets: Composr utilizes CSS to define specific display rules for printed versions of pages, such as removing margins and hiding social media links. wide_print parameter: This parameter, activated through specific links or specifying it in the URL, further influences page layout for printing.

Question	How can I test my website's compatibility across different browsers and devices?
Answer	Testing your website on different browsers and devices can be challenging due to operating system limitations and device availability. Here are some solutions: Virtual Machines: Use virtual machines to run different operating systems and test various Internet Explorer versions. Device Emulation: Use built-in device emulation features in browsers like Chrome to simulate mobile devices. Online Testing Services: Employ commercial online testing services like BrowserStack to access a wide range of browsers and devices hosted in the cloud. Real Devices: Conduct testing on physical mobile devices for a more realistic user experience.

Question	What are the recommended desktop settings for viewing a Composr website?
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?
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?
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: Fonts and typography: Defining font families, sizes, weights, and styles. Colors and backgrounds: Setting colors for text, backgrounds, borders, and other elements. Layout and positioning: Controlling the placement and arrangement of elements on a page. Visual effects: Adding shadows, gradients, transitions, and other visual enhancements. 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?
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: Modify page layout: Change the arrangement and positioning of elements on a page. Add new content: Insert additional text, images, or other multimedia elements. Customize the appearance of existing elements: Change fonts, colors, sizes, and other visual styles. Integrate interactive features: Embed JavaScript code for dynamic functionality. Composr uses XHTML for its templates, allowing users to extensively customize the website's design and layout.

Question	How does JavaScript enhance website interactivity?
Answer	JavaScript is a programming language that runs in web browsers, allowing for dynamic and interactive elements on web pages. It enables features like: Dynamic content updates: Modifying page content without requiring a full page reload. User interface enhancements: Creating interactive elements like dropdown menus, image sliders, and form validation. Animations and visual effects: Adding visual appeal and engaging user experiences. Asynchronous communication: Fetching data from, or sending data to, servers in the background without disrupting user interaction. Composr relies on JavaScript for its default theme and administrative features.

Question	What is the difference between cookies and sessions?
Answer	While both cookies and sessions are used for user identification and maintaining state, there are key differences: Storage: Cookies are stored on the user's computer, while sessions are stored on the server. Expiration: Session cookies expire when the browser is closed, while persistent cookies have a set expiration date. Sessions typically expire after a period of inactivity. Data sensitivity: Sessions are generally used for more sensitive data, as the information is not stored on the user's computer and therefore less likely to be stolen by a hacker. 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?
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: User identification: Cookies can be used to identify a specific user, even if they are not logged in. This allows websites to remember user preferences, shopping cart contents, and other information. Tracking user behavior: Cookies can be used to track user behavior on a website, such as the pages they visit and the links they click. This information can be used to improve the website's design and content. Advertising: Cookies can be used to deliver targeted advertising to users based on their browsing history. There are two main types of cookies: Session cookies: These cookies are temporary and are deleted when the user closes their web browser. They are often used to store information about the user's current session, such as the items in their shopping cart. Persistent cookies: These cookies are stored on the user's computer for a longer period. They can be used to remember user preferences, such as their login details or language settings.

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