Frequently Asked Questions: A-Z Index
Question | How do I embed content from other modules into a Comcode page? |
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Answer | You can use various blocks to embed content from different modules:
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Question | Are there security features to protect downloaded files? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr includes security measures to protect downloads.
It is the responsibility of webmasters to run antivirus on their site to regularly scan files uploaded to it. Composr does not include antivirus software or virus scanning. |
Question | Are there any safety guidelines for younger users? |
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Answer | It's crucial to emphasize safety, especially for younger users. Encourage them to follow these guidelines: never arrange to meet anyone from a chatroom in person, be cautious about sharing personal information, and report any suspicious behavior to moderators. |
Question | Are there any limitations to the Composr Chat system? |
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Answer | While the Composr Chat system provides robust chat and IM features, it does have some limitations. Currently, it does not support video chat, sales-focused chat features, desktop app integration, or optimal performance for very high volumes of concurrent users. Additionally, it is only near real-time as Composr queries for new messages using AJAX at a set interval. |
Question | Are there alternative chat solutions that integrate with Composr? |
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Answer | Yes, you can integrate third-party chat solutions with Composr. For example, CometChat is a commercial chat system that provides a Composr integration. You can also leverage video chat services like Talky, Jitsi, or appear.in by embedding links within your chat templates. For sales-chat needs, consider integrating a dedicated live chat platform like Comm100. |
Question | Are there any limitations to importing forum data? |
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Answer | Yes, some limitations exist, particularly with specific forum platforms.
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Question | Are there other Composr features helpful for support? |
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Answer | Yes, features like:
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Question | Can I upgrade a previous version 11 release to a newer one using the upgrader? |
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Answer | Yes (probably). Always remember especially during alpha and beta phases that things can break. Please make backups first. And let us know on the issue tracker if an issue occurs. Note: You cannot upgrade from 11 alpha to 11 beta without first upgrading to 11.alpha4 (if you are not already on 11.alpha4). |
Question | Can I upgrade a version 10 site to version 11? |
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Answer | Yes, for basic non-custom v10 sites. However, expect some issues to arise in the process. And please report those issues to the tracker. For v10 sites with non-bundled addons or customisations, upgrading to v11 will likely break the site until you update the non-bundled addons or temporarily remove the customisations. We aim to have the upgrader fully functional for a large majority of types of sites and for sites using non-bundled addons by the time version 11 reaches release candidate stage. We do not recommend upgrading production v10 sites at this time until v11 reaches stable. |
Question | Can I switch a v11 install from git over to using the releases from composr.app? |
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Answer | It is not recommended you do this because you may run into issues. For example, some changes were made in crypto_master.php and data/upgrader2.php prior to the first v11 alpha. These changes will result in a broken upgrade unless you already pulled these changes from git. Similar situations could happen in the future as well. It is recommended you either discard the git install and use a fresh install from the Downloads, or to maintain a git install and a bleeding-edge release install separately. Do not combine the two. |
Question | Can I leave notes for myself or other staff members? |
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Answer | Yes, the Admin Zone includes a dedicated "Notes" block for you and your staff to leave messages and reminders. This space serves as a shared communication hub for your team. |
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 | Can I customize the appearance of blocks? |
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Answer | Yes, you can customize the appearance of blocks by editing the associated templates and CSS. Each block typically has a corresponding template file (e.g., BLOCK_MAIN_NEWS.tpl for the main_news block) that controls its HTML structure. You can modify this template to change the layout and styling of the block's output. An easy way to do this is through the template editor in Admin Zone > Style > Themes, and click edit templates for the relevant theme. |
Question | Can I organize Comcode pages in a hierarchical structure? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr allows you to simulate a hierarchical structure for your Comcode pages using multi-part paths in the page monikers. By editing the page monikers to include slashes (e.g., "about/team"), you can create a virtual directory structure within a single zone, enhancing your site's organization and navigation. |
Question | Can I sell downloads on my Composr site? |
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Answer | Yes, the download system integrates with the points system, allowing you to charge for downloads. This is particularly useful for communities where members create and share content, like game modifications. You can set prices for downloads and creators earn points when users purchase them. Additionally, you can create a subscription-based system by requiring points for downloads, which users can purchase via methods like PayPal. |
Question | Can I add images to my downloads? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr automatically creates a gallery for each download (if the galleries addon is enabled). You can easily add images directly after creating the download or through the download-view screen. The download gallery is displayed within the download-view screen itself. |
Question | Can users search for specific downloads? |
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Answer | Yes, the unified Composr search system allows users to find downloads based on keywords. This includes searching within download titles and descriptions, as well as within the content of certain file types like PDFs, text files, and even some binary formats (providing they are not too large in size). |
Question | Can I integrate email with my forums (mailing list)? |
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Answer | Yes, you can enable email integration for each forum individually. This allows members to post and receive updates via email. Requirements:
Recommended:
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Question | Can Members Create Their Own Personal Galleries? |
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Answer | Yes, members with the "have personal galleries" permission can create their own galleries. These personal galleries are displayed under designated "Personal category container" galleries. They also show up in a tab on the member's profile. Members can only add content to their own galleries unless they have the "Submit to categories belonging to other members" permission. |
Question | Can I Use Composr Galleries to Publish Podcasts? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr supports creating podcasts from galleries. The podcast URL follows this format: http://yourbaseurl/backend.php?mode=galleries&select=galleryname&type=rss&itunes=1. Replace yourbaseurl and galleryname accordingly. This URL can be used to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or other podcast applications. |
Question | Can I import or export member data? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr allows you to import and export member data using CSV spreadsheet files. This is useful for transferring member information between different systems, performing bulk updates, or creating backups. The export feature provides various filtering options, and the import feature supports adding new members and updating existing ones. Go to Admin Zone > Security > Members > Export members. |
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 | Can I change the URL scheme after my website is already live? |
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Answer | Yes, you can enable or change a URL scheme on an existing website. Old URLs will redirect to the new format, ensuring that your SEO isn't negatively impacted. The canonical URL will also be specified in your website's HTML, further protecting your search rankings. |
Question | Can I moderate content in Composr forums? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr provides various moderation tools for managing forum content. Moderators can edit or delete posts and topics, move topics between forums, close or open discussions, and validate content submitted by users who require approval. These are done in an actions dropdown on a topic, or through buttons on individual posts. |
Question | Can I restrict who can see specific banners? |
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Answer | Yes, by enabling the "Permissions" configuration option in the Admin Zone (Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options > Banners), you can control which usergroups can see individual banners. This feature allows for banner targeting and prevents inappropriate banners from being shown to specific audiences, such as adult banners to minors. |
Question | Can I add external feeds to the calendar? |
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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 | Can I use the calendar as a personal diary and keep my entries private? |
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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 | Can I customize the look and feel of my catalogue? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr allows advanced users to customize catalogue appearance through Tempcode programming. This involves using template IF directives to apply specific styles based on the catalogue's name and manipulating template parameters for complex layouts. Alternatively, you can create new template files using the catalogue name in the file to specify complete templates for specific catalogues. Check out the tutorials for more information. |
Question | Can I download chat logs? |
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Answer | Yes, you can download logs of any chat conversation. Simply navigate to the chatroom, click on the "Download chat logs" link, specify the desired date/time range, and the system will generate a downloadable log file for you. |
Question | Can I use Comcode / resource IDs directly when working with the repository? |
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Answer | Using Comcode / resource IDs directly is not recommended as they may not match between different sites. Use GUIDs instead, which Composr automatically substitutes for IDs before parsing Comcode. You can use Commandr commands like find_guid_via_id to find the GUID for specific resources. |
Question | Can I display forum content in a prominent way on my Composr site? |
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Answer | Absolutely! Composr provides several blocks designed for featuring forum content:
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Question | Can I customize the appearance of blocks? |
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Answer | Yes, you can style blocks by editing the associated templates and CSS. Templates are typically named after the block they represent. For example, the main_news block uses the BLOCK_MAIN_NEWS.tpl template. |
Question | Can you give an example of creating a new module? |
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Answer | Imagine creating a "Testing" module to manage collaborative testing:
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Question | Can I install Composr on a Windows desktop? |
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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. |
Question | Can I switch forums after installing Composr? |
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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 | Can I integrate third-party JavaScript libraries into Composr? |
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Answer | Yes, you can integrate third-party JavaScript libraries using various methods:
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Question | Can I import data from other platforms into Composr? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr offers importers for several popular platforms:
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Question | Can I switch from a third-party forum to Conversr (Composr's built-in forum)? |
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Answer | Yes, if an importer exists for your current forum software, you can switch to Conversr during the import process. Composr will handle the forum driver switch and remap user IDs, but it's recommended to double-check permissions afterward. |
Question | Can I translate images with text on them? |
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Answer | Yes, you can translate images containing text. In the themes/default/images/ directory, you'll find an EN folder containing images with English text.
