OCARINA Network Project Communication

[DaoK]

So....

[DaoK]

We are supposed to have the meeting now ?

[eiSecure]

I think so...:)

[DaoK]

Did I miss the meeting ?

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Yes, you did

[DaoK]

*** no one called me !:D

[Redth]

heh i kinda missed due to my lack of German fluency ;) heh, don't ask!!!

[Andreas@ALSoft]

The OCARINA Protocol Engine (or OCARINA Communication Toolkit)
is almost done but still has some little bugs
I will also try to make it a DLL instead of a FRM.

[filburt1]

Is that client-side or server-side?

[Andreas@ALSoft]

It is currently planned to be Client-side but it is able to listen for incoming conections, too, which allows to use it server-side.
But for the server there should be a special Protocol Engine optimized for many connections and not for one up to about 20 like the current one (although it can handle more connections it wouldn't be that a smart idea to use it for a server because one instance of the Engine handles one connection. For a server you would use an engine which is able to handle >100 connections per instance)

[DaoK]

Here is a list of Icon ... I do not know if we have already all our icon for the IM : Msn Icon List (http://help.microsoft.com/EN_US/HelpWindow_msg.asp?INI=msgr_xpv45.ini&H_VER=1.7&Topic=emoticons.htm&H_APP=Windows%20Messenger&Filter=xp)

[Andreas@ALSoft]

The Protocol Engine DLL is ready now
It can be downloaded from the board at the URL=http://www.ocarina.de.vu]OCARINA Website[/URL]
It is located in the "Communication and Protocol" forum.
This forum is visible for Development team members only.
If you not previously did you can register at the forum and I will set your member status to "DevTeam Member".

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Originally posted by DaoK
Here is a list of Icon ... I do not know if we have already all our icon for the IM : Msn Icon List (http://help.microsoft.com/EN_US/HelpWindow_msg.asp?INI=msgr_xpv45.ini&H_VER=1.7&Topic=emoticons.htm&H_APP=Windows%20Messenger&Filter=xp)

Hmm
many icons...
We still have to add a lot of them, I think...

[filburt1]

Unfortunately we can't use them because MS will slap us for infringing copyright law.

[eiSecure]

But we can use the VBForums emoticons, since they're public domain. (VBForums got them from somewhere else, too.)

[filburt1]

Cool then.

[Andreas@ALSoft]

I already downloaded all vBulletin Emoticons months ago...
I can zip and upload them if you want.
and BTW: we can create some icons ourselves...
but who needs the "Beer"-icon?

[DaoK]

Unfortunately we can't use them because MS will slap us for infringing copyright law.

I know one of us can modified them a little ^_^

[eiSecure]

I was just wondering....since i'm the one to write 100% of the code for the IM, don't I get to keep it?:) :D

[DaoK]

I wanted to do something but I never got the change :rolleyes:

[eiSecure]

I'm sorry.:(

Unfortunately, I've got the communication, the client, and the server all written. (Or fortunately, depending on how you put it.)

[DaoK]

Call it : Secu-o-Max and put my name in the credit for the name ;)

[eiSecure]

Probably: Secure-It! Instant Messenger.:D

[DaoK]

You will need to work on a strong encryption to do not loss your reputation :D

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Great if the IM is ready but we should implement a real protocol.
(Check out my DLL)
BTW: why don't you upload the source of the IM to a secure forum (your forum or my forum) so the members of this project team have a chance to implement their own functions, suggest improvements and check the can code for small bugs.
(Many programmers find more bugs in a source than one programmer)
And BTW some bugs only occour under very special circumstances... (i.e. my BitBlt routine worked fine on my PC and on the PCs in a firm I wrote a program for but it caused errors on your PCs)

[DaoK]

Put the source code in a secure place.

[eiSecure]

Originally posted by eiSecure
Probably: Secure-It! Instant Messenger.:D

[DaoK]

Probably: Daok-It! Instant Messenger.

[filburt1]

Ooh, ooh, I've got one! OCARINA Network! OMG! :D

[DaoK]

(F)ast (a)s a (T)urtle = The FAT im.

[eiSecure]

Originally posted by DaoK
Put the source code in a secure place. On my computer, where none of you can get it!:D:) :cool: :p ;)

[eiSecure]

Originally posted by DaoK
(F)ast (a)s a (T)urtle = The FAT im. or phatIM, to go with phatBB (see the PHP Forums thread in Project communications.:D)

[DaoK]

Ok I will take a look.

