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	What are redirects and how can I use them for subsites?
Answer	Redirects let you create custom URL paths that point to different zones and pages within your site. Examples: Sharing modules across zones: Create a redirect to make a module in one zone appear in another. Creating shortcuts: Use a redirect to point a short URL to a longer, more complex URL. Moving pages: Use a redirect to ensure old links still work after moving a page to a new location. Go to Admin Zone > Structure > Redirects.

Question	What are virtual roots and how do I use them?
Answer	Virtual roots let you make a sub-category within a Composr module (e.g., downloads) appear as the top-level category. This is useful for creating separate "databases" of content for different subcommunities. To create a virtual root: Enable "Virtual root links" in the Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options > Advanced. Navigate to the desired category while logged in as staff. Click the rightmost link in the breadcrumbs (it will be an anchor for virtual root creation). Use the resulting URL in your menus to link to the "virtualized" category.

Question	Can I have subsites and subcommunities within a single Composr installation?
Answer	Yes, Composr offers various tools to create subsites and subcommunities within a single installation: Zones: Create separate sections under different URLs with their own pages and content. Redirects: Make modules appear in different zones without actually moving them. Categories & Virtual Roots: Organize content like galleries, downloads, and catalogs into sub-trees that appear as separate entities. Usergroups & Permissions: Group members into subcommunities and control their access to specific content. Themes: Customize the look of different zones.

Question	What is the difference between a central site and a satellite site in an M.S.N.?
Answer	The central site hosts the shared forum, member database, and netlink system. It is the core of your M.S.N. Satellite sites are the additional websites within your network. They connect to the central site for member information and forum access.

Question	What are the advantages and disadvantages of using an M.S.N.?
Answer	Advantages: Full control: You have complete control over each site's settings and content. Administrative separation: Managing staff and content for each site is more organized. Special M.S.N. features: Composr provides specific features like the 'netlink' system for easy navigation between network sites. Disadvantages: Configuration and maintenance: Setting up and maintaining multiple sites can be more complex.

Question	What is a multi-site network (M.S.N.) in Composr?
Answer	An M.S.N. allows you to run multiple Composr websites (installations) that share a common forum and member database. It's ideal for website networks with shared communities but segmented content, staff, or branding. In essence, members who join one site automatically have accounts on all sites within the network.

Question	What are the key classes and utilities provided by Composr Mobile SDK?
Answer	CMS SDK provides several classes with utility functions mirroring PHP and Composr APIs, including: CMS_Arrays: Array operations (e.g., implode, explode, list_to_map). CMS_Strings: String manipulation (e.g., strip_tags, html_entity_decode, strpos). CMS_Langs: Localization functions (e.g., do_lang). CMS_Preferences: User preference management. CMS_Timestamps: Timestamp functions (e.g., get_timezoned_date_time, time). CMS_HTTP: Web service interactions (e.g., rawurlencode, json_decode, http_get_contents). CMS_Users: User data and permission checks (e.g., has_page_access, is_staff). CMS_Flow: App flow control (e.g., access_denied, attach_message). CMS_Forms: Form building and management. CMS_Database: SQLite database access and manipulation. CMS_Notification: Push notification handling. CMSNetworkManager: Network request execution and response handling.

Question	How do I set up Composr Mobile SDK in my iOS and Android projects?
Answer	iOS (Xcode): Create a new project or open an existing one. Add a Prefix Header file (.pch) if you don't have one, following the provided instructions. Add required frameworks to your project's Build Phases. Add the CMS SDK to your project, then remove references to unwanted files. Set the header search path to the CMS SDK folder in build settings. Add a compiler option for the JsonKit library. Import CMS_SDK.h in your .pch file. Android (Eclipse): Create a new project or open an existing one. Import CMS SDK into your workspace as an Android project. Ensure "Is Library" is checked in the CMS SDK's "Android" properties tab. Add CMS SDK as a dependent library in your project's properties. Clean and rebuild your project.

Question	What are some key concepts related to mobile app development with Composr?
Answer	Essential concepts include: SDK (Software Development Kit): An API implementation, typically as a library. API (Application Programming Interface): A set of rules for software interaction. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A common language for structured data transfer over REST. REST (Representational State Transfer): An architectural style for web services. Push notification: A notification sent to a mobile device.

