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--- doc:faq [2019/01/12 17:53] – external edit 127.0.0.1
+++ doc:faq [2020/03/30 16:29] – [As a user] arvid
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-====== Freqently Asked Questions ======
+====== Frequently Asked Questions ======
+Here, you find answers to general questions about FlatPress. If you have //technical// questions, please see the [[doc:techfaq|Tech FAQ]].
 ===== What is FlatPress? =====
+FlatPress is a lightweight, **easy-to-set-up blogging engine**. Plain and simple, just PHP. **No database** needed!
+It's best suitable for **personal blogs** or **small business sites**. FlatPress is a **single user system** (see [[doc:techfaq|Tech FAQ]]) and does not offer an editorial workflow. But would you need that?
-FlatPress is an extensible blogging system, standard compliant, and compatible with the SPB db.
+FlatPress works great out of the box, but you may also extend it to your needs with [[res:plugins|plugins]] and [[res:themes|themes]].
-===== Can I use WordPress themes and plugins right in FlatPress ? =====
-Sorry ;) we're thinking about doing miracles, but we're still not ready.
-I will never repeat this enough. **FlatPress IS NOT "WordPress on flat files"**. WordPress plugins usually DON'T work in FlatPress. Anyway sometimes you are just a few lines away from making them work :) In fact, many of the bundled filters on the text are from WP.
-Themes have just nothing to do with WP, so not at all.
-===== Files for download are .tar.bz2 archives. Can you provide zipped archives? =====
-Maintaining packages for all the OS's is quite complicated. Why shouldn't I provide a .sit for MACs, then?
-Bzip2 has a great compression for text files and you can easiliy expand it on every platform.
-On Windows I'd suggest the opensource [[http://www.7-zip.org/|7-zip]] or the freeware [[http://www.tugzip.com/|tug-zip]] which are free and will give you access to many other compression formats such as rar and tar.gz beside tar.bz2.
-If you'll use one of these apps, packages won't stand on my nerves and I will have much more time to work at the development ;)
-===== What is BBCode? =====
-See: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBCode]]
-===== Which codes are implemented ? =====
-See: [[doc:plugins:bbcode]]
-===== How is BBCode implemented ? =====
-Using this great class: [[http://www.christian-seiler.de/projekte/php/bbcode/index_en.html|StringParser_BBCode]]
-===== How do I import my old SPB entries in FP ? =====
-Usually is just a matter of copying you content/ and images/ into your fp-content/ directory. I'd anyway suggest you to convert you're entries to the UTF-8 encoding (see next question).
-===== Why do I see some strange characters in my old entries? =====
-Maybe you didn't convert them from iso-8859-15 to utf-8
-Please have a look here: [[http://spbitalia.altervista.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491]]
-You can always choose a different encoding from the Admin Panel (Config), but I always suggest the conversion. UTF-8 allows you to enter in you page characters for every known language. More info on [[http://unicode.org/]].
-If you are trying to convert your files after you already installed FP, please delete the files in fp-content/cache/
-**If you have this issue with just a few characters**, system may fail sometimes with a few of them: it's a matter of a very few cases and particular situations. Just edit the entry with the problem, fix the character, and, once saved, you should never see this again.
-===== I'm used to SPB blocks; how can I customize them ? =====
-Blocks in FP are very different from the ones you used to see in SPB. If you want to create a **text sidebar block** as you used to do in SPB the procedure may look a little more complicated, but really it's a little price to pay to get a much, much more versatile system.
-In FP, create a new **static page** (see below) and choose a name for it (not the title, I'm talking about the little text box at the bottom of the editor) and choose a name you like. For instance, "myblock". Save your static page, and then go to the Widget panel.
-Now insert a new **blockparser** where you want your block to appear. Blockparser is the plugin which parses (i.e. reads) a static page and treats it as the content of a block.
-syntax for the widget config:
-<code>
-// [...] here would be preceding lines
-     'pluginname', // this is an old widget
-     'blockparser:myblock', // this is a block created using the widget blockparser, parsing \"myblock\" static page
-// [...] // lines that follow
-</code>
-so 'blockparser:STATICNAME' : blockparser column name of the static pahe, all between single quotes.