[eiSecure]

Okay, i've got the IM client and server both working.

Here's the "features" i've implemented so far:
1. Log In/Out
2. Buddy List (although you can't reorder the people in it)
3. User status (eg.: away, busy, online, invisible, etc.)
4. New user (finished, except for 1 really annoying bug)

Here's what I'm planning to do:
1. Allow reordering of buddy list
2. Allow user to group buddy lists into different groups (eg.: Buddies, Friends, etc.)
3. Allow people to send chats to each other (duh!:D)
4. Allow file transfers (might be a bit complicated)

So, here's the questions:
Currently, I'm storing all the user data in text files. Should I switch to using databases?

[filburt1]

1. Are the statuses customizable?
2. No file sharing should be implemented.
3. What's the annoying bug? :)
4. Go nuts on the DB if you want but I don't (not sure about others) know jack about DBs.

[eiSecure]

Originally posted by filburt1
1. Are the statuses customizable?
2. No file sharing should be implemented.
3. What's the annoying bug? :)
4. Go nuts on the DB if you want but I don't (not sure about others) know jack about DBs. 1. Currently, no. However, it will not be hard to implement such a function.
2. Okay.
3. It allows you to create new users, but you can also enter name of existing user and change their password. (Read my question concerning INI files in General VB Questions).
4. I don't know much about DB's either, so currently, I'm sticking to INI and text files.:D

[filburt1]

You might wanna work on #3. ;)

[DaoK]

the number 3 problems is funny ahaha:D

[filburt1]

Problems with the client:

The gray text is impossible to read, just use vbButtonText instead of gray.

[eiSecure]

?????

What grey text?

(#3 is now fixed.:D)

[eiSecure]

Originally posted by eiSecure
1. Currently, no. However, it will not be hard to implement such a function.
2. Okay.
3. It allows you to create new users, but you can also enter name of existing user and change their password. (Read my question concerning INI files in General VB Questions).
4. I don't know much about DB's either, so currently, I'm sticking to INI and text files.:D Is that the #3 you were talking about?:D

[eiSecure]

I have sent the sourcecode to Andreas. He's currently in the process of debugging it...:)

[filburt1]

Originally posted by eiSecure
?????

What grey text?

http://www.vbforums.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=637730

[eiSecure]

lol....didn't think about the color schemes!:D

(That ikon in the top-left corner is REALLY messed up! It should be 64x64)

[filburt1]

The tray icon is alright though. Remember that Windows XP can use >16-color icons so go nuts with gradients and such if you want. :D

[eiSecure]

I have the icons in 254 colors.

Look at my question about icon color depths in General VB Questions.

Anyways, I got to go.

See y'all later!:D

[DaoK]

I can not log on your program, it load infinitely

[Andreas@ALSoft]

1st: I changed something in the IM client:
I added a globally defined constant for the server's IP (it might change...)
2nd: The client runs for me now
I started both client and server on my PC an it worked.
The error must have something to do with your PCs connection to the internet, eiSec...

[eiSecure]

Filburt, did you get my PM?

[filburt1]

*checks* No.

[DaoK]

I didnt receive a pm from you to.

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Hello?
Anybody still in here?

[DaoK]

Yes I am here

[DaoK]

EiSecure have the project in his hand and will do a lots of money without us :(

[eiSecure]

Na! Don't worry!:D

[DaoK]

I hear than you have made so much money than Bill Gates think to paid you to work for him now :rolleyes:

[Andreas@ALSoft]

One thing:
I think our client proggy should have a better (more colorful) user interface (but it should not look like angry fruit salad)
Redth, could you help me with a nice, shaped form?

[eiSecure]

Andreas, I've got a little OCX that lets you specify an image, and it'll make your form the shape of the image's non-transparent parts.

Only thing is that it is slow.:(

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Good idea!

[DaoK]

When the server will be ready ?

[eiSecure]

VB version is basically ready.

I'm starting to learn Java to write the Java version.:)

[DaoK]

java version ? an applet ?

[eiSecure]

No, a command-line server.

(By the way, Filburt, I need some help on that...is there a Java equivalent of Winsock?)