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Question | Can I translate my content into multiple languages? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr supports multi-language content. You can enable this feature by:
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Question | Can I have subsites and subcommunities within a single Composr installation? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr offers various tools to create subsites and subcommunities within a single installation:
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Question | Can I share content like news and banners across the M.S.N.? |
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Answer | Yes, you can share news by placing it on the central site and using RSS blocks on satellite sites to display it. Banners can be shared by adding them to the central site and configuring satellite sites to use the central site's banner.php script. |
Question | Can I control which notifications members receive? |
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Answer | Yes, you can control notification settings through two mechanisms:
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Question | Can I reward members who use specific browsers or operating systems? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr allows you to configure bonus points based on browser/platform criteria. You can set bonus points for members using Open Source browsers, specific operating systems, or even those who have enabled privacy features like "Do Not Track" (DNT) or "Global Privacy Control" (GPC). |
Question | Can members send points to each other? |
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Answer | Yes, members can send points to each other as a token of appreciation, reward for a service, or as part of an agreement using the Points Escrow system. |
Question | Can I create a leaderboard to showcase top point earners? |
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Answer | Yes, Composr offers a leaderboard block and module to display top point holders. You can customize the leaderboard to show weekly, monthly, or yearly rankings, filter by usergroups, and exclude staff members if desired. This can encourage healthy competition and motivate members to earn points. Go to Admin Zone > Setup > Leader-boards to create a leader-board. |
Question | Can I reward users for completing quizzes? |
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Answer | Yes, you can reward users with points for successfully passing a test. This incentivizes participation and encourages users to engage with your content. |
Question | Can I create complex, multi-screen quiz interfaces in Composr? |
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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. |
Question | Can I filter my search results? |
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Answer | Yes, you can filter your search results by:
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Question | Can I integrate a dedicated issue management system with Composr? |
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Answer | While Composr doesn't have a built-in issue tracker, a non-bundled addon (cms_homesite_tracker) provides an integrated, modified version of Mantis. Additionally, the Support Ticket system can function as a basic private issue tracker using features like Post Templates. |
Question | Can users contribute content to Wiki+? |
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Answer | Yes, users can contribute content to Wiki+ through posts. When the "Show posts" option is enabled for a page, users can add their insights and information as posts below the main page content. |
Question | Can I track changes made to Wiki+ pages? |
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Answer | Yes, Wiki+ includes a revision history feature accessible through the page edit screen. This feature allows you to view a log of edits, see changes highlighted in tooltips, and revert to previous versions of a page as needed. |
Question | Can I move a Wiki+ page? |
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Answer | Technically, Wiki+ pages cannot be moved because they don't have a fixed location within the network structure. Creating child links forms a path, not a strict hierarchy. However, you can manipulate the breadcrumbs by ensuring only one path leads to a page. |
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Question | Does Composr comply with accessibility standards? |
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Answer | - Yes, Composr complies with the highest level of the WCAG (version 1.0 at the time of writing), level 3. - Composr also meets Section 508 guidelines, XHTML and CSS specifications, and the highest level of ATAG. - Composr conforms to these standards throughout, from user-facing screens to administrator interfaces. |
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Question | How can I make sure my Composr website is accessible? |
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Answer | Enable the web standards checker in Composr while editing templates. Also do the same when previewing edited or new Comcode pages. Use the provided accessibility options in the Admin Zone to customize the webmaster experience according to your accessibility needs. Follow the webmaster concerns outlined in the "Helping improve site accessibility for disabled users" tutorial. Regularly test your website using third-party accessibility validation tools such as the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or the AChecker. |
Question | How do I provide text equivalents for images and multimedia in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr's web standards checker ensures that alternative text (using the "alt" attribute) is provided for images. It will warn if any images do not contain alt text. For multimedia, webmasters are responsible for providing captions and auditory descriptions either in the multimedia itself, on the description of the media, or uploaded as a caption file. |
Question | How does Composr handle color contrast for accessibility? |
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Answer | Composr is designed with high graphic standards that aim to avoid poor color contrast in the default theme and Theme Wizard. But it is not perfect, especially for dark mode themes. Webmasters are still responsible for ensuring sufficient contrast in their own content and in custom themes. |
Question | How does Composr ensure accessible data tables? |
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Answer | The web standards checker enforces proper markup for data tables, including identifying row and column headers, and associating data cells with header cells. It ensures that tables are not used for layout (flex boxes and HTML grids are preferred for mobile responsiveness) unless they make sense when linearized. Composr provides summaries for tables to aid non-visual user agents in understanding their structure and content. |
Question | How does Composr handle forms for accessibility? |
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Answer | The web standards checker ensures that form labels are properly positioned and explicitly associated with their controls. It also checks that form elements have a logical tab order and are keyboard operable. |
Question | How do I access the Admin Zone? |
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Answer | You can access the Admin Zone by clicking the "Admin Zone" link located at the bottom of every page on your website, assuming you are using the default theme. If you are logged in as a staff member, your user menu will also have a link to the Admin Zone or the Content Management Zone. You might be asked to log in again / confirm your session for security reasons. |
Question | How can I stay informed about the latest Composr version? |
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Answer | The Admin Zone dashboard displays information about your current Composr version and alerts you if it's not the most recent one. A link will be provided to guide you through the upgrade process if necessary. |
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 | 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 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 | 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 hide a Comcode page from the sitemap? |
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Answer | If you want to prevent a Comcode page from appearing in your sitemap, you can simply prefix its name with an underscore (_). For example, pages named "_test" or "_example" would be excluded from the sitemap. Note that this generally does not hide the page from your site itself (to do that, use the validation addon to turn validated to "OFF" for the pages); it only hides them from the sitemap / search engines. |
Question | How do I change my website's logo? |
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Answer | You can change your site's logo manually or by using the Logo Wizard. To change it manually, go to Admin Zone > Style > Themes. Choose "logo/-logo" from the dropdown list, which represents the logo for the Welcome Zone and any zone without a specific logo. Replace the current image by uploading a new .jpeg, .gif, or .png file. Ensure that the 'Name' field remains unchanged. |
Question | How do I set up the system scheduler in Composr? |
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Answer | The system scheduler is crucial for scheduled tasks like sending notifications, running backups, and processing reports. To set it up, you need to schedule a system-level task to run the data/cron_bridge.php file at least every 10 minutes. This links Composr's scheduler with your server's scheduler (like Cron on Linux). Composr can often detect the correct command to use for your setup. You can check by visiting http://yourbaseurl/data/cron_bridge.php?query_mode=1, which should display the suggested Cron command. Note that you may need to replace the php command with the absolute path to PHP if you cannot use the php command directly. If your hosting doesn't support Cron or scheduled tasks, you can enable scheduled tasks to run when visitors access your site. Navigate to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Performance options and check "Web requests run scheduled tasks". Keep in mind that this method relies on visitor traffic and isn't as reliable as a dedicated scheduler. Alternatively, consider using external services like EasyCron, setcronjob.com, or onlinecronjobs.com. These services allow you to schedule calls to the data/cron_bridge.php script by URL at specified intervals. |
Question | How do Composr permissions work? |
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Answer | Composr employs a multi-layered permission system with two main types: privileges and access permissions. The system grants users the best possible access based on the combination of their usergroups. Privileges define broad permissions, such as accessing a closed site or content manipulation abilities based on impact level (low, medium, high). You can set privileges for usergroups via checkboxes, with the option to override them for specific pages or categories. Go to Admin Zone > Security > Global privileges. Access permissions control what content users can view. These permissions are layered:
To configure access permissions, you can edit the specific resource or utilize the Permissions Tree Editor under Admin Zone > Security > Permissions Tree Editor. |
Question | How do I open or close my Composr website to the public? |
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Answer | By default, your Composr site is closed after installation. To open it to the public (or to close an opened site), go to Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Site options > Closed site and adjust the setting accordingly. You can also configure a closed site message. While a closed site prevents public access, it's worth noting that users can still join a closed Conversr-powered site if they have access to the join module URL. However, they won't be able to log in unless they're assigned to a usergroup with "Access closed site" permissions. You can modify the join module's permissions to restrict access further. |
Question | How can I change the structure of my Composr website's pages? |
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Answer | You can delete and move pages using the Admin Zone > Structure > Sitemap editor. However, moving pages between zones might invalidate existing page-links unless specified using the _SEARCH zone in the link. To avoid issues with existing links and search engine indexing, consider setting up redirects when moving pages. This can be done through Admin Zone > Structure > Redirects. It is recommended not to move default Composr pages as it can complicate future upgrades. |
Question | How do I set up PayPal in Composr? |
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Answer |
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Question | How do I handle taxes in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers flexible tax handling:
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Question | How do I manage refunds in Composr? |
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Answer |
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Question | How can I audit my eCommerce activity in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr provides tools for monitoring your eCommerce activities:
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Question | How can I keep track of activity in busy forums? |
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Answer | Composr provides several tools to help you stay up-to-date with forum activity:
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Question | How do I organize my forums effectively? |
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Answer |
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Question | How do topic polls work? |
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Answer | Topic polls are a powerful tool for gauging opinion within discussions. You can:
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Question | How can I control who can post in my forums? |
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Answer | You can manage posting permissions using Composr's usergroup system.
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Question | How do I debug email integration issues? |
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Answer |
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Question | How are forums structured in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr forums are organized hierarchically:
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Question | How Do I Import Images in bulk into a Gallery? |
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Answer | You can import images in bulk using a CSV file. The file should be named descriptions.csv and placed in the uploads/galleries directory. The first column should contain filenames (without the path), and the second column should contain descriptions. The filenames should correspond to images also located in the uploads/galleries directory. Composr will automatically match the descriptions to the images during import. |
Question | How Do Gallery Slide-shows Work? |
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Answer | When viewing an image or video in a gallery, visitors can initiate a slide-show that automatically cycles through subsequent entries. The slide-show can be paused with a click or keypress. The default slide-show speed can be adjusted by modifying the GALLERY_ENTRY_SCREEN.tpl template. |
Question | How do new members join a Conversr website? |
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Answer | Members can join your Composr site in a few ways:
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Question | How can I enhance or enforce the security of member passwords? |
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Answer | Composr offers several features to improve password security:
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Question | How can members edit their profiles and account settings? |
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Answer | Members can edit their profiles and account settings through the "Edit" tab on their profile page. They can change their password, update personal information, manage their avatar and signature, and adjust their privacy settings. Administrators have access to additional options for managing member accounts. |
Question | How do I schedule a news post to be published at a specific time? |
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Answer | Once you have enabled the system scheduler (requires the Composr calendar and commandr addons), an advanced scheduling option will appear when adding or editing news posts. By setting a future date and time, your post will remain unvalidated until the chosen time, at which point it will be automatically validated and published. |
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 | 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 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 | 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 | How can I test if my permission settings are working correctly? |
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Answer | Composr's "SU" feature allows administrators to temporarily assume the identity of another user, enabling you to experience the site as they would. Simply enter the desired username in the "SU" box in the footer. You can also use "Guest" to browse as an unauthenticated visitor. Remember that using "SU" doesn't accurately reflect online status and retains administrator access to sensitive areas. |
Question | How do menus work in Composr, and can I customize them? |
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Answer | Composr has a flexible menu system that can be customized to your needs.
Menus can be added to panels (sidebars, headers, footers) or embedded directly within Comcode pages. The menu editor provides tools for adding branches, setting captions, tooltips, and URLs, and even defining context-sensitive behavior using "match-keys." |
Question | How can I control which panels are displayed on specific pages? |
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Answer | Panels are the areas around your main content area where you can place menus, blocks, and other dynamic elements. You can control panel visibility using display rules within your panel's Comcode: {+START,IF,{$NEQ,{$PAGE},example_page_1,example_page_2,example_page_3}} ... panel content ... {+END} This example prevents the panel from showing on pages named "example_page_1," "example_page_2," and "example_page_3." |
Question | How do URL schemes work, and what are the benefits of using them? |
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Answer | URL schemes allow you to control the structure of your website's URLs. Composr offers several schemes that create shorter, more user-friendly URLs:
Benefits of using URL schemes include:
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Question | How does Composr prevent spam? |
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Answer | Composr offers several tools and techniques to combat spam, including:
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Question | How can I report spam in Composr? |
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Answer | You can report spam using the "report this" link or "report" (forum post button) feature. This alerts staff to the issue, allowing them to investigate and take appropriate action, such as deleting the spam, warning the user, or banning them. It also creates a Support Ticket between the reporter and staff in case the staff need further information. |
Question | How does Composr track user activity? |
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Answer | Composr logs IP addresses for various actions like guest posting, page views, and content submissions. This data helps identify potential spammers and track user behavior. The "Investigate user" module provides tools to analyze IP addresses and gather additional information about suspicious activity. |
Question | How does Composr handle user banning and what options are available? |
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Answer | Composr offers various banning mechanisms. You can ban members by editing their accounts (ban member tick box), preventing logins while still allowing guest access. IP address banning blocks access from specific IP addresses or ranges (Admin Zone > Security > Members > Investigate user to see their IP addresses and flag certain ones for banning). You can also restrict member submissions, or you can effectively "suspend" users by assigning them to a usergroup with minimal privileges (e.g. probation). |
Question | How can I control the privacy of member profile fields? |
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Answer | You can control the privacy of member profile fields through the "Member privacy controls" configuration option. If you enable the "Extended privacy option control", you can fine-tune visibility settings for each field. Otherwise, you can set simple access levels (e.g., not at all, to members, to friends, to everyone) for each field. |
Question | How do I create a backup of my Composr website? |
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Answer | Composr offers a built-in backup addon accessible from Admin Zone > Tools > Backups. You can choose between full, incremental, and database-only backups.