Question	What other approaches exist for mobile integration with Composr?
Answer	Other approaches, in various stages of development, include: Tapatalk: A third-party forum app with an official Composr addon, offering a high-quality "out-of-the-box" Composr app experience. Further Composr Mobile SDK development: Plans and issues relating to the SDK's evolution can be found on the Composr tracker, driven by commercial projects and feature sponsorship.

Top 10 Entries

Question	How do I set up the forum base URL correctly?
Answer	The forum base URL should be a URL prefix to your forums without a script name. For example, `http://forums.example.com` is correct, while `http://forums.example.com/index.php` is incorrect. You can fix this using the config_editor.php script and then clear the Comcode page cache.

Question	How do comment topics work?
Answer	Most Composr resources with commenting enabled create comment topics in the configured comment forum. If the forum uses BBCode, Comcode features not supported by BBCode may not display correctly. Moderate comments from the forum as you would any other topic.

Question	Can I switch forums after installing Composr?
Answer	It's not easy to switch forums after installing Composr. The member and usergroup IDs referenced by Composr would lose their association. Check the "Importing data into Composr" tutorial for more information on this.

Question	What is Conversr and why is it recommended?
Answer	Conversr is Composr's built-in forum system. It offers seamless integration, allowing you to use Comcode for forum posts, a unified Admin Zone, shared themes and templates, and innovative features like Private Topics and in-post whispers. Using a third-party forum can be clunky and may lead to maintenance headaches.

Question	What forum drivers does Composr support?
Answer	Composr supports several forum drivers, including Invision Board, phpBB, myBB, vBulletin, Burning Board, and Simple Machine Forum. If your forum is not listed, professional developers can add support. Composr also provides converters for migrating from these forums to its own forum system, Conversr.

Question	What are the web server requirements for running Composr?
Answer	Composr is compatible with Apache and IIS servers. For Apache: Enable mod_rewrite for URL Schemes or URL Redirects. Ensure AllowOverride All or at least AllowOverride Options FileInfo Limit is set in the server configuration. Recommended modules for optimal performance include mod_headers, mod_setenvif, mod_env, mod_deflate, and mod_filter. For IIS: Don't disable default Feature Delegation for settings changed in the bundled web.config file. Install the URL Rewrite module, essential for URL Schemes, URL Redirects, and basic security. Configure IIS for additional mime-types if needed, as it doesn't serve unrecognized file types by default.

Question	What are the PHP requirements for running Composr?
Answer	Composr requires PHP 7.2 or higher, but versions not officially supported by PHP developers are discouraged. The maximum tested version is PHP 8.3. Required PHP extensions: GD2 (gd) with PNG and JPEG support MySQL extension (mysqli or pdo_mysql) XML extension (xml) Multibyte String (mbstring) cURL extension (curl) JSON support (usually available by default) Sodium (libsodium) ZIP extension (zip) if ZIP file support is needed Additional recommendations: posix extension for permission checks zlib extension for faster upgrades, compressed backups, and page compression ctype extension for slightly faster performance IMAP extension (imap) for managing newsletter bounces OpenSSL extension (openssl) for encrypted CPFs, DKIM, and SSL certificate expiry checks Pspell (pspell) or Enchant (enchant) extensions for spell checking Ensure the following PHP settings are configured: File upload size limit of at least 5MB (or higher as needed) Maximum execution time of at least 30 seconds Memory limit of at least 128MB The installer will warn you if any critical functions have been disabled via disable_functions or other PHP modifications. Avoid web hosts that heavily restrict standard PHP functionality.

Question	How do I uninstall Composr?
Answer	To uninstall Composr, access the uninstall.php file in your web browser, enter your administrator password, and follow the prompts to remove the database data. Afterward, you can safely delete the Composr installation directory.

Question	What are the recommended web hosting options for Composr?
Answer	Choosing a web host is crucial. Avoid the cheapest options and look for hosts with recent positive reviews and minimal credible complaints. Ensure they meet Composr's requirements, including adequate disk space, no restrictive file size limits, and support for required PHP extensions. Composr is compatible with various hosting control panels like Plesk and cPanel, and works on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS servers.

Question	Can I install Composr on a Windows desktop?
Answer	Yes, you can install Composr on a Windows desktop using software packages like WampServer, XAMPP, EasyPHP, or ampps for simplified setup. Alternatively, you can manually install Apache, PHP, and MySQL, following the instructions provided in the respective documentation. Remember to configure file permissions appropriately and ensure the webserver isn't accessible from outside your network.

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