User:FunkyFish/wip/Documentation/Sending and receiving events
From CenterIM
Contents |
Sending and receiving events
Sending and receiving events is what ICQ and all the instant messaging are all about. The concept itself means an ability to stay in touch by delivering messages of various kind immediately.
Messages
The most common type of events. It takes the ICQ network about one second to deliver one. Messages can be sent either through server or directly through a TCP link. Size of a message sent through server cannot exceed 450 characters, while size of direct messages is unlimited. In case CenterIM cannot establish a direct link or you have the "sent all events through server" option enabled, a message is automatically split into several parts.
To send a message just press "Enter" on a contact. Then type and press "Ctrl-X" to send it. To cancel the message press ESC (twice).
URLs
Though you can send URLs with regular messages the Mirabilis guys decided to make a separate event for it. No problem, CenterIM supports URL events. An URL message consists of two parts, they're an URL itself and a description. Well, nothing else to say about it. Except maybe a wish for future version of the protocol to support e-mail addresses and host names as separate events :)
SMSes
ICQ has a server-side mechanism which allows its users to send and receive short text messages to cellular phones. There is an item visible in the context menu for ICQ contacts, named "Send an SMS" which is be chosen. Then if a user does not have any cellular number on his details, CenterIM will ask you to provide one. This number can be changed any time with the "Edit details" item of the same menu.
CenterIM allows sending SMS messages to contacts of any kind on your list with the only restriction that they will only be sent as soon as you log in with your ICQ account. When you type in a phone number don't forget to include all the international and regional prefixes.
If an SMS you sent is rejected, the appropriate message is displayed in the log window. This usually happens because ICQ does not support some cellular networks. To see the list of supported ones use the following links:
http://www.icq.com/sms/smsnetworks.html http://www.icq.com/sms/eg_networks.html
Both ways of sending SMSes are supported by libicq2000, and this means CenterIM does so too.
Contacts
Sharing parts of your contact list with other users on the instant messaging network is a feature supported only by ICQ so far. CenterIM does support it, thus you can easily send contacts from your contact list or receive contacts from someone else using the program's interface. Much easier than typing or cut'n'pasting UINs.
7.5. Files
It's only possible to send files to your remote buddies within the IRC network so far. In order to do it, it's enough to choose the "Send file(s)" item from the context menu (the one invoked with F2), and point out the files you want to send. In order to receive files you should press the "Accept" button in the dialog you'll see as soon as someone sends a file to you.
E-mail express messages
This kind of events is ICQ specific. There is no way to receive them with Yahoo! or other protocols. E-mail express is a service provided by Mirabilis to make it possible to send messages through e-mail to logged in ICQ users. A gate, indeed.
The principle is simple. To send such a message you use an e-mail client application, and you receive one with an ICQ client. The destination e-mail address looks like this <UIN>@pager.icq.com, where UIN is the receiver's ICQ number. If a person is not online, they'll get the message as soon as connect to the ICQ network.
Please also note that with some SMTPs it won't work, since the pager server has a protection which tries to make a connection to the sender SMTP. If it's behind a firewall you have no chance to get your message delivered.
WebPager messages
ICQ network does also allow sending messages to icq clients from their web sites. The so-called "Web panel" makes it possible. You can access your own by the URL of the following look: http://web.icq.com/wwp?Uin=<UIN>
Messages are delivered to the contact list immediately. And if a user is not online he's supposed to received them as soon as he logs in.
Away messages
Another feature of IM networks supported by CenterIM is away messages. It's quite a useful way to explain to everybody why you're away from your box right now. To read your reason for being away they just have to use the feature to fetch an away message in their ICQ client application.
It's possible to set such a message from the account manager dialog invoked from the global menu. There is a "Set away message" item for IM engines that support such a feature.
With CenterIM you can also read away messages of others. To fetch someone's away message (it's possible even when a person has the "available/online" status) just select the respective item in the "current user" context menu (invoked with F2 or "m"). It's impossible to fetch away messages of users that are offline.
Events history
All of events sent and received with CenterIM are held in its database. It's very simple to access history of events you exchanged with a particular user. You should only select the "Events history" item of the context menu. Then, if at least one event is there, you'll be shown a list every item of which can be read, replied or forwarded to someone.
