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 the correct file permissions for Composr?
Answer	If you're using the quick installer, it will handle file permissions automatically. On a suEXEC-style server, default permissions (744 for directories and 644 for files) are usually sufficient. However, _config.php should have 600 permissions for security. Without suEXEC, specific directories (e.g., caches, uploads) and files (e.g., _config.php) require 777 (full access) or 666 (read/write) permissions. The fixperms.php script can automate this process on Linux and Windows.

Question	How do I install Composr on Linux?
Answer	After ensuring your web host meets the requirements and you have a database ready, you can install Composr on Linux using the following steps: Upload the Composr files to your web directory. Navigate to the install.php file in your web browser. Follow the on-screen instructions, providing the required information, such as database details and administrator credentials. After the installation is complete, delete the install.php file for security reasons.

Question	What are the prerequisites for installing Composr?
Answer	Before installing Composr, ensure your web host meets the minimum requirements. Familiarize yourself with your web host's control panel (e.g., Plesk, cPanel), which you'll use to manage databases, subdomains, and other settings. Gather your SFTP/FTP credentials (hostname, username, password), usually emailed upon signup. Set up a MySQL database and note its details: hostname (often 'localhost'), username, password, and database name. Ensure the database user has full read/write/administer access to the database.

Question	What tools are available for debugging Composr code?
Answer	Composr offers a code quality checker addon that helps identify various types of errors, including parser errors, run-time errors, and logical errors. This tool can significantly reduce debugging time and enhance code reliability. It is available through the testing_platform addon.

Question	What are some key coding standards in Composr?
Answer	Composr emphasizes clean, well-structured code with a focus on readability and maintainability. Key standards include proper indentation, consistent use of comments, and clear function headers with type definitions. Remember: beautiful code leads to better functionality and collaboration!

Question	Where can I find resources for learning PHP programming?
Answer	While Composr documentation doesn't cover basic PHP, resources like the official PHP documentation ( PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world. View ), online tutorials, and the Composr API guide can help you learn.

Question	What is the purpose of the Code Editor?
Answer	The Code Editor is a web-based tool for editing Composr code files directly on the server. It requires password authentication and automatically manages overrides within _custom directories. To access it, go to `yourbaseurl/code_editor.php`.

Question	How can I export and import custom addons?
Answer	Composr allows exporting addons as TAR files, containing all necessary files and an addon.inf file for metadata. You can import these addons to share and reuse them across different Composr installations. To do this, make your necessary files for the addon in the Composr installation, and then go under Admin Zone > Structure > Addons > Export addon. You can select the relevant files for the addon, provide information about the addon, and then download the TAR file (which can then be imported on other Composr sites).

Question	Can you give an example of creating a new module?
Answer	Imagine creating a "Testing" module to manage collaborative testing: Define purpose: Allow testers to add, assign, and track tests, with security and forum integration. Design database: Plan the necessary database tables and fields to store the module's data. Create module shell: Write the basic module structure based on standard Composr modules. Define screens: Identify the module's screens and code their corresponding functions. Utilize API functions: Use Composr's built-in API functions like create_table, add_privilege, and do_template to implement functionality.

Question	What are the different ways to extend Composr functionality?
Answer	You can extend Composr through: File overrides: Replacing existing source files with modified versions in _custom directories. New Modules/Mini-modules: Creating new modules for complex functionalities or mini-modules for simpler ones. New Blocks/Miniblocks: Adding reusable content blocks. New API code: Adding new PHP files to the sources_custom directory. Hooks: Writing hooks to add features to specific areas of functionality.

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