Windows Custom MSN Client Feature List [Updated w/ Screenshots - Working]

Heyup folks...

After thinking about it periodically for ages ive started writing an MSN client for Windows, open source in delphi... Ive got the code layout etc all worked on paper and the hard part (connections) is all coded...

Currently the features include, well mainly just a superior UI - very efficient and minimal, also includes full set of /irc style commands (commands can be added via borland-package plugins), native (encrypted) chat logs, no installer and doesnt use the registry, nick completion, contact renaming, check if youre blocked, chat windows can be tabulized (ala mirc), messages can be encrypted etc... all fairly simple little features - the main purpose is just a more fluid UI though (which is of course a matter of taste).

Just wondering what ideas for features people could suggest?

 

...and to the software forum it went...

Rob.

 

How about the ability to un-tick the "Log me out randomly every 30 minutes for no reason at all" option? Oh and when I send a message to someone who's not actually signed in (even though it thinks they are) I'd like to be told immediately rather than 10 minutes later.

 

Hmm I never get logged out erroneously?

Anyhow yeah when people go offline and messages arent delivered thats handled by the MSN switchboard server =( Nothing you can do about it... The client isnt told whether its message arrived, only told when it failed (10 minutes later )...

 

... and 2500 lines of code later, here it is

Not quite ready for release but as you can see it works:

Lag detection

Can tell when someone blocks you

Can send/receive more than 1 file at a time

Knows the difference between Away and Autoaway (the official client just says Away regardless)

Better UI imo

Native support for (encrypted, formatted (HTML)) logging

Can drag a contact into a window to invite him/her

Can drag windows together and they tabulate (like mirc)

Can publish your status to a JPEG on the internet (which you can put in your signature)

etc etc...

Source will be available along with the binary once ive finished polishing it and fixing the bugs..
Some of the flashier stuff includes being able to do:
/winamp sendfile
...and it will send the currently playing mp3 to the person youre talking to... Note that /commands can be added via plugin so if you dont use the /winamp you can unload it and delete it...

It still uses only 25% the memory of the official one!

 

Bloody impressive Loply. I'm amazed you managed to do all that in so short a time. How does the lag meter work? Does it show the ping time to the msn server or something? If you include the option for Avatars like in MSN 6 (I know some people don't like them) then I think I'd get it.

Anyway ~<O_O>~ and GE must have been dead pissed off while you were testing that

 

I had to use a clone account i was signing it in like once every 15 seconds

Ive been coding more or less non stop from morning to night (well, morning again) since a lan party on saturday...

the lag meter measures the time it takes for the server to respond to any command which has a transaction ID, or to pings... for me its around 200 usually, seems to be about 350-400 for modem users...

Avatars are a feature of the MSNP8 protocol which is not properly documented yet, but it no doubt wont be long before theyre fully documented.

 

looks cool!!! I'd definatly give it a go....

can it tell you the email of people as well as there nick (or just let you choose there nick) cos I know loads of girls who change there nick on a hourly basis and I can never work out who's who...

 

Can't you just hover over the person's nick? It'll then give you their email.

 

Loply, that looks absolutely brilliant. I had a CD with the 'old' MSN (version 3 or something) and the CD broke a while ago - I was gutted cos now I have to use these new nasty versions, but that looks exactly the kinda thing i'm after

If you can tell if someone has blocked you, would it be also possible to be able to see if someone is 'appearing offline' ? That'd be cool.
Logging of conversations also?

Can't wait for the proper realease

 

-> nice work loply, can't wait to see the final release

 

yer but it would be quicker and easyer if it just said the same thing everytime then then maybe there nick in brackets afterwards...

baisically I won't the little pop up to tell me who it is not what there faveroute song lyric of the week is!!

kinda like it is now but swapped round.... think I've confussed myself now...

 

knowing if someone has bloocked you is a great idea also buit in webcam for all windows versions as netmeeting is just enoying.

 

I'd love to see a function such as, you being able to set the name for the person. As someone already said, people change their names alot so it's hard to work out who they are, so it would be easier for me to be able to have say 'omg hi2u' as maybe 'John - omg hi2u' or just 'John'. (I know names are stored on the MSN end, but maybe this could be a local thing?)

And I'm sure I can come up with a few function that I wouldn't mind being implemented... Do you need a name?

 

Yeah that'd be really good

 

I love it when someone explains my ideas in plain english.... makes them so much easyer to understand....

 

I second/third that..

Some People change their name every Hour.. and they never bother to add their Nick in front of it...

So If I need to find someone, I have to think off their email-adres, then scroll over all of them !!! before finding them...

thats just REALLY annoying...

So that would be BRILLIANT if you could add a option that u can name the contacts !!

I hope u can do that
L

Btw do the emoticons still work ?

 

Oh Oh Oh..... can you put a menu in so you can choose your own picture files for emoticons... that would be cool...

 

Don't think you could have your own emoticons because the other person would have to download the file aswell to see it. And people using normal MSN won't be able to do that without accepting to recieve it and even then it wouldn't appear in the smilie list or anything. What would be good though is if you could implement such a feature between users of this custom MS client. Also I hope that the MSNP8 protocol isn't vastly different to the one you're using because I'd love to see avatars and other stuff from MSN6

 

With AIM you can do it with a hex editor....But like stated the other person has to have the same hack...