SmIRC 0.62b

SmIRC windows

NOTE: because SmIRC's appearance can be customized in the resource file, your mileage may vary, and the illustrations below may be very different from what you see.

SmIRC uses two primary windows, the server window, and the channel window. There is a channel window for every channel that's joined. All messages in that channel are shown in the channel window. Messages that do not belong to any channel window, are shown in the server window.

The server window looks something like this:

(picture of the server window)
 

Most of this window is taken up by the message buffer, where various status messages appear. At the bottom of the window, there is a buffer where commands are entered.

After connecting to a server, each channel that is joined will get its own channel window. The channel window is very similar to the server window, except that current channel members are listed to the right of the message buffer.

Channel members are listed in alphabetical order, except that channel operators are always listed first, and everyone who does not have voice on a moderated channel is listed last.

(picture of the channel window)
 

There is also a private channel window, which is a window where private messages to somebody else can be typed, and the replies to them appear. It looks identical to a server window.

The initial private message is sent using a /MSG (short for /PRIVMSG) command. When the first private message - or its response - is received, SmIRC opens a separate window, and anything typed in that window is sent as a private message, without having to type the /MSG command again.

IRC output consists of either regular channel messages, or assorted status messages. Channel messages appears in their channel window. Assorted status messages may appear either in a channel window, if the messages are related specifically to the channel, or in the server window. Generally, the server window is used for output when there is no appropriate channel window for them. Certain messages will appear in both, at the same time (future revisions of SmIRC will be a bit smarter in this regard).

The command buffer at the bottom of either server, or channel, window is used to enter either commands, or messages. All commands begin with the '/' character. Anything else is sent as an actual message, and goes to the channel.

The command buffer in a server window accepts only commands, so anything typed there will begin with a '/'. The command buffer in a channel window will accept either commands, or messages. Commands may be entered in either the server window, or a channel window, whatever's on top. Certain commands are channel-related. If the command is entered in a server window, the channel must be specified. If the command is entered in a channel window, the channel may be omitted, in which case the command is used with this particular channel.