The addon allows scheduled backups or manual backup generation. It is recommended to download backups to a location outside your web server for better security. Note: The Composr backup addon is limited by server-side PHP capabilities and might not always be reliable. Consider using alternative backup strategies offered by your web hosting control panel for increased reliability. |
Question | How do I restore my Composr website from a backup? |
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Answer | Composr backups come as .tar or .tar.gz files. Extract the archive using an extraction program like 7-zip or your web hosting control panel. To restore a full backup:
To restore incremental backups:
|
Question | How can I reset a forgotten account password in Composr? |
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Answer | If you have access to phpMyAdmin:
If you have FTP access:
|
Question | How can I manually edit my Composr database? |
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Answer | phpMyAdmin is a widely used web-based tool for managing MySQL databases. It allows you to:
Refer to the "Manually editing your database with phpMyAdmin" tutorial for more detailed instructions. |
Question | How does JavaScript enhance website interactivity? |
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Answer | JavaScript is a programming language that runs in web browsers, allowing for dynamic and interactive elements on web pages. It enables features like:
Composr relies on JavaScript for its default theme and administrative features. |
Question | How does Composr handle browser compatibility? |
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Answer | Composr aims to support all modern browsers, including the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer 11. It is designed to work seamlessly with browsers that automatically update, like Chrome and Firefox. For browsers with manual updates, Composr generally supports the last two releases. While not explicitly supported, Composr will often address bug reports for other popular browsers like Opera, Chromium, and Konqueror. Additionally, Composr strives to provide an accessible experience for text-mode browsers and those designed for users with disabilities. |
Question | How can I test my website's compatibility across different browsers and devices? |
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Answer | Testing your website on different browsers and devices can be challenging due to operating system limitations and device availability. Here are some solutions:
|
Question | How does Composr ensure printed web pages look appropriate? |
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Answer | Composr uses a combination of approaches to ensure printed web pages have a suitable layout:
|
Question | How do I categorize events? |
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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 | How do I add events to the calendar? |
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Answer | You can add events in several ways:
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 can I schedule Commandr commands to run automatically? |
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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 | How can I set up reminders for events? |
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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 are breadcrumbs handled in catalogue views? |
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Answer | Catalogue breadcrumbs can be customized using XML code (Admin Zone > Structure > Configure breadcrumb overrides). By default, they include the list of catalogues. However, Composr provides default breadcrumb XML that removes this, focusing on the current category hierarchy. Tree catalogues omit the index link, while non-tree catalogues include it. |
Question | How can I ensure the privacy of personal information stored in my catalogues? |
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Answer | Composr's privacy system can help manage personal data within catalogues. To leverage it:
|
Question | How can I communicate privately with other members? |
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Answer | Conversr offers two ways to have private conversations:
|
Question | How does the chat system work? |
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Answer | The chat system utilizes AJAX technology, enabling dynamic updates without requiring page reloads. It includes a "Chat Lobby" where users can view available chatrooms and manage their friend lists for instant messaging. Users can join chatrooms to participate in group conversations or engage in private conversations with friends. |
Question | How can I moderate the chatrooms? |
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Answer | Composr offers a range of moderation features. Moderators can edit or delete messages, ban disruptive users, and delete entire chatrooms if necessary. Inline moderation links are available within chatrooms for quick actions, while the Admin Zone provides comprehensive moderation tools for managing chat content and user behavior. |
Question | How is the Composr Repository structured? |
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Answer | The repository is structured as a filesystem with various meta-filesystems mounted under a root directory. These meta-filesystems include:
|
Question | How can I access the Composr Repository? |
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Answer | You can access the repository using WebDAV (non-bundled addon), which allows you to view it as a folder on your computer. Composr uses the SabreDAV PHP library for WebDAV functionality. However, please be aware that SabreDAV is deprecated and may not function correctly on newer PHP versions. |
Question | How can design elements like dominance and attention to detail improve a website? |
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Answer | Dominance and attention to detail are key to a balanced and engaging website. Important elements can be emphasized using techniques like larger text, unique colors, and increased spacing. Conversely, less crucial elements should receive less emphasis. This interplay helps guide the visitor's eye and ensures a visually harmonious layout. Attention to detail involves eliminating inconsistencies and distractions, such as typos, misaligned elements, and low-quality images, that can detract from the overall aesthetics and message of the website. |
Question | How can I create a theme pack for release in Composr? |
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Answer | After designing your theme, go to the admin panel's "Addons" section. You'll find an option to export your current theme as an addon. Composr will package the necessary files into a downloadable archive, ready to be shared with others or submitted to the Composr community for installation on other sites. |
Question | How do I make my website theme mobile-friendly in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers several features to optimize themes for mobile:
|
Question | How can I make my website design more appealing to different thinking styles? |
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Answer | Different individuals process information differently. Some are more visual, while others are more analytical. To appeal to diverse thinking styles, a website design should incorporate a balance of elements. For instance, using a striking header image coupled with well-structured, informative text can cater to both visual and analytical thinkers. Understanding your target audience and their thinking styles is key to creating a design that resonates with them. |
Question | How does Composr send emails? |
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Answer | Composr constructs emails using language strings and templates written in Comcode. It sends emails in both HTML and plain text formats to ensure compatibility with different email clients. To minimize the chance of emails being marked as spam, Composr embeds CSS and images directly into the email instead of linking to them externally. |
Question | How do I configure SMTP settings in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr can use either its own SMTP connection code or PHP's built-in SMTP functionality. Using PHP's SMTP settings is generally recommended and can be managed at the server level. However, if your SMTP server requires authentication (which PHP doesn't support natively) or if your server lacks an SMTP server, you'll need to use Composr's SMTP connection code, configurable in the Configuration module. |
Question | How can I prevent my emails from being marked as spam? |
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Answer | Here are some tips to reduce the likelihood of your emails being flagged as spam:
|
Question | How can I ensure my newsletters comply with data privacy regulations? |
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Answer | Composr provides built-in mechanisms for compliance:
|
Question | How can I customize the appearance of my newsletters? |
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Answer | You can customize the look of your newsletters by editing the following templates:
|
Question | How can I handle bounced emails? |
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Answer | 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 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. |
Question | How do I feature specific content items on my Composr site? |
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Answer | You can feature content using various methods:
|
Question | How can I create countdowns or display hit counters on my Composr website? |
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Answer | Composr offers blocks for both functionalities:
|
Question | How can I filter content in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr provides two filtering systems: Filtercode and Selectcode.
|
Question | How do I create custom filter forms for my content? |
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Answer | The main_content_filtering block can help you generate filter forms automatically. You can use it to create a default form and then customize the generated Filtercode string to refine the filtering options. Once satisfied, you can either continue using the block or extract the HTML and modify it further. |
Question | How can I embed third-party widgets into my Composr pages? |
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Answer | Composr supports embedding widgets from various websites, like Google Maps, Vimeo, and YouTube, by simply pasting the URL. For manually embedding widget code, you can paste it into the HTML source view of the WYSIWYG editor or within Comcode html tags if not using the WYSIWYG editor. |
Question | How can I customize Composr without modifying the core files? |
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Answer | Composr offers a robust override system. Instead of altering the original files, create a parallel structure within _custom directories. For example, to modify site/pages/modules/polls.php, place your customized version in site/pages/modules_custom/polls.php. The tutorials outline additional information on how to utilise overrides. |
Question | How can I export and import custom addons? |
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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 | How do I install Composr on Linux? |
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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:
|
Question | How do I set the correct file permissions for Composr? |
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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 uninstall Composr? |
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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 | How do comment topics work? |
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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 | How do I set up the forum base URL correctly? |
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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 can I integrate my forum visually into my website? |
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Answer | Composr allows you to integrate your forum visually into your website. Enable "Show forum within website" in the Admin Zone configuration module and update the forum link in your menu to pass through the "forums" embedding module. You may need to adjust CSS to achieve a seamless look. |
Question | How does Composr handle user authentication with external systems like LDAP or HTTP authentication? |
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Answer | Composr can integrate with LDAP and HTTP authentication, but these features are considered complex and may require programming experience to set up correctly. Both methods allow users to log in to Composr using their existing credentials from the external system, streamlining access and management. |
Question | How do I move my Composr website to a new server? |
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Answer | Moving a Composr site involves transferring both the files and the database. Files:
Database:
Important Steps:
|
Question | How does the HTML website importer work? |
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Answer | The HTML website importer is an advanced tool for migrating static HTML websites to Composr. It analyzes the HTML structure to create zones, Comcode pages, and a basic template. It also attempts to fix links and file paths for Composr compatibility. |
Question | How do I change the language of my Composr website? |
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Answer | Composr comes with English as the default language. To change to a different language:
You can test a language without changing settings by appending &keep_lang=XX to the URL, where XX is the language code (e.g., FR for French). |
Question | How do I translate the content on my Composr website? |
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Answer | Once you've installed a new language pack, you can translate existing content by:
|
Question | How can I contribute to translating Composr? |
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Answer | You can contribute to Composr's internationalization by:
|
Question | How does Composr implement the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern? |
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Answer |
|
Question | How do data-tpl and data-view behaviors work in Composr's JavaScript? |
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Answer | Composr uses data-tpl and data-view behaviors for associating HTML templates and JavaScript views, respectively. This facilitates clean separation of presentation and logic:
|
Question | How can I create effective website rules? |
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Answer | A well-defined rules page is crucial for setting expectations for user behavior and outlining consequences for violations. It should cover a range of offenses with appropriate punishments, reference relevant laws, and assign legal responsibility to users. Composr provides default rules pages that can be customized, and this page is displayed to users upon joining the site. |
Question | How can I ensure my website complies with email marketing laws? |
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Answer | Email marketing laws like CAN-SPAM protect recipients' rights to unsubscribe. Your website must include a clear 'List-Unsubscribe' header in every email, offer an easy unsubscribe process, and respect unsubscribe requests promptly. Composr provides built-in mechanisms, including an unsubscribe endpoint and support for the List-Unsubscribe header, to facilitate compliance. |
Question | How can I improve my website's ranking in search engines? |
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Answer | Composr offers various features and best practices to enhance your SEO:
|
Question | How can I edit the metadata in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr provides several ways to customize your metadata:
|
Question | How do I report a bug in Composr? |
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Answer | Every bug, no matter how small, should be reported. You can report bugs using the Report Issue Wizard or directly through the issue tracker. There is also a link to report bugs on your Admin Zone Dashboard where the version information is located. And when clicking that link, you can view open issues specific to your version of Composr. When reporting a bug, be sure to:
|
Question | How do I report a security problem? |
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Answer | Security problems must be reported privately. You can do this by marking the issue as 'Private' on the issue tracker (if you use the Report Issue Wizard, it will do that automatically when you select security-hole). Publicly disclosing security holes is irresponsible and may result in penalties. The core developer team will disclose the issue after a patch is released. |
Question | How can I get support for Composr? |
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Answer | The community forum is an excellent resource for support. Users can help each other out with various problems. However, please remember that there's no guarantee of free professional support. If you need immediate or guaranteed assistance, consider hiring a professional developer. |
Question | How do I report an emergency problem with my Composr site? |
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Answer | Emergency problems are events that have significantly and suddenly affected your website's functionality due to legitimate bugs or undocumented usability issues. To report these:
|
Question | How do I make a feature suggestion for Composr? |
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Answer | You can suggest features through the tracker or the Report Issue Wizard. When making a suggestion:
|
Question | How can I provide design feedback for Composr? |
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Answer | Constructive design feedback is valuable. To provide effective feedback:
|
Question | How can I obtain Composr Mobile SDK? |
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Answer | The iOS/Android SDK can be found on GitLab at: Composr ecosystem / Composr Mobile SDK · GitLab. To connect to a Composr site, you will need to install the composr_mobile_sdk addon, which is not bundled. This addon provides scripting to generate app assets from the Composr site. |
Question | How do I access the server-side API for my mobile app? |
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Answer | The server-side API can be accessed via HTTP calls to http://yourbaseurl/data/endpoint.php. Results are returned in JSON format. The API utilizes endpoints with a 'hook' name and a 'hook type' categorization. Both REST-style and GET-parameter style requests are supported, with the latter recommended for simplicity. |
Question | How does authentication work with the server-side API? |
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Answer | Authentication is handled automatically using cookies, similar to regular website requests. If cookies are not feasible, the response parameters device_auth_member_id_cn/device_auth_pass_hashed_cn/device_auth_member_id_vl/device_auth_pass_hashed_vl from the login endpoint can be resent as POST parameters in subsequent requests. |
Question | How do I set up Composr Mobile SDK in my iOS and Android projects? |
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Answer | iOS (Xcode):
Android (Eclipse):
|
Question | How can I troubleshoot notification problems? |
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Answer | If you're having issues with notifications, here are some troubleshooting steps:
