====== zChatClient ======



===== Plugin information ===

^  Author | [[user>Aaron]] |
^  Description | A basic internet relay chat-style plugin, intended to demonstrate the [[plugins:network:atTcpSock]] asynchronous TCP socket plugin. |
^  Menu option | '//Extensions->zChatClient//->Chat client' |
^  Download link | [[http://www.bundysoft.com/L3DT/downloads/plugins/bin/zChatClient-bin.zip|zChatClient-bin.zip]] [88kB], also requires [[http://www.bundysoft.com/L3DT/downloads/plugins/bin/atTcpSock-bin.zip|atTcpSock-bin.zip]] [85kB] |
^  Source code | [[http://www.bundysoft.com/L3DT/downloads/plugins/bin/zChatClient-bin.zip|zChatClient-src.zip]] [83kB] |
^  DLL version | v2.5.3.1, 25th of April 2008. |


===== Warning =====

<note important>
This is an **experimental plugin** that is intended only for use by plugin developers for testing purposes. It may include potential security vulnerabilities if used over the internet with untrusted peer computers.
</note>




===== What does it do? =====

//zChatClient// is, above all, a plugin to demonstrate to other developers how to use the asynchronous TCP socket interface provided by the [[plugins:network:atTcpSock]] plugin. //zChatClient// uses this plugin to implement a basic chat relay system, in both host/server and guest/client modes.

===== Using zChatClient =====

To open the //zChatClient// window, select the '//Extensions->zChatClient->Chat client//' menu option in L3DT. This will open the dialog box shown below:

{{ :plugins:network:zchatclient:chatdlg.png |:plugins:network:zchatclient:chatdlg.png}}

When //zChatClient// is not connected to another instance of //zChatClient// on another or the same computer, all the controls will be disabled as shown above.



==== Connecting zChatClient ====

To connect to an instance of //zChatClient// running on another computer, press the socket state button in the chat client window (which should say 'closed', see above).

=== Opening a host ===

To open a listen socket and allow one or more guests to connect to //zChatClient//, select the 'host' option in the 'mode' drop list.

{{ :plugins:network:zchatclient:conndlg_host.png |:plugins:network:zchatclient:conndlg_host.png}}

In 'host' mode, the //Port No// value is the port number on the local machine that will be opened to accept connections from external machines.

=== Connecting to another host ===

To connect to another instance of //zChatClient// running in 'host' mode, select the 'guest' option in the 'mode' drop list.

{{ :plugins:network:zchatclient:conndlg_guest.png |:plugins:network:zchatclient:conndlg_guest.png}}

In this mode, the //Port No// value is the listen scoket port on the external machine that is running //zChatClient// in host mode, and //IP Address// is the address of that machine in dotted notation (e.g. 127.0.0.1). 

==== Chattering ====

Once a connection has been established, you may type in the message field in the lower half of the chat window, which ar dispatched by pressing the 'send' button. Messages will be relayed to all other guests connected to the active host, and will appear in the message field at the top half of the chat window (as below).

{{ :plugins:network:zchatclient:chatdlg2.png |:plugins:network:zchatclient:chatdlg2.png}}


===== Changes =====

2008/04/25 --- Released v2.5.3.1, for compatibility with [[plugins:network:atTcpSock|atTcpSock v2.5.3.3]].

2008/03/30 --- Released.