[filburt1]

There are a bunch of Java classes that do Winsock stuff and so much more.

[eiSecure]

Got a link?:)

[filburt1]

Everything in java.net, which is probably several hundred classes. :D http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/api/index.html

[eiSecure]

Okay, I'm here: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/api/java/net/ServerSocket.html

How would I set up a little proggie that listens on a specific port for connections, accepts them, and then exchange "hello" with the client?

[DaoK]

Why Turtle do not do that ?

[filburt1]

Too lazy right now. :rolleyes: Besides it's a hell of a lot more complicated than Winsock. :(

[DaoK]

it's a hell of a lot more complicated than Winsock.

Eisecure you are new to Java and you want to do that when one of the best Java person in the board said it a very hard, good luck and why do we need that ? We should just release the Im now !!! before 2002 guys!!!

[Andreas@ALSoft]

First: We need to have a computer to run the server program on
Second: we need a real domain
Third: There mustn't be any bug left in the client and the server
------------------------------------
About 1st:
EiSecure, maybe you could run the server for a about 2 week testing period
About 2nd:
A good domain is hard to get....
The following ones have been registred:
www.ocarina.com
www.ocarina.de
www.ocarina.net (nothing there, yet... We gotta get that domain)
I dunno about www.ocarina.org but that is not the best we could get...
_______________________
What about "www.ocarinanet.com" or something like that (I hope it isnt registred)
BTW I should get a domain myself...
Maybe I can register one for OCARINA Networks, too...
(I gotta convince my parents to pay for my domain ;))
----------------------------------------
BTW: We gotta start implementing other functions into our client and it has to become ...hmmm I hould say "cooler"... maybe some color gradients (I got some code for that) and a nicely shaped form?
What do you think?
BTW: My page is down ATM but it should be up again in about a week (The internet router of my schol seems to kill f2s servers for a certain amount of time... after visiting a f2s site from school this site is down :( ... I gotta find the person responsible for that...)

[DaoK]

www.ocarinanet.com is confusing

[eiSecure]

Name shouldn't be a problem!:D

If the domain is registered, we can change the name of our service!:D;)

(I DO believe that I own eiSecure.com.:));) :p

[DaoK]

IF we can a day have that IM working!!!

[Andreas@ALSoft]

The IM looks quite good so far, expect the fact that it is not completed yet...
BTW I found a way to get a form shaped any way you want without any OCX or similar stuff, just plain VB code generated by a great utility (Thx Redth)

[eiSecure]

Alternatively, we can use Activelock.:)

It lets you have shaped forms, and it even lets you change the complete look of the program, a lot like Windows XP Visual Styles.

[DaoK]

activelock = free?

[eiSecure]

oh, whoops!

I meant ActiveSkin. It is not free, but I have a copy of it.:)

ActiveLock, on the other hand, is free. http://www.activelock.com

[DaoK]

ok ok that what I though :)

[Andreas@ALSoft]

HEY
We have to work again!
Christmas is in a few days and this means school holidays...
So let's have a meeting this Saturday 20.00 GMT.
BTW: Who is still in this project, anyway?
It got quite quiet here... that's not good... LET'S WORK!

[eiSecure]

Well, my break starts on the 21st. :(

Maybe next Saturday, I can attend the meeting...I've got a whole week of exams.:D

[Sastraxi]

Don't feel bad Ei! My break starts the same day :(. It sucks don't it!

[eiSecure]

yep.:(

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Sorry, was unable to go online on Saturday because I had no time.
December 21st is my last school day before the holidays.
So maybe we can work on the project during school holidays.
(I have absolutely no time this week because we write 4 class test on 4 days and Friday I have an important school club...) maybe I'll have time Friday evening

[eiSecure]

heh...I don't think anyone on the project has time this week.:)

We all have exams.

[DaoK]

Exam is done mouahah

[eiSecure]

Mines end tomorrow.:D

[Andreas@ALSoft]

one more exam...
Physics...
and I'm done...

[eiSecure]

Well, I've still got English and AP History exams.:D

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Yeah!
Exams are over and in the evening of Dec 24th I'll get my new notebook....
So i'll have tons of HD space compared to the ~100MB I've left on my current notebook. So there's plenty of space for all da source code ;)
BTW:
Merry XMas!