|
Question | How can I reduce disk activity to improve performance? |
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Answer | If your hard disk is slow, you can implement the following settings in your _config.php file to minimize disk access:
Note: These settings override default behaviors and may have unintended consequences. Use with caution. |
Question | How can I use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to enhance my website? |
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Answer | CDNs improve website performance by serving content from geographically distributed servers, reducing latency and server load. You can leverage CDNs for your Composr website by:
|
Question | How can I access PHP-Info in Composr? |
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Answer | PHP-Info provides a comprehensive overview of your PHP configuration. You can access it within Composr by navigating to Admin Zone > Tools > PHP-Info / Server Checks. This page also provides additional useful server information. |
Question | How can members earn points on my Composr website? |
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Answer | Members can earn points in various ways, including:
Most earning methods can be customized in the Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Points options to fit your website's needs. |
Question | How does content validation affect point earning? |
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Answer | Points are typically awarded immediately upon content submission to encourage participation. However, forum posts requiring validation only earn points after approval to deter spam. To further encourage high-quality content, consider using the "awards" addon to reward exceptional contributions. |
Question | How can I modify points for members? |
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Answer | Staff members with the "Moderate members' points" privilege can directly credit or debit points from members' accounts. This can be used to reward exceptional contributions, refund purchases, or penalize rule violations. |
Question | How does rank work in Conversr? |
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Answer | Conversr utilizes a rank system based on your accumulated rank points. As you earn points, you progress through different usergroups, unlocking new privileges and benefits. Your rank is a status symbol within the community and often grants access to exclusive features or content. This is subject to your configuration. To make a rank ladder based on points, go to Admin Zone > Security > Usergroups. You are given options regarding ranks when adding or editing a usergroup. Members can see their rank and progress on their member profile rank tab. They can also see all the rank-based benefits they unlocked and ones yet to unlock in future ranks. |
Question | How do I create and manage quizzes in Composr? |
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Answer | You can create, edit, and delete quizzes from the Composr Admin Zone:
|
Question | How can I implement security measures for my quizzes? |
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Answer | Composr provides several features to enhance quiz security and prevent cheating:
|
Question | How does scoring work for quizzes with different question types? |
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Answer |
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Question | How can I analyze quiz results effectively? |
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Answer | 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. |
Question | How do I mark correct answers in a quiz? |
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Answer | 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. |
Question | How do I search my Composr website? |
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Answer | There are a few ways to search your Composr website:
|
Question | How can I improve my search results? |
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Answer | Here are some tips for improving search results:
|
Question | How do stop words affect search results? |
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Answer | Stop words are common words (like "the", "a", "is") that are ignored by the search engine because they add noise and don't contribute to the meaning of the search query. You can customize the list of stop words for the fast custom index. See the search tutorial for more information. |
Question | How does the search engine handle different languages? |
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Answer | Composr's fast custom index supports multiple languages. Content is indexed based on its translated version, ensuring that you get relevant results even when searching in a different language. |
Question | How does Composr protect against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks? |
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Answer | Composr utilizes multiple layers of defense against XSS attacks:
|
Question | How can I enhance the security of my Composr installation on shared hosting? |
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Answer | Shared hosting environments can be inherently less secure. Here are some tips:
|
Question | How does Content Security Policy (CSP) contribute to Composr security? |
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Answer | CSP adds a layer of protection by controlling the resources the browser is allowed to load. It helps prevent:
Composr's CSP implementation utilizes "Trusted partner sites" and nonces for fine-grained control. |
Question | How can staff members collaborate effectively in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers various tools to facilitate staff collaboration:
|
Question | How can content issues be reported and addressed by staff? |
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Answer | Composr's content reporting system, powered by the Tickets addon, allows users to report problematic content to staff. Key features include:
This system ensures efficient handling of content issues, allowing staff to address concerns effectively while maintaining a transparent record of actions taken. |
Question | How should staff members be chosen for a Composr-based online community? |
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Answer | Choosing staff for online communities differs from traditional hiring processes due to factors like unpaid positions, varying time commitments, and remote interactions. Focus should be placed on identifying individuals with:
|
Question | How can staff be effectively managed in a Composr community? |
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Answer | Successful staff management requires a mindful approach that prioritizes fostering a positive and productive environment. Key recommendations include:
By fostering a supportive and empowering environment, community managers can enable staff to contribute their best efforts and drive the community's success. |
Question | How can potential conflicts between staff members be avoided (regarding content moderation)? |
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Answer | Composr incorporates "conflict detection" features to prevent staff from accidentally overwriting each other's work. When multiple staff members attempt to edit the same resource simultaneously, a warning message appears, prompting communication and coordination. Open communication and transparency are crucial. Encourage staff to share their ongoing tasks and plans with each other to prevent overlaps and potential conflicts. Utilizing shared tools like the staff checklist and private forums can further facilitate coordination. |
Question | How do I install geo-location data for Composr statistics? |
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Answer | Geo-location data installation is usually automatic during the Composr installation process. If not, you can manually install it by navigating to Admin Zone > Audit > Site statistics > Install geolocation data. This action will reschedule the installation task. If you don't see this option, the geo-location data is already installed. |
Question | How can I perform split testing in Composr? |
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Answer | Split testing in Composr involves combining tracking codes with events. The simplest approach utilizes Tempcode:
|
Question | How are time zones handled in Composr statistics? |
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Answer | All times in Composr statistics are displayed according to the configured website time zone, regardless of visitor or user account time zones. While this is a limitation due to pre-computation, some graphs displaying hourly stats and country filtering offer insights into local times for manual analysis. |
Question | How can I access the raw data behind the statistics graphs? |
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Answer | Every graph in Composr offers a spreadsheet export option. This allows you to download the data in a spreadsheet format, enabling detailed manual review or further analysis using third-party tools. |
Question | How can Composr be used as a support desk tool? |
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Answer | Composr offers three main systems for providing online support: 1. Support Ticket System: This system allows users to submit tickets and staff to respond, track, and resolve them. It features email notifications, ticket categorization and prioritization, staff assignment, and attachment support. 2. Discussion Forums: Conversr, Composr's built-in forum software, can be utilized for support by creating dedicated forums or subforums. Features like post templates and multi-moderations enhance support capabilities. 3. Feedback System: This system allows for comments on various content types, facilitating support directly related to that content. |
Question | How can I categorize and prioritize support requests? |
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Answer | Support Ticket System: Utilize support ticket types, managed in the Admin Zone > Setup > Support tickets. Staff can set individual notifications for different types. Discussion Forums: Create dedicated subforums for different support categories or priority levels. Feedback System: The content to which the feedback is attached implicitly categorizes it. For prioritization, subforums can be used. |
Question | How does Composr handle email integration for support? |
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Answer | Composr can integrate with email for ticket management, assuming certain requirements are met:
With email integration, users can submit tickets via email, and staff can reply through the system. Composr cleans up email text for ticket clarity and allows forwarding emails to the integrated address for efficient handling. |
Question | How can I restrict access to the support system to specific users? |
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Answer | Utilize Composr's page access permissions to control who can access the Support Ticket page. This ensures only authorized users can submit support requests. You can also control permissions based on ticket type when adding or editing a ticket type. Make sure if you go this route that the Support Ticket page permissions are very liberal (e.g. allow anyone to access, or just restrict to guests if you will never allow guests to make tickets). Otherwise, some people cannot make tickets even if they have permission on the type. |
Question | How does Wiki+ differ from a regular wiki? |
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Answer | While Wiki+ shares similarities with traditional wikis, it provides two key distinctions:
|
Question | How can I create and organize pages in Wiki+? |
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Answer | Pages in Wiki+ can be created in several ways:
|
Question | How can I view the complete tree structure of my Wiki+? |
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Answer | You can access a view of the complete Wiki+ tree structure through the designated option in the admin panel. However, it's important to note that this view will reflect guest access permissions. Some pages may be hidden if they are restricted to specific user groups. |
I
Question | I'm lost! How can I find a specific feature or setting? |
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Answer | The Admin Zone has a powerful search feature that you can access under the Help icon. It searches through various categories, including configuration options, privileges, templates, language strings, administrative modules, and more. You can even refine your search by adding "@sectionname" to the end of your search term to limit results to a specific section. |
Question | I'm getting a lot of spam on my site. What can I do? |
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Answer | Composr offers various anti-spam measures. Refer to the Anti-spam settings tutorial for advice on configuring these settings. If you believe there's an issue with the anti-spam system itself, report it to the issue tracker. Do not report general spam incidents. |
M
Question | My Composr installation seems corrupted. How can I repair it? |
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Answer | Composr offers several tools and methods for repairing corrupted installations:
|
Question | My language uses gendered descriptors. How can I handle this in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers solutions for languages with gendered descriptors:
|
Question | My website is experiencing performance issues. What should I do? |
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Answer | If you are experiencing performance issues, first identify the specific problem with your web host's help. Composr provides tools to manage database size, bandwidth, and disk I/O. However, high request volume or CPU usage may require server upgrades like a VPS or dedicated server. If your web host complains about resource usage, gather detailed information from them, including specific URLs causing problems and resource usage metrics. If their limits are unreasonable, consider switching web hosts. |
S
Question | Should I update my non-bundled addons after updating to a newer release of version 11? |
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Answer | Absolutely! Frequent changes may be made to both bundled and non-bundled addons. Bundled addons will be updated via the upgrader. For non-bundled addons, you will have to update them through the addons management screen (Admin Zone > Structure > Addons). You will be informed which ones need updated. Once version 11 reaches release candidate, we do not expect frequent updates to non-bundled addons anymore. But it is still good practice to check after every update. |
Question | Should I use the bleeding edge releases or the git repository? | ||||||||||||||
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Answer | That depends on several factors. Here are some pros and cons of each:
Click here to access the git repository. |
Question | Should I trust agencies that promise top search engine results? |
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Answer | No; be wary of agencies guaranteeing top rankings for any desired keyword. Achieving top results for competitive terms requires significant effort, expertise, and often, an ongoing strategy. Focus on agencies that prioritize ethical "white-hat" SEO techniques like creating valuable content, optimizing website structure, and building natural backlinks. Avoid those employing "black-hat" methods that can lead to penalties from search engines. |
W
Question | Why is there a separate website for version 11? |
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Answer | That is explained in detail in this news article on compo.sr including the migration plans and implications. |
Question | What are the current release plans for version 11? |
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Answer | As of July 22, 2024, we entered beta status where our focus is now smashing bugs and stabilising the software. All planned features have been implemented for 11.0 (and most others deferred to 11.1 or later), though we may still merge in a few minor features or tweaks. The upgrader has been tested on a typical non-custom v10 site. We will be releasing several beta versions in the beta phase. We do not know when we will be able to release the first Release Candidate or stable versions at this time. These plans are all subject to change without notice. |
Question | What accessibility features are built into Composr? |
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Answer | Composr has an inbuilt web standards checker that helps ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines. Composr provides automatic sitemap generation functionality, a default sitemap page, and an advanced menu editor to manage navigation. Composr supports ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications), which helps make dynamic content accessible. Composr includes options in the Admin Zone to fine-tune the webmaster experience for specific accessibility requirements. |
Question | What should I avoid doing in Composr to maintain accessibility? |
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Answer | Avoid using Comcode tags or other HTML elements that create dynamic effects in the user's browser, such as ticker and jumping. These can have a negative impact on navigation and scrolling. Provide alternate information for multimedia you upload so those with auditory impairments can still understand the content. Avoid creating multiple content items with the same title, as this can lead to accessibility issues and general user confusion. |
Question | What is the Admin Zone? |
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Answer | The Admin Zone is a special section of your Composr website that allows authorized staff members to perform various administrative tasks. It serves as the central hub for managing content, configuring settings, monitoring activity, and maintaining the overall health of your website. |
Question | What is the staff checklist in the Admin Zone? |
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Answer | The staff checklist is an automatically generated list of tasks that need attention on your website. It includes routine updates like assigning new awards or adding news, as well as less frequent but important tasks like backups, software updates, newsletters, content validation, and periodic content reviews. You can customize the frequency of these tasks in the 'Configuration' section under 'Administrative options'. You can also add your own custom tasks. Anyone with Admin Zone access can see the checklist. So you can collaborate with your highest level staff on it. |
Question | What is the action log, and how can I use it? |
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Answer | The action log keeps track of administrative and content-related actions on your website. It allows you to see who did what and when, providing valuable insights into site activity and accountability. You can filter the log to focus on specific actions, users, or timeframes. It's also helpful for revisiting previous tasks by providing links to the relevant content or settings. Go to the Admin Zone > Audit > Action logs. A quick action log block is also available on the dashboard. |
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. |
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 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 | 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 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 | What is the difference between blocks and boxes in Composr? |
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Answer | While both terms may seem similar, they have distinct meanings in Composr:
