Use of MSComm or INet to make a chat app

[max_per]

Hello.
I know that's a long answer to this question, but a link to where I can get dosc on the subject will be anough.

Can I connect directly to any PC that's connected to Internet via MSComm or INet or something?

I mean: let's say I and a friend of my have installed a copy of "my-personal-chat-prog".

Can I check if he's online and begin a two-way communication between the two PCs by calling him (obviously he's got no registered domain, all I can know is his ISP)?

Thanks anybody!

You'll need to know his IP it's the only means of communicating between 2 pc's on the internet.

Unfortunatly there is no way to get his IP(well he could just tell you) unless his ISP assigned him a static IP.



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Vincent van den Braken
EMail: [email protected]
ICQ: 15440110
Homepage: http://www.azzmodan.demon.nl

[max_per]

So, is there no way to "ask" his provider which IP he's been assigned to for the current connection?

How do chat appication work, then?

(and thanks for answering)

[Crazy D]

I think that most chat apps, to speak very easy, use a server where you logon when yuo start the program, the program tells the server which ip you have and that way it knows where to send the msg's too.
Got to say that I had a chat app working, but I needed to use a program like icq to figure out the ip of the other side.
(but, if you have a static ip, you can let the program send the users ip to you (and hardcode your ip) so you can reply to msg's...
At least this will work if only a few users use the programs.