[provider] A provider question

Hello Everyone,

I’'m very new to Smack. Actually I just downloaded it a few minutes ago.

I have a question about Smack. I know that the Jabber protocol can connect to other IM-systems using the provider-architecture. While reading the javadoc I didn’'t found very many things about the providers. Is the API already built for the providers?

Is it very difficult to build your own provider?

And one thing I didn’'t find out by reading the documents about Jabber. Is it possible to send a message to a offline user? Just like the way it is possible with ICQ?

I want to build my own IM-client, so I will be here for a while.

Yours,

Mark Monster

Mark,

Welcome to the forum. To clear up terminology a bit – hooking up XMPP to other IM systems is called transports and not providers. The Smack providers architecture is to handle custom XMPP protocols. For example, you could write a special protocol to let people play chess over an IM connection and then a Smack provider to handle that protocol. Transports are typically built into a server. If you do searches in this forum on the keyword, you’'ll find more information.

Also, yes, many XMPP servers can store messages offline.

Regards,

Matt

Hey Matt,

Thanks for clearing things up.

That sounds interesting. So this provider makes it possible to build for example a Sea Battle game. Just a own type of parser for the xml? Or am I now completely wrong. By using the Smack Provider interface one doesn’'t need to implement the sending and receiving of this xml?

Very interesting indeed. Maybe it is possible to create a more interesting IM than this iritating MSN Messenger.

Yours,

Mark Monster

PS. Read, http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11124, to know why I think MSN isn’'t the program anymore.