-Save the config, you should see it after the next page refresh (click any link).
-See also here [[http://spbitalia.altervista.org/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3429#p3429]] (ITA)
-===== What is a widget? =====
-A Widget is a dynamic component displayed (depending on the theme and on your config) on a topbar, on the right sidebar (default), etc.
-With "dynamic component" we mean a plugin providing a special interface (the widget function) designed to print content on the page when called. We called them "widget" and not "blocks" because we see blocks as passive elements which just display content, while widgets (which are php-coded as the common plugins) can of course execute code.
-A widget can then provide more advanced functions than just displaying a list of links (for which I'd suggest the static+blockparser combo), you may for instance have a widget fetching a displaying an rss feed from an external web page. The only limit is what php can do :)
-===== What is a static page? ====
-A static page is an entry completely unlinked from the normal blog entry flux and that can't be commented. It can be reached using the file name you chose when you save it as a parameter for the URL; for instance if you choose MY_PAGE as a file name (not as a title!) you will be able to access your page using %%http://mysite.com/flatpress/static.php?page=MY_PAGE%%
-Where are my static page linked? How do I show them out?
-SPB creates automatically a list of the static pages you have; however we decided to let the user decide wether to link or not his static page, and this without complex interfaces: just create another static page with your own list of links and bind it to a blockparser widget
-for instance:
-<code>
-[list]
-[*][url=static.php?page=MY_PAGE]My Page[/url]
-[*][url=static.php?page=ANOTHER_PAGE]Another Page[/url]
-[/list]
-</code>
-===== How do I add a new widget? =====
-Add the corresponding plugin both to the plugin list and to the widget list in the section and at the position you want it to go.
-Widgets are organized in **groups** or **bars**; every bar can contain any number of widgets. These bars are then displayed on the theme using the special tag ''{widget pos=BAR}'' where ''BAR'' is the name of the bar.
-Generally in themes you have one ore more predefined widget bars. Usually you have at least the ''right'' bar; a lot of themes display both the contents of the left and of the right bar even if they actually have one single column of widgets (they show them together, one group after the other).
-To add a new widget you add its plugin name to the plugin list in the panel, and the choose one of the groups and add the plugin name to the list as well. As you saw in the blockparser example, some widget may expect you to provide some parameters as well.
-===== I have enabled a widget in the plugin panel but I don't see anywhere in my sidebars =====
-As we said, Widgets are special plugins providing a widget function; by the way FlatPress does not know where you want it to appear, so, once a plugin widget is loaded, you should enable it in the widget panel as well (see the previous question).
-===== Are multiple users supported? =====
-The short answer is no.
-You should better ask "can I have more than one user?". In this case the answer is "yes, but it's not supported" :D
-Actually you can run the installer multiple times; if you choose a different username for each time you run the setup, the old user won't be deleted, and so you'll get one user for each time you run the setup.
-The drawbacks in this are that every user has administrative powers and there is little or no checks on probable race conditions: for instance, if two you are editing two posts at the same time, strange things may happen: FP may for instance not show one of the posts (clean the cache from the Maintenance panel); if two of you are editing the same posts, the changes of the first to post will be probably lost, overwritten by the changes the other did (no fix for this at the moment).
-Of course, working on this is on my todo; you might expect to see something more in a few months...
-===== Why is the installer kidding me? =====
-Because I'm evil !
-===== I've lost my password! =====
+===== Is FlatPress just WordPress without database? =====
+Important to know: FlatPress is not "WordPress on flat files". WordPress plugins usually don't work in FlatPress. Anyway, sometimes you are just a few lines away from making them work :) In fact, many of the bundled filters on the text are from WP.\\
+Themes have just nothing to do with WP, not at all.
+===== What's the philosophy of the FlatPress project? =====
+==== Release cycle ====
+FlatPress is around since 2006, the software is mature and well-tested. And yet, we're still in Version 1.1 (as of Jan 2020). This shows we don't stuff billions of features in our software and publish new releases every week.
+FlatPress is meant to be a stable software without surprises.
-Delete **%%setup.lock** from fp-content/ backup your fp-content/config/ if you heavily customized FlatPress and then restart setup (point to index.php or setup.php); once asked create a user with the same username of the old one and it will be overwritten. Restore your config/ dir backup once done.