[eiSecure]

lol...I don't want to marry X-Mas!:D

[DaoK]

good all have free day so lets program""!!!""!""!"!" :)

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Originally posted by eiSecure
lol...I don't want to marry X-Mas!:D
Oh!
Whoops!
I meant "Merry XMas" (It was 1:40 AM when I wrote it)

[DaoK]

The server will be up before 2003 ?

[eiSecure]

probably.

[DaoK]

2003 is in 1 years and about 5 days so... where is the girl with the Apache!!! gogogo I think it can be nice to start some test before we restart school.

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Originally posted by DaoK
2003 is in 1 years and about 5 days so... where is the girl with the Apache!!! gogogo I think it can be nice to start some test before we restart school.
The girl with the Apache?
I will e-mail her tomorrow.

[VBD]

Right your server in VB.NET. Its free except shipping & handling. It would allow you to make a XML web service in bout 5 min. You should have gone to DevDays 2001

[VBD]

I am making a IM called deep blue without any help! in 1 day, I made the GUI, today I have made it connect to the server. You can now register log in and log out. Also, the server is simply ftp. You download the usernames and passwords the program compares your info to the online info. If it matches it writes your IP address and username to the onlineusers file. Then when people log on. The program downoads online users. It displays the online users to the user. He clicks one. It starts up an IP conversation. I haven't gotton past signing in and uploading your IP. Thats currently all you can do. But what can you expect from me? I'm 12. Try my strategy if you want your server up fast. It is as simple as winsock if you think about it!

[eiSecure]

lol...one thing about FTP: It's slower.

Currently, we've got our UI, we've got login/out, we've got create new user, etc. In fact, we've basically got everything up and running except for the preferences page.

[VBD]

Oh. I thought you were still finding a name. If you get it running can I make Deep Blue IM compatible with Ocarina?(We each would get more users...?) I would give you the protocol of mihne once its done

[Andreas@ALSoft]

About protocols...
In my opinion we should give our protocol definition to Trillian for example. So we couldld get quite a lot of users.
Well, about your IM, VBD...
I think we could share our protocol but I have to ask the others in our team.

[eiSecure]

Well, if you release a copy of the protocol, VBD, we can then determine if we should me ours compatible with yours.

[VBD]

I don't want to give away all of my protocol because some includes passwords to FTP server which would allow password access and all. Instead I will write up an ActiveX Control for you to put in yours. Write up one for me to put in mine. Simple commands such as
Login(Username,Password)
SendMessage(User)
LogOff()
And a few other commands.
Before I release my ActiveX I will finish my IM

[eiSecure]

No, I meant protocol as in HOW your app communicates, not the specifics.

Something like the format of your packet definitions and database information.

[VBD]

The format is simple. The username/password are stored in an TXT file called users.txt. Its format is as follows:
Username(Rec1)
Password(rec2)
The online users is just as simple:
UserName(Rec1)
IPAddress(Rec2)
To send a messege first connect to the IPAddress of the other user @ port 1010. You will receive the port they want you to talk to you on. Then just connect to that port and send and receive in Winsock Strings. When you logon send this to every user:
Winsock1.Senddata "Online" & Username
ex.(OnlineVBD950)
When you sign off
Winsock1.Senddata "Offline" & Username
Send online and offline at port 1000
I am working on File Transfer.
You will probably send Requests at port 1000
It will probably send back a port to do this on
Then connect and send

[eiSecure]

See...that's the problem.

OCARINA is probably going to have a PHP-powered/MySQL backend.

[j2k]

Hi people,

One month on - and Andreas and I have agreed that Andreas is to step down as PL, and I will once again take charge.

I have had some ideas for the project, such as an inbuilt FTP Server, some simple games (breakout, hangman etc), file sharing system based on Gnutella, as well as the obvious - IM etc etc.

But, as it is one month on, I would like to know who is still working on the project?

[eiSecure]

1. I am soooo making anew logo.:D;)
2. I'm still in
3. I suck at network programming, can't even get the server/client I made to work correctly.:D
4. I can do graphics and GUI.;)

[j2k]

That's what I like to hear :D

Yes I do think we need a new logo, so that can be your first job if you don't mind!

You could just do graphics and GUI if you like, unless you want to help out in any other way? Andreas (co-PL) and I (PL) were thinking about making the GUI similar to that of MSN Explorer.

