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	Can I use the calendar as a personal diary and keep my entries private?
Answer	Yes. When adding an event to the calendar, you can choose to make it public or private. Private events are generally used when someone wants to use the calendar system as a diary.

Question	How can I set up reminders for events?
Answer	When adding or editing an event, you can enable reminders for yourself and specific user groups. You can also choose how much notice you want for each reminder. Members can subscribe for reminders on an individual event screen. They can also personalize their reminder settings, including removing reminders or having multiple reminders at different times. Members can also subscribe for notifications to specific event types to be notified whenever events under those types are scheduled.

Question	How can I schedule Commandr commands to run automatically?
Answer	To schedule commands, create an event with the "System command" event type. This option needs to be enabled in the configuration first. In the event details, you can specify either a URL for Composr to call or a snippet of Commandr code to execute. Be sure to disable the WYSIWYG editor for this type of event. You'll also need to have the system scheduler configured for the commands to run automatically.

Question	Can I add external feeds to the calendar?
Answer	Yes, you can add RSS or Atom feeds to your calendar. This lets you view time-based information from external sources alongside your calendar events.

Question	What do I do if a recurring event needs to be changed or skipped?
Answer	Composr has a "fixing an event" feature to handle changes to recurring events. This is useful if an event needs to be cancelled or rescheduled. You edit the event as if it were a new, standalone event and choose the "Edit with fixing past recurrences" option. This separates the past occurrences from the modified event, ensuring future recurrences reflect the changes.

Question	What is the "recurrence pattern" and how does it work?
Answer	The recurrence pattern is a powerful tool that defines how often an event repeats. While it might seem complex at first, it provides a lot of flexibility. Think of it as a binary code where each digit represents a time period (like a day or week). A "1" indicates the event occurs, and a "0" means it doesn't. This lets you create complex schedules like "every weekday" (daily with pattern `1111100` if it starts on a Monday) or "every other Tuesday" (weekly on Tuesday with the pattern `10`).

Question	What are the different views available in the calendar?
Answer	The calendar has five views: Year view: Displays an overview of the entire year. Month view: Shows events within a specific month. Week view: Displays events for a selected week. Day view: Shows events scheduled for a specific day. Event view: Displays the details of a single event. You can easily navigate between these views to get different levels of detail and focus on specific periods or events.

Question	How do I add events to the calendar?
Answer	You can add events in several ways: Through the Admin Zone or Content Management Zone: Go to Admin Zone > Content > Calendar. Directly on the calendar: Click on a date box on the calendar view. Using the "Add Event" button on any calendar view. Deleting events can be done at the bottom of the event's edit form. You have options for recurring events, such as editing/deleting the specific occurrence, editing/deleting future ones, or all of them.

Question	How do I categorize events?
Answer	You categorize events using "Event types". Composr provides default types like "Anniversary", "Appointment", "Birthday", "General", "Public Holiday", "Task", "Vacation", and the special "System command" for executing Commandr commands. You can also add your own custom event types to suit your specific needs, such as "Appraisal Session" for a business website.

Question	What is an "event" in the Composr calendar system?
Answer	An event is any entry in the calendar. Importantly, an event isn't limited to a single point or range in time. Events can recur based on a schedule you define. This makes them very flexible – they can represent anything from one-time appointments to recurring birthdays or even weekly team practices.

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