What is the fast custom index and why should I use it?
Answer
The fast custom index is Composr's own search engine, designed to be faster and more efficient than MySQL full-text search, especially for large websites and filtered searches.
Benefits of the fast custom index:
Faster filtered searches: Significantly improves search speed when you add filters like category or author.
Configurable stop words: Control which common words are ignored during search.
Better stemming: More accurately recognizes variations of words (e.g., "like" and "liking").
Multilingual support: Indexes content based on different language translations.
Downsides of the fast custom index:
Slight lag in indexing new content: New content takes a short time to be indexed.
Less accurate ranking: Ranking is based on the most obscure keyword, not a blend of all keywords.
Cannot perform blank searches: You must enter at least one keyword.
What is the difference between natural and boolean searching?
Answer
Natural search is a more relaxed approach where you type in your search terms and Composr tries to find the most relevant results, even if they don't contain all the words. It's like a Google search.
Boolean search requires more precision and uses operators like "+", "-", and quotation marks to define exactly what you're looking for. For example, searching for "+car -maintenance" will only return results that contain the word "car" but not "maintenance".
There are a few ways to search your Composr website:
Using the search bar in the header: This is the simplest way to search. Just type your search term in the box and click the search button.
Using the 'Search' module: This module offers more detailed search options. You can access it via the 'site:search' page-link (usually under About > Search in the default menu).
From the Forum: Click the 'Search' button on the forum or use the contextual search box on the forum member bar. This will search within your current forum or topic.
For questions with predefined answers, you can mark correct answers by adding [*] after the answer. If no answer is marked correct, the question will require manual marking. You can also use the [UNMARKED] tag after a question to exclude it from scoring.
Quiz questions are inputted in blocks, separated by blank lines. The first line is the question, followed by potential answers on subsequent lines. Different question types are indicated by tags after the question, such as [MULTIPLECHOICE], [MULTIMULTIPLE], [LONG], [SHORT], and [SHORT_STRICT].
Can I create complex, multi-screen quiz interfaces in Composr?
Answer
While Composr's built-in quiz system is excellent for standard formats, creating intricate multi-screen quizzes might require custom development using Composr's decision tree framework or other programming tools. This allows for highly customized quiz structures and advanced branching logic.
Composr enables you to export quiz results to a spreadsheet file, facilitating in-depth data analysis. This is especially useful for manually marked questions, identifying competition winners, and processing data for marketing or research purposes.
Quiz Sets are a helpful organizational feature in Composr. By prefixing quiz names with "Example: ", you can group related quizzes together. This allows for combined scoring and percentage calculations, particularly beneficial for multi-part questionnaires or tests.
What other methods exist for featuring content in Composr?
Answer
Random Quotes: The quotes feature allows you to display a rotating selection of quotes on your site.
Community Billboard (Requires Addon): The Community Billboard addon provides a dedicated space for displaying important announcements or community messages.
Can I display forum content in a prominent way on my Composr site?
Answer
Absolutely! Composr provides several blocks designed for featuring forum content:
News-Style Blocks: side_forum_news, main_forum_news, and bottom_forum_news display forum topics in a news format, ideal for forums used for news posting.
Topic-Focused Block: main_forum_topics showcases recent topics from specific forums, allowing you to highlight active discussions or important announcements.
What is the difference between using the main_awards block and directly selecting content with the main_content block?
Answer
Both blocks can feature content, but they offer different approaches:
main_awards: Provides a structured system for managing featured content through award assignment, archives, and optional point rewards. Requires active management to update award holders.
main_content: Offers direct control over specific content or allows random selection from chosen categories. May require manual updates or adjustments.
How do I feature specific content items on my Composr site?
Answer
You can feature content using various methods:
Blocks: The main_content block allows you to display specific items by content type and ID or randomize content from selected categories.
Awards: Create awards for different content types and assign them to specific items. You can then use the main_awards block to display current award holders. Awards also integrate with points to credit points to award holders. And you can be reminded on the staff checklist to assign a new award every configurable amount of time.
Advanced Embedding: For greater control, use the main_include_module block to embed entire module screens within other content.
Composr includes a bounce filter tool that helps you remove bounced email addresses from your subscriber list. To use this tool, you'll need:
The PHP IMAP extension enabled on your server.
A dedicated folder on your email server to collect bounced emails.
The bounce filter tool scans the specified folder for bounce messages and lets you remove the corresponding addresses from your newsletter list. Composr will also halt attempts sending e-mails to those addresses to help prevent you from getting listed on spam blocklists.
How can I ensure my newsletters comply with data privacy regulations?
Answer
Composr provides built-in mechanisms for compliance:
Unsubscribe links: Newsletters include an unsubscribe link, allowing recipients to opt out of the newsletters.
Global unsubscribe: All Composr emails include a link to a global unsubscribe page (data/unsubscribe.php), letting users unsubscribe from all site emails.