In practice, blocks often place their content within a box, but this isn't a requirement / standard. |
Question | What are some of the default Comcode pages in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr includes several default Comcode pages, each serving a specific purpose:
Remember that you can edit these default pages or create entirely new ones to tailor your site's content to your specific needs. |
Question | What are Composr addons and how do I manage them? |
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Answer | Composr is built using a series of addons that provide different functionalities. All "bundled" addons are installed by default. Once you are familiar with Composr, it's recommended to remove any bundled addons you don't need to simplify your site and prevent accidental exposure of unconfigured features to visitors (the Setup Wizard can also uninstall these addons based on your preferences). You can manage addons by navigating to Admin Zone > Structure > Addons. Uninstalled addons are archived and can be restored later, but any associated data will be permanently lost. Composr also offers non-bundled addons. These addons are not bundled because they are not considered mainstream, rely on third-party services, haven't been vetted to Composr standards, or don't fully conform to those standards. You can install non-bundled addons by going to Admin Zone > Structure > Addons, scrolling to the bottom and clicking "Import non-bundled addon(s)". You will need to browse to the addon file and click the import button. Once imported, review the warnings and proceed to install the addon. You can also download and import addons from this website under the Downloads section. |
Question | What are the different security levels in Composr's Setup Wizard and what do they affect? |
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Answer | Composr offers five security levels in the Setup Wizard: Minimum, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra High. Each level sets various security configurations that you can later customize under Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration. The security levels influence settings such as:
The higher the security level, the more stringent the security measures, with Ultra High offering the most robust protection but the most potential inconvenience to users. Generally, you should use these settings depending on your site:
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Question | What is the .htaccess file and how does it relate to Composr? |
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Answer | The .htaccess file is a configuration file for the Apache web server. It allows you to define settings that apply to the directory where it's located and its subdirectories. Composr can leverage .htaccess to enhance security and enable features like "URL Schemes." You can try renaming the provided recommended.htaccess file to .htaccess. This file includes recommended options that tighten security and ensure Composr has necessary PHP and Apache features activated. Note that some web hosts might restrict the use of .htaccess files. You should regularly review recommended.htaccess for changes between Composr updates. |
Question | What are Installation Options and how can I change them? |
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Answer | Installation Options are low-level settings for Composr, such as database details and default language. You can access the Installation Options editor through:
Remember that you'll need your maintenance password, specified during installation, to access and modify these options. |
Question | What is the Composr Setup Wizard and what does it do? |
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Answer | The Setup Wizard is a guided process to help you configure essential settings for your Composr website after installation. It can:
While convenient, be aware that re-running the Setup Wizard may overwrite existing settings and customizations if you already configured your site. |
Question | What are the different ways to add downloads to my Composr site? |
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Answer | Composr offers several methods for adding files to the download system:
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Question | What does it mean to "outmode" a download? |
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Answer | Outmoding means marking a download as superseded or replaced by a newer version. When editing the older download, you link it to the new one in the "outmode" field. This makes it clear to users that there is a newer version available. This is handy especially if you provide software. |
Question | Where are download galleries located, and can I move them? |
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Answer | By default, download galleries (to contain screenshots of a download) are placed under the root gallery. You can move them to a different gallery for better organization. Here's how:
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Question | What are the limitations for uploading large files? |
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Answer |
For very large files, it's recommended to upload them manually and provide the URL instead of directly uploading them through the web form. |
Question | What payment gateways does Composr support? |
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Answer | Composr supports PayPal, CCBill, and Authorize.Net for processing payments. While Composr could be extended to support other gateways, doing so may require professional development and customization. |
Question | What are the different types of products in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers various "products," which are broader than typical eCommerce products. They include:
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Question | What are the shipping options in Composr? |
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Answer | You can handle shipping costs in three ways:
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Question | What security measures should I consider for local payments? |
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Answer | While Composr supports local payments (Authorize.Net), it requires high PCI compliance. Ensure you adhere to the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) guidelines, including secure coding practices, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, regular security audits, and staff screening. |
Question | What are the different types of posts in Composr forums? |
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Answer |
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Question | What special features does Composr's Conversr offer compared to other forum software? |
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Answer |
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Question | What are Composr Galleries? |
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Answer | Composr Galleries are a system for storing, organizing, and displaying images and videos. They function like categories, allowing you to group related media together. Galleries can be structured hierarchically, with sub-galleries nested under parent galleries, similar to a folder system. Each gallery has settings that control its appearance and behavior. |
Question | What Image and Video Formats are Supported? |
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Answer | Images:
Videos:
Other formats, while they may work, are generally discouraged due to compatibility issues and lack of consistent addon or browser support. |
Question | What are Rep-Images and How Do I Set Them? |
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Answer | Rep-images, short for "representative images," are thumbnails that represent a gallery when it's displayed within a list of galleries. They offer a visual preview of the gallery's contents. You can set a rep-image when adding or editing a gallery, or when adding an image to a gallery. |
Question | What are Watermarks and How Do They Work? |
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Answer | Watermarks are semi-transparent images overlaid on gallery images to mark their origin or deter unauthorized use. When you add or edit a gallery, you can choose to apply watermarks to the corners of images. Watermarking applies permanently to the uploaded image. Composr uses a reverse tree structure for watermarks: if a sub-gallery doesn't have a watermark defined, it inherits the watermark from its parent gallery. |
Question | What is the Composr Member System? |
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Answer | The Composr Member System is the system used by the Conversr forum software to manage user accounts and information. This includes usernames, passwords, profile information, and usergroups. It also handles user registration, login, and account management. For websites not using Conversr, the member system of the third-party forum software would be used. |
Question | What are Custom Profile Fields (CPFs) and how are they used? |
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Answer | CPFs allow website administrators to collect additional information from members beyond the basic profile fields. These fields can be customized to fit the specific needs of the website, such as collecting job roles, hobbies, or interests. CPFs can be used to:
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Question | What are usergroups and how do they work? |
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Answer | Usergroups are a way to categorize members and assign them specific permissions and privileges. Each member can belong to one or more usergroups, and the permissions granted by those usergroups determine what actions they can perform on the website. Website administrators can create and manage usergroups, define their permissions, and assign members to them. They can also assign leaders who then have permission to manage the members of that specific usergroup. |
Question | What are Welcome Emails and how do they work? |
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Answer | Welcome Emails are a series of automated emails sent to new members on a predefined schedule. They can be used to introduce the website's features, encourage engagement, and provide helpful information. Website administrators can customize the content and schedule of these emails. |
Question | What is the difference between member terms? |
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Answer |
It's important to understand these distinctions to properly manage permissions, track user activity, and personalize the website experience. |
Question | What is "pinging" and how does it work in Composr? |
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Answer | In blogging, "pinging" is an automatic notification sent to blog search engines and other services when you publish a new post. Composr can automatically ping services defined in Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options. These services then index your new article, making it searchable. A default ping service (http://pingomatic.com/ping/?title=title&blogurl=url&rssurl=rss) is pre-configured to relay your ping to numerous other services. You can customize the ping URL with these placeholders:
Pinging only occurs for news categories accessible to the public (guests). |
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. |
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 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 | 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 | 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 | What are some useful tools for debugging permission issues? |
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Answer | Composr provides a couple of tools to help pinpoint permission problems:
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Question | What are some security considerations regarding super-moderators and super-administrators? |
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Answer | While super-moderators have extensive access to manage your site, certain sensitive privileges are reserved for super-administrators. This includes the ability to impersonate other users, execute arbitrary code, and view private content. These restrictions help prevent potential privilege escalation and ensure the overall security of your website. Exercise caution when granting super-moderator status and trust only reliable individuals. |
Question | What happens when I add a new usergroup to a third-party forum integrated with Composr? |
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Answer | If you are not using Conversr as your forum, Composr won't automatically assign any permissions to the new usergroup. To rectify this, you can use the "Absorb usergroup-permissions" feature in the Admin Zone. This tool allows you to copy the permissions from an existing usergroup to the newly created one, ensuring consistent access and functionality. |
Question | What are the different ways to control access in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers a robust permission system with various methods for controlling access:
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Question | What are "zones" in Composr, and what are they used for? |
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Answer | Zones are like sub-sites within your Composr website. They provide a way to organize content and apply different settings, like permissions, themes, and navigation. Some default zones include:
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Question | What is a "page-link," and how does it differ from a URL? |
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Answer | A page-link is a Composr-specific way to reference a page or screen within your website. It's a simplified, local representation of a URL, independent of the URL scheme you might be using. For example, the page-link site:downloads:browse:10 points to the download category with ID 10 in the site zone. This page-link remains consistent even if your URL scheme changes the way URLs are structured. Page-links also do not consider monikers, so if a URL moniker changes, page-links will stay the same. This is a powerful feature as you can use the Comcode [page="page-link"]Page title[/page] tag to generate URLs of local content. And these will always work regardless of URL scheme or moniker. |
Question | What are "breadcrumbs," and how can I customize them? |
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Answer | Breadcrumbs are a navigation aid that shows the user their current location within the website's hierarchy. In Composr, breadcrumbs are customizable through an XML file. You can override default breadcrumbs using "match-keys" to target specific pages and define the desired breadcrumb structure. This allows you to adjust the breadcrumb trail to better match your website's organization. To edit, go to Admin Zone > Structure > Configure breadcrumb overrides. |
Question | What is the "Sitemap" in Composr, and how is it used? |
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Answer | The Sitemap is a hierarchical representation of your website's content, including zones, pages, categories, and entries. Composr generates the Sitemap dynamically and uses it for various purposes:
You can edit the sitemap under Admin Zone > Structure > Sitemap editor. |
Question | What are CAPTCHAs and how do they work? |
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Answer | CAPTCHAs are tests designed to differentiate between human users and bots. Composr's unique CAPTCHA method uses CSS and JavaScript to generate images or audio challenges that are difficult for bots to solve. While effective, some spammers use human workers to bypass CAPTCHAs, leading to the need for additional anti-spam measures. |
Question | What are Remote Block Lists (RBLs)? |
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Answer | RBLs are third-party lists that track IP addresses associated with spamming activity. Composr can be configured to consult these lists and block or flag requests from suspicious IPs. However, relying solely on RBLs may lead to false positives, as some lists are overly broad. |
Question | What is the "black hole" technique and how does it work? |
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Answer | The "black hole" technique involves adding hidden fields to forms. While invisible to human users, bots often detect and fill these fields, revealing their nature. Composr uses this information to flag and block suspected spam submissions. |
Question | What is post history and why is it important? |
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Answer | Post history tracks changes made to forum posts, including edits and deletions. This feature helps monitor for inappropriate edits or attempts to cover up spam or rule violations. Staff can review the history, restore deleted content, or even permanently erase it. |
Question | What is the "Warn Member" form and how can I use it to handle rule violations? |
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Answer | The "Warn Member" form provides a centralized interface for addressing user misconduct. You can issue formal or off-the-book warnings, apply punitive actions like IP bans, usergroup changes, or probation, and even delete content or charge points. This form allows you to document reasons for actions, improving transparency and consistency in moderation. This tool can be accessed on a member's profile as staff, under Audit > Warn member. You can also review their warnings history on their "Standing" tab. |
Question | What advanced techniques are available for dealing with persistent spammers who repeatedly create new accounts? |
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Answer | Composr's advanced banning features target sophisticated human spammers. Automatic bans can be configured to block users based on specific strings in their posts, while reasoned bans display customized messages to banned users, potentially deterring them. These measures, coupled with the ability to investigate users via IP address analysis, offer robust tools for managing persistent threats. You can configure advanced banning under Admin Zone > Security > Configure advanced banning. |
Question | What is the difference between a Composr member and an author? |
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Answer | A member is someone who has created an account on your Composr website and can log in. They have a unique member ID and username, and can interact with the site's features. An author is someone who creates content for the site. They may or may not be a member. For example, you might have an author who submits articles via email but never actually visits or joins the website. |
Question | Why are backups necessary for my Composr website? |
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Answer | Disasters like hard disk failures, data corruption, and unexpected errors can happen at any time. A good backup strategy helps you recover your website and its data in case of such events. Backups can also help you roll back to a previous state if needed, such as after a failed upgrade or accidental changes. |
Question | What alternative backup strategies are available? |
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Answer | Many web hosting control panels include built-in backup features that operate at the system level, often offering higher reliability than web-based scripts. Ensure you back up both files and the database. For database backups, you can use tools like phpMyAdmin, which allows you to export your database as a .sql file. |
Question | What should I do if an addon causes problems on my Composr website? |
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Answer | Composr's Safe Mode can help isolate addon-related problems.