+==== FlatPress team ====
+FlatPress is free software maintained by voluntary developers in their free time. We don't get (or want) money for FlatPress. Free time is always rare, so we are aware we can't fix every reported bug within hours.
-===== I've found a bug! =====
+Luckily, we have a great community that helps us with testing, coding, and supporting each other. **This open and friendly spirit is the heart of FlatPress.** You are warmly invited to be part of it!
+==== Motivation for FlatPress ====
+=== Why self-hosted? ===
+Why should one even use a self-hosted blogging system in times of huge easy-to-use platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Why hosting the comments for yourself when you could do so with Disqus?
-First of all, think of it twice. Done? Think again. :D Is it really a bug or a non-implemented-feature?
+  * FlatPress serves those who want to **stay independent** from these services. If you blog on such a platform and it shuts down, your blog is gone. If they think you violate their Terms of Service, your blog is gone. You may think of many other unwanted dependencies.
-A bug is behavior you wouldn't expect. For instance if you save an entry and then it's displayed in a wrong order, that's a bug. You can contact. But first check whether you have the latest release installed. If not, upgrade and check again if it's still there.
+  * FlatPress serves those who want to **stay in control** of what their blog does. Those who don't like their blog to load dozends of frameworks, images and other stuff from many different CDNs without knowing what their visitors finally get served.
-Otherwise, if you save your entry and then you wonder why **it's not playing banjo** in the meantime, that's probably a non-implemented feature.
+  * And FlatPress serves those who want to **customize the blog** to their needs. Not happy with the design? Create an own theme! A functionality is missing? Retrofit it with a plugin!
-**NOTE**: the playing banjo is not a short-term feature, we're busy teaching FlatPress how to do a good espresso coffee. FP wants it the American-way.
-===== Can I buy you a beer? =====
+=== Why flat-file? ===
+A personal blog in reasonable size is just not the kind of application that would need a database beneath it. Our project site [[https://www.flatpress.org|flatpress.org]] contains more than 220 blog entries since 2006 and runs as quickly as a virgin install. No flat-file performance problems whatsoever!
+  * FlatPress is **easily backed up** just by copying its directory. And if something goes wrong, just delete it on the server and copy back the backup.
+  * Because FlatPress works without a database, it eliminates a whole category of possible security problems. That makes it **more secure**.
+===== How can I support the FlatPress project? =====
+Glad you ask, thanks for caring! :) In fact, there a are many ways to contribute to FlatPress.
-You can buy me two!
+==== As a coder ====
+Found a bug? Built a plugin? Designed a theme? Want to propose a new feature? Let us know!
+  * Open issues or pull requests [[https://github.com/flatpressblog|on our GitHub project]].
+  * Publish your plugins and themes on our wiki: Plugins go [[res:plugins|here]], themes [[res:themes|here]].
+==== As a user ====
+Even if you aren't a programmer, you can easily support our project.
+  * If you have **suggestions**, **feature request** or want to **report quirky behaviour**, please do so [[https://forum.flaptress.org|on the support forum]].
+  * **Show off your blog sites** [[https://forum.flaptress.org|on the support forum]] as well.
+  * **Spread the word:**
+    * Tell the people you use FlatPress by leaving the "powered by FlatPress" link in your site footer intact.
+    * If you are happy with FlatPress, tell your friends on your favourite social network.
+    * If you know a software archive or a CMS compare site that does not have FlatPress, tell them! Ask your web hosting provider if they’d like to offer FlatPress in their software installer. Recommend FlatPress to people asking you for an easy-to-use blogging engine.
+  * Sometimes, we ask for intensive **testing** before releasing a new version. Take part in it and tell us what you think.
+  * To **keep up to date**, check out our project site [[https://www.flatpress.org|flatpress.org]] once in a while. You may also subscribe to [[http://www.flatpress.org/home/rss.php|the RSS feed]]. The forums [[https://forum.flatpress.org/app.php/feed|also have an RSS feed]], did you know?\\ And of course, you may [[https://twitter.com/flatpress|follow us on Twitter.]]