[eiSecure]

*shudder*

Actually, I was leaning towards Napster Re-Release look. You know, a metallic-mix with XP styles and cool pixel fonts and shading.

[j2k]

Got a screeny?

[eiSecure]

Nope, but you can probably find lots if you do a search for napster.:D

[eiSecure]

Here's a preview...:D

[j2k]

lookin' good :D

[Redth]

just wonderin how you guys are makin out with this thing :)...

[j2k]

Basically it appears we have 3 people working on the project. eiSecure is doing gfx, while Andreas and I are doing coding. We're opting for a modern MSN Explorer type GUI I think, but jazzed up.

Features are still being decided upon - ideas are welcome :)

[j2k]

*bump*

[eiSecure]

[Dr. Nick]Hi, Everybody!:D[/Dr. Nick]

[Skitchen8]

i doubt i could be much help, but ill join the team if you want me (perhaps i could do a web-page??)

[j2k]

okay :D

[j2k]

erm, let me get back to you on that one :)

[surfichris]

Hi Guys, just letting you know that i could also help with PHP Programming (for the site or something)..

So if you need anyhelp, ei knows where to contact me :)

[eiSecure]

hehehe...I'm learning PHP...I've got the language down, now, just getting the MySQL part.;)

[surfichris]

Originally posted by eiSecure
hehehe...I'm learning PHP...I've got the language down, now, just getting the MySQL part.;)

If you need help with that, i can help as well...

Anyway...if you need me, just email away :)

[WAcKeD]

I can do the network programming if you guys need. I love winsock, lol.

[Andreas@ALSoft]

First of all: Hi everybody!
Finally I'm back in this forum. :)
Somehow school took me too much time during the last weeks and as the school year is slooooowly reaching its end (although there are still many many many many weeks left) all my teachers seem to remember they wanted to write some more class tests.
(There were 2 of them this week and tomorrow I'll have to write the third one this week). To make things worse I was quite occupied with a lot of other things that had to be done...
But finally, although I'll be away the next week, I'm back.
Second:
Although all these class really take up time I managed to create a new webdesign template for the current member's section (yes, that CGI page still exists: http://alsoft.physikag.de/ocarina ).
I uploaded a sample to the following URL: http://alsoft.physikag.de/newdesign (the navbar won't work because only the design template and a start page are up)
As I said I found some time to do this (during the breaks at school, for example (fortunately I have a notebook))
As breaks are shorter that they should be I hadn't much time.
So the webdesign isn't completely done by now.
I'm sure I'll change the color scheme a bit as soon as I have time (next week, for example, because I have holydays then and maybe I'll take the laptop with me when I go to Portugal)
If you want to help me a bit making that page look better please mail me any suggestions (the probability that I can retrieve my mails from Portugal is higher than the probability that I can read posts in this forum).

[eiSecure]

Um...how about I do the design?:D

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Hmm, well the thing is that when I'm writing my CGIs and Perl scipts I need something to use them with.
My design of the website is more something like a suggestion containing all the links and SHTML tags needed. If you want you can have the whole server directory's content (=whole site with all scripts). I am unfortunately not allowed to tell you the password for the FTP because it's not my server and I only have a little subdomain there (although I have access to all files on the server :D ).

[eiSecure]

I was leaning more towards more of a PHP site scripting language.

I can set up a subdomain on one of my many domains that I own.:)

[Andreas@ALSoft]

Well, that site I created is not a final one, it is more something I use to test new technologies and to test designs we might use when our service goes "online".
About the domain: I gonna register a domain name later (with later I mean when it's needed). Until then that server I have my page on should be enaugh. (I think I updated the redirector www.ocarina.de.vu to this page).
About PHP and Perl:
There are lots of cases where it is easier to implement a feature in PHP than in Perl. For example a real online access to all OCARINA functions (that means especially instant messaging).
...
[BTW: It is quite possible that I won't take my notebook with me next week. That means that I won't be able to work on any scripts and so on but I CAN collect ideas and make notes on scripts to write. I will work that up as son as I'm home again.)
...
Well I'm off for now becuase I have to prepare some things for tomorrow.
---
Back in a week.

[Osnr]

Why does this project keep dying out for a while? I can help out when I have time.