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Question | What should I do if URL Schemes are not working properly? |
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Answer | If URL Schemes, which rely on web server rewrites, are not functioning correctly, you can disable them using the http://yourbaseurl/config_editor.php script. Enable the option "Whether to block the URL Scheme (mod_rewrite)" to override the main configuration setting. |
Question | What are the different types of banner deployment agreements? |
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Answer | There are three types of banner deployment agreements:
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Question | What is a banner network, and how can I create one? |
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Answer | A banner network is a system for exchanging banners between websites. You can create a banner network in Composr by associating banners with specific websites. When a site joins your banner network, you provide them with an iframe code to display banners from your rotation. Composr uses a "hit balancing" system where sites in the network receive banner impressions based on the clicks they generate for other sites in the network. |
Question | What is a banner wave, and how is it different from a banner rotation? |
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Answer | A banner wave displays all banners within a specific type as a single advertising block, similar to a list of sponsors. In contrast, a banner rotation randomly displays banners from a set based on factors like display likelihood. You can add a banner wave using the main_banner_wave block and configure it to show a specific number of banners or all banners within a type. |
Question | What are the different media types supported for banners? |
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Answer | The Composr banner system supports various media types:
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Question | What are cookies and how do they work? |
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Answer | A cookie is a small piece of data that a website stores on a user's computer. It is sent from the user's web browser to the web server each time a page is viewed. Cookies are used for various purposes, including:
There are two main types of cookies:
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Question | What is the difference between cookies and sessions? |
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Answer | While both cookies and sessions are used for user identification and maintaining state, there are key differences:
Composr uses both cookies and sessions. Session cookies are primarily used for user identification (such as anonymously matching a user to a session in the server database), while persistent cookies can be used for remembering login details if the user chooses. |
Question | Why is understanding XHTML important for website customization? |
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Answer | XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language) is the language used to structure web page content. It defines the various elements of a webpage, such as headings, paragraphs, images, and links. Understanding XHTML is crucial for website customization because it allows you to:
Composr uses XHTML for its templates, allowing users to extensively customize the website's design and layout. |
Question | What is CSS and how does it impact website design? |
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Answer | CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a language used to describe the visual presentation of a web page written in HTML or XHTML. It controls aspects like:
By separating content structure (XHTML) from visual presentation (CSS), websites become easier to maintain and update. Changes to the design can be made without altering the underlying HTML structure. Composr utilizes CSS extensively for theming, allowing users to manipulate the website's visual appearance. |
Question | What are the recommended desktop settings for viewing a Composr website? |
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Answer | A minimum screen resolution of 1024x768 is strongly recommended for viewing a Composr website. This is the minimum resolution for which the default theme is designed. Using a lower resolution might lead to display issues or an unsatisfactory browsing experience. As of version 11, smaller resolutions will often trigger the mobile layout automatically (responsiveness) to ensure a better UI for smaller displays. |
Question | What web technologies does Composr use beyond HTML, CSS, and JavaScript? |
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Answer | Composr relies on a wide range of web technologies (depending on what features and settings you use), including:
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Question | What is an "event" in the Composr calendar system? |
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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. |
Question | What are the different views available in the calendar? |
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Answer | The calendar has five views:
You can easily navigate between these views to get different levels of detail and focus on specific periods or events. |
Question | What is the "recurrence pattern" and how does it work? |
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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 do I do if a recurring event needs to be changed or skipped? |
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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 are catalogues in Composr? |
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Answer | Catalogues are custom databases you can create within your Composr website. They allow you to define your own records with custom fields and organize them into categories. Think of them as powerful tools for managing various types of content, like a database of books, a directory of businesses, or even a classified ads system. |
Question | Why might I need a programmer for my catalogue? |
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Answer | While Composr catalogues offer great flexibility, they can become complex if you need sophisticated data relationships, efficient searching, high data reliability, or advanced customization. In these cases, a programmer's expertise in database design, normalization, and templating can be invaluable. |
Question | What are the different display types for catalogue entries? |
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Answer | Composr provides four main display types for catalogue entries:
It is possible to create your own templates including ones that are specific to a catalogue. Check out the catalogues tutorial for more information. |
Question | What is a tree catalogue and how do I create one quickly? |
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Answer | A tree catalogue has a hierarchical category structure (which can contain sub-categories), similar to the download system. Composr offers a special feature for creating tree catalogues by simply typing the desired categories in a specific format (which is explained and available when adding a new catalogue), which automatically generates the tree structure. Alternatively, a non-tree catalogue is simpler and only has top-level categories. |
Question | What are some specialized types of catalogues available in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr supports specialized catalogues, including:
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Question | What are some key considerations when choosing field types for my catalogue? |
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Answer | When selecting field types, consider:
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Question | What is the Composr Chat system? |
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Answer | Composr Chat is a feature built into the Composr CMS that provides both chatrooms and instant messaging capabilities. It offers real-time, text-based communication for users on your website. |
Question | What is Chatcode and how can I use it? |
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Answer | Chatcode is a system of simple commands that you can embed within your chat messages to perform advanced actions. These actions include sending private messages to specific users within a chatroom, interacting with automated bots, sending chatroom invitations, and even creating new chatrooms. |
Question | What is Commandr? |
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Answer | Commandr is a command-line interface designed for experienced system administrators who prefer using a command line over a GUI. It supplements the Composr Admin Zone, allowing you to execute commands in the form of:
You can access Commandr via the Admin Zone > Tools > Commandr or using the Commandr button in the footer. |
Question | What is the Composr Repository? |
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Answer | The Composr repository is a user-friendly representation of Composr's data, which is typically stored in a database and on the filesystem. It presents the data in an easily accessible format using the JSON standard and can be accessed as a folder on your computer via WebDAV. |
Question | What are the benefits of using the Composr Repository? |
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Answer | The repository offers several benefits:
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Question | What are the limitations of the Composr Repository? |
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Answer | While powerful, the repository has limitations:
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Question | What precautions should I take when using the Composr Repository? |
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Answer | Exercise caution when working with the repository:
|
Question | What is the importance of color schemes in website design? |
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Answer | Color schemes are crucial as they convey emotions and brand identity. Choosing colors that align with your website's purpose can evoke desired feelings in visitors. For example, a website selling chocolates might use shades of brown to subconsciously trigger associations with chocolate. However, an environmental website would be better suited using green, aligning with pre-existing perceptions of environmentalism. It is also important to maintain consistency with your color scheme, limiting the number of colors used to avoid a conflicting and cluttered appearance. |
Question | What are some alternatives to Photoshop for web design? |
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Answer | While Photoshop is a popular choice, there are other excellent options available, including:
|
Question | What is Tempcode, and how is it used in website themeing? |
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Answer | Tempcode is a templating language used within Composr. It offers a powerful way to control the output of dynamic content and design elements on a website. It works by using:
Tempcode empowers theme designers to create highly customizable and dynamic websites, allowing for logic, conditional rendering, and manipulation of various website elements. |
Question | What is responsive design, and why is it essential for mobile devices? |
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Answer | Responsive design ensures a website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, providing an optimal viewing experience across devices, particularly mobile phones and tablets. It utilizes techniques like flexible grids, fluid images, and CSS media queries to adjust layout and content based on screen dimensions. This is crucial because mobile device usage is significant, and a non-responsive site leads to a poor user experience on smaller screens, potentially driving visitors away. |
Question | What considerations are necessary when designing for different user levels on a website? |
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Answer | User levels often necessitate different content or functionalities. For instance, administrators might need access to content creation tools, while regular visitors only view published content. Consider these factors during design:
Remember, a well-designed website should cater to all user levels while maintaining security and a cohesive experience. |
Question | Why are my emails being blocked by spam filters? |
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Answer | Several factors can cause emails to be blocked:
|
Question | What are the different ways to target recipients for my newsletters? |
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Answer | Composr offers several targeting options:
|
Question | What are the benefits of featuring content on my Composr website? |
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Answer | Featuring content provides several advantages:
|
Question | What is the Composr Award system, and how do I use it? |
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Answer | The Award system is a powerful tool for highlighting and promoting specific content. Here's how it works:
|
Question | What is the difference between using the main_awards block and directly selecting content with the main_content block? |
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Answer | Both blocks can feature content, but they offer different approaches:
|
Question | What other methods exist for featuring content in Composr? |
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Answer |
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Question | What are blocks in Composr and how can I use them? |
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Answer | Blocks are dynamic elements that can be inserted into Comcode pages to add interactive and data-bound functionality to your website. They are essentially reusable components that automatically generate content, such as recent forum posts or information about the logged-in user. You can add blocks to your pages using the block construction assistant, which allows you to select from a list of available blocks, set their parameters, preview them, and generate the necessary Comcode. |
Question | What is the difference between Filtercode and Selectcode? |
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Answer | Filtercode is used for querying content based on properties and values, while Selectcode is used for directly specifying a list of IDs or categories to include or exclude. Filtercode offers more complex filtering options, while Selectcode is more straightforward for simple selections. |
Question | Where can I use Filtercode and Selectcode in Composr? |
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Answer | Filtercode is supported in various blocks, such as main_multi_content, main_gallery_embed, and main_cc_embed. It's also actively used in modules like catalogues, downloads, galleries, members, and news. Selectcode is supported in blocks and Comcode tags that explicitly mention it, including the main_multi_content block and the if_in_group Comcode tag. |
Question | What is the difference between blocks and boxes in Composr? |
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Answer | Boxes are visual elements that provide a container for content, while blocks are functional units that generate and display dynamic content. Although blocks often appear within boxes in the default templates, they are not inherently tied to any visual representation. |
Question | What are the main components of the Composr framework? |
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Answer | Composr consists of:
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Question | What are the different ways to extend Composr functionality? |
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Answer | You can extend Composr through:
|
Question | What is the purpose of the Code Editor? |
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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 | Where can I find resources for learning PHP programming? |
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Answer | While Composr documentation doesn't cover basic PHP, resources like the official PHP documentation ( |
Question | What are some key coding standards in Composr? |
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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 | What tools are available for debugging Composr code? |
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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 the prerequisites for installing Composr? |
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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 are the recommended web hosting options for Composr? |
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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 | What are the web server requirements for running Composr? |
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Answer | Composr is compatible with Apache and IIS servers. For Apache:
For IIS:
|
Question | What are the PHP requirements for running Composr? |
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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:
Additional recommendations:
Ensure the following PHP settings are configured:
|
Question | What forum drivers does Composr support? |
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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 is Conversr and why is it recommended? |
