Web Crossing
Chat Development

Each member of the audience is in two tables: the host table (as read/only), and an audience table (as read/write).

Each chat host is in two tables: the audience table, and the backstage table. Actually, as audience tables overflow, each chat monitors may have multiple overflow tables up, scanning them all for messages to pass to the host. Chat monitors can also broadcast messages to the audience tables as desired.

To set up pages with multiple tables in them, see the Customizing your chat room section. To the standard chat room template, you need to add additional tables. For each table, use a section as follows:

%% setPath .xxxx %%
%% if enterRoom %%
  ...
%% endif %%

» Special Host Commands

These commands are typed into the message window of a host user just like a normal message.
1) Display a graphic image over the top of the chat message area effectively "closing" the chat session down for all users in the room. This is useful for telling users about upcoming interviews, or shutting down the session for maintenance, advertising, etc.

Command: ))g URL
Example: ))g http://www.webcrossing.com/Images/webxlogo.gif
NOTE: This must be a FULL URL to a graphic image (.gif or .jpeg) which resides on the same server as the WBChat applet due to Java security restrictions.

Command: ))g
Example: ))g
NOTE: This clears the previously drawn graphic and "reopens" the chat message area.

2) Display another URL into a pre-defined frame. This allows for dynamically changing content around the chat applet.

Command: ))f framename URL
Example: ))f bottom http://www.webcrossing.com/
NOTE: This must be a FULL URL to a WWW resource (.html, .gif or .jpeg, etc.).

3) Clear the commands that have been entered. Each command that is entered is saved and as new users enter the room, they are played back to keep newcomers current. To clear the commands enter the following:

Command: /d clearCommandList
Example: /d clearCommandList

4) Begin session level logging of this client.

Command: /d logSession
Example: /d logSession

» Chat protocol

The protocol documented below for the chat rooms is public domain, but is subject to change without notice.

Client to --> Server
--> intHandle
        [One time only] Send client handle number (an integer) to server for
        initial connection. The handle is assigned by the chat server at the
        time the HTML page for the Java client applet is generated.

--> n username
        (Name) Set new name for this user. Note that this command is
        ignored if the user is not allowed to change names at the server. Note
        that at signs (@) are removed from the name by the server.

--> m message
        (Message) Broadcasts the message to all other users in the chat room.
        The server will add the sender's name (see following
        server-->client "m" command).

--> p users@message
        (Private message) Send "message" to a list of user handles, comma
        delimited.  For example, "p 12,53,2@Hi everyone" will send "Hi everyone" to
        users 2, 12, and 53.

--> c table
        (Change tables) Request the server to move the client to a different
        table.  "table" is the handle of the new table.  The server will
        respond with a "c..." message on completion.

--> l text
        (Log) If the server's log file is turned on, then log the text.
        This may be used to forward any desired information from the client
        to the server for later analysis.

--> e user@minutes@message
        (Eject) Request that the specified user handle be ejected (by
        checking IP addresses) for some number of minutes.  The message will
        be sent to the ejected user prior to ejection.

--> b message
        (Broadcast) Request a broadcast of the message to all tables for which
        this client-user is a host.

--> f uniqueID message
        (Forward) Request a forward of the message to a specific table (uniqueID).
        This table can be in another fan-out server.

--> d command, param1, param2, ...
        (Do Server Command) Sends a command with parameters to the server for
        execution there.  Commands depend on their particular parameters and this
        is extensible.
      --  clearCommandList  
          Clear all of the stored frame change commands from the server.
      --  logSession 
          Begin Session level logging for this connection on the server

    --- Private rooms ---
    Each user has their own private table to which they may invite other users.
    This private table has the same unique handle as the user.  Inviting
    another user to a private table adds the table to that user's participant
    access list.
    If the user rejects the invitation, the table is automatically removed from
    their access list.  Otherwise, the table is removed from another user's
    access list when the originator sends an "r c" to that user.

--> r i resph@message
        (private Room Invite, originator --> server)
        Invite a responding user to enter a private room.
        "resph" is the handle of the invited (responding) user.

--> r c userh@message
        (private Room Cancel, originator or responding --> server)
        Cancel a private room.

--> r a origh@message
        (private Room Accept, responding --> server)
        Accept an invitation from an originating user to enter a private room.
        "origh" is the handle of the originating user.

--> r r origh@message
        (private Room Reject, responding --> server)
        Reject an invitation from an originating user to enter a private room

--> s
        (Stop) Close the connection to the client. (Allows graceful close.)


Client from <-- Server
A user handle "h" is a unique integer identifier.
This ID is unique over the lifetime of the server.

<-- e errNum
        Error number from the server
          ClientErrNone = 0,
          ClientErrBadHandleNonNum  = 1  Bad handle: non-numeric handle value
          ClientErrBadHandleInUse   = 2  Bad handle: handle already in use
          ClientErrBadHandleTooSmall= 3  Bad handle: no allocation, and less than the max handle seen from the control room
          ClientErrNoAllocate       = 4  Handle not obviously bad, but no allocation from the server before timing out

<-- m username@message
        (Message) A "message" from "username"

<-- x username@message
        (Moderated (x) Message) A "message" from "username".  Uses the same format as message
        but can be localized with an error message to the user.  This message is only sent
        to the originator, not to all people in the room.  This message is only sent if the
        user sent a word that is on the "Moderated Word" list located in the Sysop Control panel.

<-- b username@message
        (Broadcast) A broadcast "message" from "username"

<-- p users@message
        (Private message) A private message to a list of user handles.
        The first user handle in the list is the originator of the message.
        For example, "p 52,12@Hi There" is a private message to this
        client (which must be handle 12) from the user with handle 52.

<-- n username@h
        (reName) Install a new name for a user with handle "h"

<-- i username@h
        (In) A new user with handle "h" has joined the table

<-- o username@h
        (Out) An existing user with handle "h" has left the table

<-- l nn
        (Lurkers) Specifies the number of read-only lurkers at the table.
        "nn" can be a number to set the absolute number of lurkers, or
        "+add" or "-subtract" to adjust the number.  E.g. "23" sets the number
        of lurkers to 23; "+2" adds two lurkers; "-5" removes 5 lurkers.

<-- c table
        (Change table) Specifies the "table" handle of the new table for
        this client.  The client must reset its member list to empty and its
        lurkers count to 0.  The server will immediately follow this message
        with a new member list and lurker count.

<-- c /
        (End of change table member list).  Sent after all existing members at
        a table have been sent as "i..." commands.  This allows the client
        to recognize new entries and exits and alert the user.

<-- t th@s@tname
        (Table info) A table available to this user.
        "th" is the handle of the table, a positive unique integer.
        "s" is "h" (host), "p" (participant), "l" (lurker), "u"
        (user private table), or "0" (table has been closed).
        "tname" is the name of the table

<-- r i origh@message
        (private Room Invite server --> responding user)
        Forward a request to enter a private room from the originating
        user to the responding user.  This message will never be sent
        while the responding user is considering a previous invitation --
        the 2nd invitation will be rejected by the server with a
        canned rejection message.

<-- r c otherh@message
        (private Room Cancel server --> originating or responding user)
        Cancel a private room.

<-- r a resph@message
        (private Room Accepted server --> originating user)
        Notifies the originating user that the responder has accepted the
        invitation and is now in the private room.

<-- r r resph@message
        (private Room Rejected server --> originating user)
        Notifies the originating user that the responder has rejected the
        invitation.