Forums Scripts & Popups need COM object ideas to learn

Hi,

I was looking into COM objects just a bit and they look like they have alot of possibilities. I wanted to figure out a script to write to try them out, but I'm not sure what all is possible. I have a list of ideas using messenger programs that I'd like to ask if it would be possible to do. I use Trillian to connect to AIM, Yahoo, and MSN messenger, but I could connect to each individually if it would be better. Here's the list:

1. Have mIRC echo or send me a notice/query when someone signs onto one of my messengers.
2. Receive IMs as notices/queries in mIRC (with the appropriate messenger program mentioned so I know where it's from)
3. View my contact lists (probably using an alias like /YahooFriends
4. Send IMs

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

-Edit- I just found a post where someone said they don't think you're allowed to help with connecting to messenger programs. I'm not sure why, since I legally have the programs and accounts, but if it's a problem, let me know.

This forum has no rules against helping you use the COM APIs of those programs, what it does have a rule against is helping you connect to the MSN Chat network with a third party client as this violates their license agreement.

1 and 2 are not possible as mIRC doesn't support COM events (hopefully the next version will as it's quite a sought after feature...)
3 and 4 would definitely be possible but you would have to first find out if the programs you speak of expose a COM API and then you would have to find documentation for them.

1 and 2 *might* be possible if you could get the COM object to use DDE to call an alias in mIRC, or if you wrote a dll or your own COM object to react to the events in the object you're implementing which will in turn call an alias in mIRC. Either way it doesn't sound like it will be an easy task.

COM is an advanced subject and you shouldn't expect instant results.

Thanks for the help. I found a script that connects to MSN with mIRC. Is there a way to find out what is sent and in what format it's sent during a login, so I can write the socket event for connecting and logging in to Yahoo? Thanks.

MSN (this includes the MSN Messenger network) and Yahoo! both disallow the use of third party clients and this forum won't help with that. If you need any help with something in the MSN Messenger protocol you can contact me privately (but not through the pmsg system of this website.)

about 3 you cant with yahoo since they have pretty much closed it all up. You can however get the list of your MSN contacts if your online using the messenger.UIAutomation object. MSDN it. If you need an example of how to do this have a look here .

Thanks, Mpdreamz. I had a look at your code. I'll look some more once I wake up a bit more, lol. It is surprisingly short. I haven't worked with COM before, but I expected something like that to be pretty long. Are you sure I can't send and receive IMs? I use a program called Trillian to log into several different IM programs and send/receive messages too. Wouldn't that be pretty much the same in terms of being able to do it? If I can't do that, I'll have to think of some other ideas. This might be more of a socket thing, but how about logging into my Bellsouth email and being able to see the senders and subjects of emails in my inbox? Thanks for any help.