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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 are the implications of using the "none-forum" driver? |
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Answer | Using the "none-forum" driver disables or limits many Composr features, including commenting, points, and user interactions. Consider using Conversr instead and restricting access to the forum zone, join module, and personal zone. |
Question | What are the limitations of using a third-party forum driver? |
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Answer | Using a third-party forum driver can lead to limitations. Custom profile fields of type LONG_TEXT are limited to TEXT length, cookie integration is not officially supported and can be complex, and some forum drivers have specific quirks detailed in the nuances tutorial. |
Question | What data formats can Composr import? |
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Answer | Composr primarily uses database connections for importing. However, it also supports neutral data formats like CSV spreadsheet files and importing downloads from a directory. |
Question | Where can I find the import functionality in Composr? |
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Answer | Navigate to Admin Zone > Tools > Import. |
Question | What is a Composr import session? |
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Answer | Import sessions track the progress and ID remapping for each import, allowing you to merge multiple sites or resume interrupted imports. This is particularly useful when merging multiple Composr sites into one. |
Question | Where can I get help with the import process? |
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Answer | The Composr documentation provides extensive information. Additionally, you can seek assistance from experienced Composr developers, including the Composr team if your project allows for professional support. |
Question | What should I do after successfully importing data into Composr? |
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Answer | After importing, if all files like avatars, photos, and attachments have been copied to Composr's directories, you can remove the imported product's directory. However, it's advisable to keep the directory, database, and import session for a few weeks in case any data was not correctly imported and needs further attention. Importing is a complex process, so keeping backups and sources for a while is a good practice. |
Question | What is Transifex, and how does it help with translation? |
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Answer | Transifex is a collaborative online platform used by the Composr community for translation. Its benefits include:
|
Question | What are language strings, and how are they used? |
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Answer | Language strings are phrases or pieces of text used throughout Composr. They're identified by unique codenames, like WELCOME_MESSAGE. These strings are stored in .ini language files and used to display text in the user interface. By translating language strings, you change the text displayed on your website without modifying the underlying code. |
Question | What are the advantages of using Composr's JavaScript libraries? |
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Answer | Composr's JavaScript libraries like $cms, $util, and $dom offer several advantages:
|
Question | What are the key legal considerations for running a website? |
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Answer | Several legal aspects need careful attention when operating a website, especially for large or corporate sites. These include establishing clear rules and terms of service, adhering to privacy laws like GDPR and California's regulations, managing personal data responsibly, complying with email marketing regulations like CAN-SPAM, ensuring website accessibility, addressing eCommerce regulations, and understanding liability for content and user actions. |
Question | What are my responsibilities regarding user privacy? |
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Answer | You must have a comprehensive privacy policy that details the personal data you collect, its usage, and if it's shared with third parties. Laws like GDPR have strict requirements, including logging data access, data purging, and security measures. California law mandates specific elements in your policy, like handling "Do Not Track" requests and a clear process for communicating changes. Composr has an automatic Privacy Policy generator block to help you get started. This is used by default. |
Question | What steps should I take to make my website accessible? |
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Answer | Website accessibility is essential for inclusivity and may be legally required under anti-discrimination laws. Composr is designed to meet high accessibility standards, but you need to maintain this when creating content or modifying templates. Following WCAG guidelines is crucial, and you can find more information in the accessibility tutorial. |
Question | What are my legal responsibilities regarding illegal content posted by users? |
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Answer | While "safe harbor" laws offer some protection, you are still obligated to take down illegal content upon becoming aware of it. Implement measures like content checks, clear rules prohibiting illegal uploads, and liability disclaimers. The level of responsibility varies depending on the severity of the content, from copyright infringement to more serious criminal content. |
Question | What are some social considerations for running a website with community features? |
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Answer | Managing a community involves addressing social issues like child protection, free speech, discrimination, and abuse. Establish clear policies on these matters, including content moderation guidelines and procedures for handling feedback. Consider the diverse personalities and potential vulnerabilities of your users. |
Question | What resources are available to help me navigate these legal and social challenges? |
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Answer | Composr offers various resources, including tutorials on accessibility, staff management, and general website dos and don'ts. You can also consult external resources like the COPPA website and Wikipedia for more in-depth information on specific laws and regulations. Remember that seeking legal counsel may be necessary for complex situations. |
Question | What should I do about offensive or off-topic discussions? |
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Answer | Decide on your moderation approach: balancing viewpoints, adhering to community standards, or focusing on topic relevance. Be prepared to face criticism regardless of your decisions. Establish clear rules and policies to guide user behavior. |
Question | What is metadata and why is it important for my website? |
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Answer | Metadata is information about your web pages that isn't directly visible to visitors, but is used by search engines and social media platforms to understand and categorize your content. Well-crafted metadata helps search engines properly index your site, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results. It also improves how your website appears when shared on social media, encouraging clicks and engagement. |
Question | What are the primary metadata elements I should focus on? |
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Answer | While Composr provides extensive metadata options, the key elements to prioritize are:
|
Question | What is an XML Sitemap and why is it important? |
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Answer | An XML Sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines understand your site's structure and content. Composr automatically generates a comprehensive sitemap, including forum topics if you are using Conversr. Ensure your system scheduler is enabled for automatic sitemap submission to search engines. You can also manually generate and submit the sitemap if necessary. |
Question | What are URL Monikers and how do they benefit SEO? |
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Answer | URL Monikers replace generic numerical IDs in your URLs with descriptive keywords derived from your content titles. For example, instead of yoursite.com/page.php?id=123, you can have yoursite.com/about-us. This makes your URLs more user-friendly and helps search engines understand the topic of each page, improving your search ranking. You can set monikers in the "Metadata" section when adding / editing content. |
Question | What is SEO and why is it important for my Composr website? |
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Answer | SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By improving your SEO, you increase the visibility of your website, driving more organic (non-paid) traffic to your content. |
Question | What is the role of robots.txt in SEO? |
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Answer | The robots.txt file provides instructions to search engine crawlers about which parts of your website they should and should not access. You can customize the robots.txt file to prevent sensitive content from being indexed or to guide crawlers toward the most important areas of your site. |
Question | What are the general courtesy guidelines for interacting with the Composr community? |
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Answer |
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Question | What is the Composr maintenance policy? |
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Answer | Composr follows a rolling release model. This means:
This policy allows developers to focus resources on the latest versions and encourages users to leverage the ongoing improvements. You can find the release status on the Composr maintenance status page. |
Question | What is Composr Mobile SDK? |
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Answer | Composr Mobile SDK (CMS SDK) is a toolkit designed for experienced iOS and Android developers to build mobile apps that integrate with a Composr-powered website. It offers both Composr-specific integrations and a collection of standalone utilities for building apps, providing a common base between iOS and Android akin to the PHP and Composr APIs, enabling easier code porting while maintaining a native experience. |
Question | What is the purpose of the Composr Mobile SDK Toolkit? |
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Answer | The Toolkit, part of the composr_mobile_sdk addon, aids in mirroring Composr website resources into a mobile app. It includes tools for generating iOS/Android string resources from language files and exporting theme images in a directory structure suitable for iOS/Android app image assets. |
Question | What are some of the default endpoints available in the server-side API? |
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Answer | Default endpoints cover various functionalities, including:
Specific details on parameters and response data for each endpoint can be found in the documentation. |
Question | What other approaches exist for mobile integration with Composr? |
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Answer | Other approaches, in various stages of development, include:
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Question | What are some key concepts related to mobile app development with Composr? |
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Answer | Essential concepts include:
|
Question | What are the key classes and utilities provided by Composr Mobile SDK? |
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Answer | CMS SDK provides several classes with utility functions mirroring PHP and Composr APIs, including:
|
Question | What is a multi-site network (M.S.N.) in Composr? |
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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 advantages and disadvantages of using an M.S.N.? |
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Answer | Advantages:
Disadvantages:
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Question | What is the difference between a central site and a satellite site in an M.S.N.? |
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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 virtual roots and how do I use them? |
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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:
|
Question | What are redirects and how can I use them for subsites? |
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Answer | Redirects let you create custom URL paths that point to different zones and pages within your site. Examples:
Go to Admin Zone > Structure > Redirects. |
Question | What are Composr Clubs and how are they useful for subcommunities? |
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Answer | Clubs are special usergroups in Conversr (Composr's forum system) designed for creating subcommunities. They come with their own dedicated forums and are managed by members, taking pressure off site staff. Key features:
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Question | What should I consider when managing usergroups for subcommunities? |
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Answer |
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Question | What notification options are available to members? |
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Answer | Members can choose from a wide range of notifications, including:
Members can choose to receive notifications via:
|
Question | What are Composr caches and how do they improve website performance? |
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Answer | Composr utilizes various types of caches to enhance performance by storing pre-calculated results and reducing repetitive tasks. These caches include:
|
Question | What is static caching and how do I enable it? |
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Answer | Static caching drastically improves performance by serving pre-generated pages to bots and guests. This works because these users typically don't require dynamic content. To enable it:
Composr intelligently determines what to cache, and you can further control this via options within the Installation Options. Be aware that enabling static caching may disable eCommerce features for guests unless specifically configured. |
Question | What is rate limiting and how can I enable it in Composr? |
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Answer | Rate limiting prevents server overload by restricting the number of requests allowed from a single IP address within a specific timeframe. To enable Composr's built-in rate limiting, add the following to your _config.php file:Code (PHP)$SITE_INFO['rate_limiting'] = '1'; $SITE_INFO['rate_limit_time_window'] = '10'; $SITE_INFO['rate_limit_hits_per_window'] = '5'; This configuration limits each IP to 5 requests every 10 seconds. This feature generates soft errors early in the process before Composr fully loads. |
Question | What is the purpose of the Health Check feature in Composr? |
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Answer | The Health Check feature in Composr proactively identifies potential issues that may affect your website's performance, security, and overall health. It performs various checks and alerts you to problems like:
The Health Check can be run manually or scheduled to run automatically and send e-mail notifications of results. |
Question | What are cleanup tools in Composr and how do I use them? |
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Answer | Cleanup tools assist with website maintenance by deleting unnecessary data and optimizing database tables. They are divided into "De-cachers" and "Optimizers". You can access them through: Admin Zone > Tools > Cleanup tools. |
Question | What's the difference between points balance and rank points? |
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Answer | Points balance refers to the number of points a member currently has available to spend. This is the 'liquid' currency they can use for various actions. Rank points represent the total points a member has accumulated throughout their time on the website. These points determine the member's rank, which can grant access to additional privileges and act as a status symbol. |
Question | What are gift points, and how do they work? |
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Answer | Gift points are a separate points balance that can only be sent to other members as gifts. They cannot be spent directly or used in escrow transactions. Gift points are earned daily based on usergroup membership and replenish independently of the regular points balance. When a member sends gift points, they become regular points for the recipient. |
Question | What is the purpose of the points ledger? |
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Answer | The ledger provides a transparent and immutable record of every point transaction on the website. It ensures accountability and allows members to track their point activity. Members can view their own ledger, and with the appropriate privilege, they can also see the ledgers of others. |
Question | What is points escrow and when would I use it? |
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Answer | Points escrow is a system that holds points securely during transactions involving a written agreement, often for a product or service. This ensures trust and provides a resolution mechanism in case of disputes.
