Forum and FAQ applications are to show some information about posters.
The way to retrieve that information is pluggable through the _ContactProvider_ component.

For public internet websites, users can provide personal information, such as personal email address and location. To enable, simply override the _ContactProvider_ component in your configuration.

{docbook}
<para xml:id="KSref.ProfileProviderConfiguration.Configuration">
<citetitle>
<emphasis role="bold">
Configuration
</emphasis>
</citetitle>
</para>
{docbook}

Configure the _profile-configuration.xml_ file as shown below:

{code:xml}<component>
  <key>org.exoplatform.ks.common.user.ContactProvider</key>
  <type>org.exoplatform.ks.common.user.DefaultContactProvider</type>
  <!--<type>org.exoplatform.ks.ext.common.SocialContactProvider</type> -->
</component>{code}

When Knowledge is integrated in eXo Platform and if you want to use ProfileProvider from eXo Social, you need to change "*type*" _org.exoplatform.ks.common.user.DefaultContactProvider_ into _org.exoplatform.ks.ext.common.SocialContactProvider_.

{docbook}
<para xml:id="KSref.ProfileProviderConfiguration.UseContactProvider">
<citetitle>
<emphasis role="bold">
Use ContactProvider
</emphasis>
</citetitle>
</para>
{docbook}
You can get the _ContactProvider_ as follows:

{code:java}public CommonContact getPersonalContact(String userId) throws Exception {
  try {
    if(userId.indexOf(Utils.DELETED) > 0) return new CommonContact();
	ContactProvider provider = (ContactProvider) PortalContainer.getComponent(ContactProvider.class) ;
	return provider.getCommonContact(userId);
  } catch (Exception e) {
	return new CommonContact();
  }
}{code}

In Knowledge, when using ContactProvider, you can use one of two following classes:

* [DefaultContactProvider|#KSref.ProfileProviderConfiguration.UseDefaultContactProvider]

* [SocialContactProvider|#KSref.ProfileProviderConfiguration.UseSocialContactProvider]

*DefaultContactProvider* {anchor:id=KSref.ProfileProviderConfiguration.UseDefaultContactProvider}

When you start the Tomcat, the _DefaultContactProvider_ class will be initialized and the _OrganizationService_ component is set within the _DefaultContactProvider_ component.

The _DefaultContactProvider_ class allows you to get user information via the _OrganizationService_ component.

{code:java}public CommonContact getCommonContact(String userId) {
  CommonContact contact = new CommonContact();
  try {
    User user = orgService.getUserHandler().findUserByName(userId);
    UserProfile profile = orgService.getUserProfileHandler().findUserProfileByName(userId);
    contact.setEmailAddress(user.getEmail());
    contact.setFirstName(user.getFirstName());
    contact.setLastName(user.getLastName());
    if(profile.getUserInfoMap() != null) {
      contact.setAvatarUrl(profile.getAttribute("user.other-info.avatar.url"));
      contact.setBirthday(profile.getAttribute("user.bdate"));
      contact.setCity(profile.getAttribute("user.home-info.postal.city"));
      contact.setCountry(profile.getAttribute("user.home-info.postal.country"));
      contact.setGender(profile.getAttribute("user.gender"));
      contact.setJob(profile.getAttribute("user.jobtitle"));
      contact.setMobile(profile.getAttribute("user.home-info.telecom.mobile.number"));
      contact.setPhone(profile.getAttribute("user.business-info.telecom.telephone.number"));
      contact.setWebSite(profile.getAttribute("user.home-info.online.uri"));
    }
  } catch (Exception e) {
    log.error("Could not retrieve forum user profile for " + userId + ": " ,e);
  }
  return contact;
}{code}

- The information which is get by the user includes:

||Name || Type || Description ||
| *email* |{{String}}| Email of user. |
| *firstName* |{{String}}| First name of user. |
| *lastName* |{{String}}| Last name of user. |

- The information which is get via _UserProfile_ includes:

|| Attribute || Type || Description ||
| *user.other-info.avatar.url* | {{String}} | The path containing the user's avatar. |
| *user.bdate* | {{String}} | The user's birthday. |
| *user.home-info.postal.city* | {{String}} | The home city of user. |
| *user.home-info.postal.country* | {{String}} | The home country of user. |
| *user.gender* | {{String}} | The user's gender.|
| *user.jobtitle* | {{String}} | The user's job. |
| *user.home-info.telecom. mobile.number* | {{String}} | The home phone number of user. |
| *user.business-info.telecom. telephone.number* | {{String}} | The mobile number of user. |
| *user.home-info.online.uri* | {{String}} | The individual websites of user. |



*SocialContactProvider* {anchor:id=KSref.ProfileProviderConfiguration.UseSocialContactProvider}
The _SocailContactProvider_ class gets users' profiles by userId via the _IdentityManager_ class.

{code:java}public CommonContact getCommonContact(String userId) {
  CommonContact contact = new CommonContact();
  try {
    IdentityManager identityM = (IdentityManager) PortalContainer.getInstance().getComponentInstanceOfType(IdentityManager.class);
    Identity userIdentity = identityM.getIdentity(OrganizationIdentityProvider.NAME, userId, true);
    Profile profile = userIdentity.getProfile();
    if (profile.contains(Profile.EMAIL)) {
      contact.setEmailAddress(profile.getProperty(Profile.EMAIL).toString());
    }
    if (profile.contains(Profile.FIRST_NAME)) {
      contact.setFirstName(profile.getProperty(Profile.FIRST_NAME).toString());
    }
    if (profile.contains(Profile.LAST_NAME)) {
      contact.setLastName(profile.getProperty(Profile.LAST_NAME).toString());
    }
    contact.setAvatarUrl(profile.getAvatarImageSource());
    if (profile.contains(Profile.GENDER)) {
      contact.setGender(profile.getProperty(Profile.GENDER).toString());
    }

    if (profile.contains(Profile.CONTACT_PHONES)) {
      contact.setPhone(profile.getProperty(Profile.CONTACT_PHONES).toString());
    }
    if (profile.contains(Profile.URL)) {
      contact.setWebSite(profile.getProperty(Profile.URL).toString());
    }
  } catch (Exception e) {
    if (LOG.isErrorEnabled()) LOG.error(String.format("can not load contact from eXo Social Profile with user [%s]", userId), e);
  }
  return contact;
}{code}