These tutorials together form the ocPortal webmaster documentation.
If you think they can be improved in any way, please let us know.
The tutorials are listed in a logical order – however you can use them in any order you want to.
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An overview of how the web hosting industry works, and the general requirements and compatibility for ocPortal.
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We explain what you need to do to install ocPortal. This tutorial is particularly important if you use the manual installer.
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This tutorial covers advanced installation issues which most users do not need to be concerned with.
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How to get an ocPortal installation running on your own Windows computer, if you choose to use that as your server.
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Once ocPortal is installed, there is some basic configuration to do before your website is ready to open. We discuss it here.
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How to switch to ocPortal from other software. We discuss how it's done, and some specifics for various different products.
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ocPortal supports integration with a number of forum systems through our forum driver system. We discuss any issues here.
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We show you how to embed a Google map into a ocPortal-powered website.
We show you how to test your site against different users, and customise it for them.
We show you how to make good use of Custom Comcode tags.
We show you how to do some basic website themeing.
Implement a totally fresh design.
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Background into the different kinds of solutions that are out there for creating websites - and where ocPortal fits in.
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The thought processes required to successfully design a complex and personalised website using ocPortal.
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This tutorial details the browser requirements for visitors to an ocPortal site, determined by the CSS/XHTML/Javascript in our default theme.
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An explanation of how the Internet works, all the way from what goes through the wires, to how meaningful activities happen.
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A full explanation of domain names, and DNS - for agencies who need to work with previously registered domain names.
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Setting up e-mail servers can be complex with all the protocols/standards out there. Let's cut through the confusion.
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An explanation of the ocPortal systems that together form the structure and navigation for ocPortal-powered websites.
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An explanation of how to use the Admin Zone, and the special features available from the Admin Zone front page.
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All about ocPortal's menu system. Did you know you can set up and configure as many different levels of navigation as you like?
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Create dynamic effects and display rich media, without having to write any XHTML, CSS, or Javascript.
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This tutorial provides some advanced information on the WYSIWYG editor, for those wanting to push it to the limit.
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How to add new pages, using Comcode. It couldn't be simpler to do: Comcode pages almost look like plain text.
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How to add dynamism and inline content to your pages, using blocks; and multimedia, using attachments.
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Some of the more advanced aspects of the Comcode system explained, for those who already know the basics.
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How to backup your website (be it using our backup module, or otherwise), and why it is so important to do it.
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How to pull out content from your website, and put it in a featured spot. There are a number of methods available.
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A discussion on the features ocPortal provides for members, and for staff - and how permissions divide them.
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A detailed explanation of how you can configure permissions, how to test them, and how to manage them.
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The theory behind the permissions ocPortal needs on most web hosts, and practical guidance on setting them.
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A primer on databases, and how SQL is used to connect to them - as well as practical advice on using phpMyAdmin.
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For most web sites, it is important to draw in visitors. We discuss the process of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
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A common features of the largest community sites is to have sub-communities within the larger community. See how.
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Been editing files manually, and need to force ocPortal to "empty its caches"? We show you how.
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This tutorial will provide details on how to integrate ocPortal with another web system installed for your website.
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Sometimes, for integration reasons, you want users to login in to ocPortal via HTTP authentication. We show you how.
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How to integrate ocPortal into a corporate network via LDAP (OpenLDAP, or Microsoft Active Directory).
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Setting permissions. Search-Engine-Friendly URLs. Addons. Changing installation options.
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ocFilter is our language for saying what content you would like to be matched/selected. Learn how to use it.
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How to translate ocPortal into different languages, and how to configure your date/time settings.
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ocPortal is very heavily optimised for high performance out-of-the-box, but here are some advanced performance tips.
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You can link multiple installations, via a forum, into a 'multi-site-network'. Read more about it here.
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Details and guidance on the advanced security protections available in ocPortal.
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How power-users can apply sophisticated filters to the data that gets submitted to their website.
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Want to know everything there is to know about cookies and sessions? You probably don't, but if you do, read this!
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It's really not hard if you know how to do it. In this tutorial we move a sample install from a Windows PC to a Linux server.