|
Question | What types of quizzes can I create in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr supports three main types of quizzes:
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Question | What are Quiz Sets and how can I use them? |
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Answer | 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. |
Question | What is the input syntax for quiz questions? |
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Answer | 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]. |
Question | What is the difference between natural and boolean searching? |
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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". |
Question | What is the fast custom index and why should I use it? |
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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:
Downsides of the fast custom index:
|
Question | What are quoted phrases and how do they work? |
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Answer | Quoted phrases allow you to search for an exact sequence of words. For example, searching for "red apple" will only return results containing that exact phrase. Keep in mind that enabling quoted phrases can increase disk space usage. |
Question | Why are my searches slow, and how can I improve search speed? |
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Answer | Slow searches can occur when dealing with large amounts of content. Here are some workarounds and solutions:
|
Question | What are the main security features of Composr? |
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Answer | Composr has a robust set of security features to protect your website, including: Passwords:
Login Restrictions:
Auditing Systems:
Framework Security:
Other features:
|
Question | What are some tips for secure website maintenance? |
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Answer |
|
Question | What are the different types of security alerts in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr has a variety of hack-attack codenames that trigger security alerts and logging. Some common examples include:
You can customize alert handling for each type in data_custom/xml_config/advanced_banning.xml (Admin Zone > Security > Configure advanced banning). |
Question | What is the purpose of "confirmed" and "non-confirmed" sessions? |
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Answer | Composr distinguishes between confirmed and non-confirmed sessions for added security:
You can configure zones to require confirmed sessions, preventing access from cookie-based logins alone. The Admin Zone uses this by default. |
Question | What additional security measures can I implement for my Composr website? |
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Answer |
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Question | What steps should I take if my website has been hacked? |
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Answer | If you suspect a security breach, take immediate action:
|
Question | What defines a staff member in Composr? |
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Answer | There are two ways to define "staff" in Composr:
Composr prioritizes flexibility by utilizing privileges over fixed roles, allowing for customized staff responsibilities. However, certain features like "staff reply" in tickets inherently rely on a pre-existing understanding of "staff." |
Question | What should be considered when assigning roles and responsibilities to staff? |
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Answer | When assigning roles, it's recommended to start new staff with limited responsibilities and gradually increase their authority based on performance and dedication. This fosters a sense of progression and prevents discouragement among existing staff. Always consider the individual's skills and interests when assigning tasks. For example, someone with strong writing skills might be well-suited for managing content creation, while a technically-minded person could excel at site maintenance. |
Question | What tools and strategies can be used for staff training and development? |
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Answer | While Composr itself doesn't provide built-in training features, several approaches can be used for staff development:
By investing in ongoing staff training and development, communities can ensure their teams possess the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their roles effectively and contribute to the platform's overall success. |
Question | What are the key differences between Google Analytics and Composr statistics? |
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Answer | While there is some overlap, Composr statistics and Google Analytics are complementary tools. Google Analytics Pros:
Google Analytics Cons:
Composr Statistics Pros:
Basic users may find Composr statistics sufficient, while expert marketers might prefer the power of Google Analytics. |
Question | What are the different ways to track events in Composr? |
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Answer | Composr offers various methods for tracking events:
The JavaScript and HTML data attribute methods can also be integrated with Google Analytics events. |
Question | What is the purpose of tracking codes in Composr? |
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Answer | Tracking codes help you identify the sources driving user sessions to your website or associate specific split testing variations with users. Composr offers integrated referral tracking through various means:
|
Question | What are KPIs and how are they used in Composr? |
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Answer | KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are specific measurements selected for marketing analysis. In Composr, time-series graphs can be added as KPIs. They offer several benefits:
|
Question | Why does Composr use pre-computed statistics? |
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Answer | Composr generates statistics from pre-computed data for several reasons:
|
Question | What are the limitations of pre-computed statistics in Composr? |
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Answer | Pre-computed statistics introduce certain limitations:
|
Question | What are the advantages of using the Support Ticket system over the Discussion Forums? |
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Answer | While both systems can be used for support, the Support Ticket system provides advantages like:
|
Question | What are Post Templates and how are they beneficial for support? |
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Answer | Post Templates are predefined text blocks that can be used as templates for new forum posts. They are particularly useful in support scenarios by:
Post Templates can be configured to be the default post in specific forums or restricted to certain user groups. Go to Admin Zone > Structure > Forums > Post Templates. |
Question | What is Wiki+? |
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Answer | Wiki+ is a feature in Composr that allows you to create a collaborative, tree-structured database of information. It functions similarly to a traditional wiki but offers enhanced features such as post contributions, a hierarchical structure, and moderation capabilities. |
Question | What are orphaned pages and how should I handle them? |
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Answer | Orphaned pages are pages that exist within the Wiki+ database but are not linked to the main tree structure. These pages are not accessible through the tree navigation but can still be reached through direct links or cross-linking. Orphaned pages are not necessarily problematic. They can be intentional if you prefer to link pages using the wiki-style syntax instead of a rigid tree hierarchy. You have the flexibility to choose the linking method that best suits your content organization. |
Question | What moderation tools are available in Wiki+? |
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Answer | Wiki+ offers several features to help you moderate user contributions and maintain the quality of information:
|
Newest 10 Entries
Website | Legends of Nor'Ova |
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Screenshot | ![]() |
Short Description | Legends of Nor'Ova is a website / database based on the table-top role-playing game of the same name. It contains Wiki+ pages and catalogues with a vast amount of knowledge regarding the game and its resources. It features a customized theme / templates. And it has a community for people to discuss the game. |
Website | supertilted.com |
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Screenshot | ![]() |
Short Description | Super Tilted is a team of pinball enthusiasts who develop original digital pinball tables for the Visual Pinball X platform. This website showcases their releases and ongoing (public) projects. All tables are free to download. And people can request to join the team. This site has some secret sauce behind the scenes: a custom block for Scorbit leader-boards (pinball scores), and some webhooks to alert the team in their Discord of certain site activity. It also takes advantage of the Support Tickets e-mail integration and using zones for "sub-sites" for each released pinball table. |
Question | Can I move a Wiki+ page? |
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Answer | Technically, Wiki+ pages cannot be moved because they don't have a fixed location within the network structure. Creating child links forms a path, not a strict hierarchy. However, you can manipulate the breadcrumbs by ensuring only one path leads to a page. |
Question | Can I track changes made to Wiki+ pages? |
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Answer | Yes, Wiki+ includes a revision history feature accessible through the page edit screen. This feature allows you to view a log of edits, see changes highlighted in tooltips, and revert to previous versions of a page as needed. |
Question | How can I view the complete tree structure of my Wiki+? |
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Answer | You can access a view of the complete Wiki+ tree structure through the designated option in the admin panel. However, it's important to note that this view will reflect guest access permissions. Some pages may be hidden if they are restricted to specific user groups. |
Question | What moderation tools are available in Wiki+? |
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Answer | Wiki+ offers several features to help you moderate user contributions and maintain the quality of information:
|
Question | Can users contribute content to Wiki+? |
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Answer | Yes, users can contribute content to Wiki+ through posts. When the "Show posts" option is enabled for a page, users can add their insights and information as posts below the main page content. |
Question | What are orphaned pages and how should I handle them? |
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Answer | Orphaned pages are pages that exist within the Wiki+ database but are not linked to the main tree structure. These pages are not accessible through the tree navigation but can still be reached through direct links or cross-linking. Orphaned pages are not necessarily problematic. They can be intentional if you prefer to link pages using the wiki-style syntax instead of a rigid tree hierarchy. You have the flexibility to choose the linking method that best suits your content organization. |
Question | How can I create and organize pages in Wiki+? |
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Answer | Pages in Wiki+ can be created in several ways:
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Question | How does Wiki+ differ from a regular wiki? |
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Answer | While Wiki+ shares similarities with traditional wikis, it provides two key distinctions:
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Top 10 Entries
Website | Legends of Nor'Ova |
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Screenshot | ![]() |
Short Description | Legends of Nor'Ova is a website / database based on the table-top role-playing game of the same name. It contains Wiki+ pages and catalogues with a vast amount of knowledge regarding the game and its resources. It features a customized theme / templates. And it has a community for people to discuss the game. |
Website | supertilted.com |
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Screenshot | ![]() |
Short Description | Super Tilted is a team of pinball enthusiasts who develop original digital pinball tables for the Visual Pinball X platform. This website showcases their releases and ongoing (public) projects. All tables are free to download. And people can request to join the team. This site has some secret sauce behind the scenes: a custom block for Scorbit leader-boards (pinball scores), and some webhooks to alert the team in their Discord of certain site activity. It also takes advantage of the Support Tickets e-mail integration and using zones for "sub-sites" for each released pinball table. |
Question | Can I move a Wiki+ page? |
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Answer | Technically, Wiki+ pages cannot be moved because they don't have a fixed location within the network structure. Creating child links forms a path, not a strict hierarchy. However, you can manipulate the breadcrumbs by ensuring only one path leads to a page. |
Question | Can I track changes made to Wiki+ pages? |
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Answer | Yes, Wiki+ includes a revision history feature accessible through the page edit screen. This feature allows you to view a log of edits, see changes highlighted in tooltips, and revert to previous versions of a page as needed. |
Question | How can I view the complete tree structure of my Wiki+? |
---|---|
Answer | You can access a view of the complete Wiki+ tree structure through the designated option in the admin panel. However, it's important to note that this view will reflect guest access permissions. Some pages may be hidden if they are restricted to specific user groups. |
Question | What moderation tools are available in Wiki+? |
---|---|
Answer | Wiki+ offers several features to help you moderate user contributions and maintain the quality of information:
|
Question | Can users contribute content to Wiki+? |
---|---|
Answer | Yes, users can contribute content to Wiki+ through posts. When the "Show posts" option is enabled for a page, users can add their insights and information as posts below the main page content. |
Question | What are orphaned pages and how should I handle them? |
---|---|
Answer | Orphaned pages are pages that exist within the Wiki+ database but are not linked to the main tree structure. These pages are not accessible through the tree navigation but can still be reached through direct links or cross-linking. Orphaned pages are not necessarily problematic. They can be intentional if you prefer to link pages using the wiki-style syntax instead of a rigid tree hierarchy. You have the flexibility to choose the linking method that best suits your content organization. |
Question | How can I create and organize pages in Wiki+? |
---|---|
Answer | Pages in Wiki+ can be created in several ways:
|
Question | How does Wiki+ differ from a regular wiki? |
---|---|
Answer | While Wiki+ shares similarities with traditional wikis, it provides two key distinctions:
|