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Newest 10 Entries
| Question | How do I add dynamic content to my Comcode pages? |
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| 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:
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| Question | How do I create a new Comcode page? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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? |
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| 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 | 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. |