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We don't want you to uninstall ocPortal, but we provide a script for you to do it with. We're that nice.
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Important background information that will help you keep your website up-to-date with the latest ocPortal.
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Some 'life saving' solutions to disasterous scenarios that can happen on an unstable web server configuration.
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Details on different publishing features available in ocPortal, and their advantages/disadvantages.
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How to use the news system for website news, press releases, blogs, or any other kind of article.
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Details on some of the more complex features available for news, including blogging and syndication.
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How to send out news bulletins to newsletter subscribers, and to members of your community.
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You can make large files available to your visitors using the ocPortal downloads system. Read about it.
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We go through some of the advanced features in the downloads system, such as batch importing, and download selling.
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A gallery system is provided for the storage, organisation and viewing of images and videos. Read about it.
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We go through some of the advanced features in the gallery system, such as batch importing, and personal galleries.
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The catalogue system is a bit like a visual database system such as Microsoft Access. The possibilities are endless.
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The CEDI system is ocPortal's equivalent to a wiki, but extended with additional features.
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How to create a community calendar, or let your members maintain online diaries.
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Many functions may be activated by key code, rather than clicking. Find out the key codes you can use in this tutorial.
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Find out how ocPortal's search engine can make it easy to search all the content on your website at once.
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Use the banners system to run multiple advertising campaigns on your website, using multiple media profiles.
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ocPortal helps you create a highly interactive site, with features for user interaction/feedback at your disposal.
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Use the eCommerce system to sell things. Usergroup subscription and member invoicing are available out-of-the-box.
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Did you know you can reconfigure half your site’s systems in a few easy keystrokes? We explore this and more...
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ocPortal includes really cool AJAX-driven chat and instant messaging functionality. Read about the features, and see general advice.
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The points system allows members to earn and spend points, creating a great dynamic. Find out how it works.
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Little tricks: changing their permissions via usergroups, mandating prior post approval, and how to ban them.
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Find out how authors are different to members, and the tools available to you to create and manage them.
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Find out the difference between the 12 terms we use for describing the people who interact with an ocPortal website.
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Find out about the different kinds of statistics/analytics that you can use to analyse your visitors.
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ocPortal includes many features that allow your website to function, in whole or in part, as an on-line collaboration tool.
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ocPortal can be used as an effective support desk tool. Find out what features to use for it.
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If you find a hacker, you may want to try and trace them back to a real world source. We introduce you to your toolkit.
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This tutorial explains aspects of the OCF member system, including usergroups, profiles, and avatars.
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How members may send each other messages (OCF only), using personal topics and whispers.
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How to create custom profile fields, manually add members, and set up welcome emails for new members.
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This tutorial will explain how discussion forums work in OCF, and how best to organise them.
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This tutorial explains how to moderate topics and posts under OCF, and how post approval works.
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Multi-moderation, mass-moderation, and post templates - how to make your forum work for you.
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It can get hard to keep up with all the discussions if you've got an active community. See how OCF can help.
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Find out about all the funky-cool emoticons that come with ocPortal, and how to extinguish them or add more.
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A very practical tutorial showing how to created a fixed-width layout, and how to change the site header.
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This tutorial is an introduction to the main standard web technologies that ocPortal is built upon.
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This tutorial is an introduction to the artistic side of web design.
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Our key themeing tutorial - how to re-theme your site, by changing CSS, templates, and theme images.
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You'll be shocked at how much themeing control you can muster using Tempcode. Learn all about it...
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This tutorial details some of the templates and CSS classes used by ocPortal. Learn how things work from these examples.
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We discuss how to ensure your website remains accessible to people with disabilities (ocPortal meets WCAG out-of-the-box).
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This tutorial will explain and detail some of the features of web technologies that are often forgotten.
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A short tutorial explaining how to share a theme with other ocPortal webmasters, by exporting it as an addon.
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ocPortal is not just a web application, but also a programming framework. Find out how the puzzle pieces fit together.
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This huge tutorial serves as an introduction to programming, with a particular emphasis on PHP.
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The first in a series of practical tutorials showing how to create addons.
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The second in a series of practical tutorials showing how to create addons.
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The third in a series of practical tutorials showing how to create addons.
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