XChat Help
| r1.2 - 26 Feb 2005 - 22:43 - SteveGreen |
At this time, X-Chat Aqua only has this page as documentation.
In addition, you can view the documentation (currently out of date) for
X-Chat,
here.
The rest of this document contains information/notes about XChat and/or
XChatAqua.
It was written to provide an overview of XChat and/or XChatAqua and to
supply some information that can only be found in several different
locations.
Within this help document,
??? denotes something
that is being used as a temporary filler/reminder, needs to be verified or
needs to be rewritten.
Getting Started
XChatAqua is based on XChat within the following we will reference both by
just staying XChat to simplify things.
When you start XChat, the first thing that you will want to do is connect
to a "server".
You do this by bringing up the "Server List" found in the
"File" menu item.
This allows you to start a "session" with a Server by logging
into that server.
Once that you are logged in, you may use the "/join" command or
the "Window"->"Channel List" to join a channel.
XChat allows you to join multiple channels per server as well as multiple
servers.
Talking on a channel is easy, you simply type what you want to say into
the text at the bottom of the appropriate channel window and press
"enter" or "return".
Commands are entered in the same place.
Their first character must be a "/" unless you have changed it
which we discuss later.
When you want to leave a channel, you issue a "/part" command.
There are other commands which you might want to use and those are denoted
below in the Basic Commands Section.
Basic Commands
All IRC commands begin with the forward slash, "/".
If the text that you type does not start with "/", then
that text is considered just part of the normal conversation and
is sent out on the IRC channel as such.
Most channel names begin with a pound sign, "#".
Per-server channels start generally start with "&".
Other characters may be used but this is rare.
Everything denoted as a message may have special coloring or
substitutions in it as denoted later in this help guide.
| Command |
Description |
Example |
| /help [-l] |
Displays the help for all the commands that are available to you.
The optional -l parameter lists detailed help for all the basic commands.
|
/join #Help |
| /join #<channel name> |
Use to join a new channel.
|
/join #Help |
| /part [#<channel name>] [reason message] |
Use to leave or part from a channel.
You may omit the channel name if you are in the Channel Window.
The reason is optional. If it is not entered, the reason set in the
preferences is used.
|
/part #Help Have to go to work |
| /nick [newnick] |
If you wanted to change my current nick, bob, to bob|afk
(meaning Bob is away-from-the-keyboard), you would use:
|
/nick bob|afk |
| /me <action message> |
If you want to infer action, you use this command. An example
would be taking a drink.
|
/me takes a drink! |
| /away [<away message>] |
Use to tell others you are not currently at your computer.
An optional message can be included.
To indicate that you are back, simply issue the command a second time.
|
/away to take care of the kids! |
With the above commands, you are on your way to having fun with XChat.
Experiment and have fun!
Channel Window
When a channel is joined, this is the window displayed and the means of
chatting within that channel.
At the top of the window is a text window that displays the "Topic"
for the channel.
To the right of the "Topic" are the Channel Mode Indicators.
They initially spell out something like TNSIPMBL.
They are denoted by RFC 2811 and stand for:
| Mode |
Description |
| T |
Topic Limited
If set, only chanops may change the channel's topic.
|
| N
|
No Outside Msgs
When set, only channel members may send messages on the
channel.
|
| S |
Secret
When set, the channel is concealed from other users on the
server and the server will not supply the channel name
in the channel list.
|
| I |
Invite Only
When set, new channel members are only accepted if
they have been invited by a chanop.
|
| P |
Private
If set, the channel is concealed from other users on the
server and the server will not supply the channel name
in the channel list.
|
| M |
Moderated
When set, only chanops and members who have been given
the voice privilege may send messages to the channel.
|
| B |
Ban List
Pressing this will display the ban list, where you can
manage that list (XChat only, not XChatAqua).
|
| L |
User Limit
When set and the number of users has reached the user limit
previously set, the server must forbid any new users joining
that channel.
|
| K |
Channel Key
When set, a new user's request to join the channel will be
rejected unless the previouly set key is provided.
This allows the channel to be password protected from entry.
|
If you are a chanop, the channel modes may be set using the
"/mode" command.
Below the Topic Bar is the Chat Text Window which shows the streaming
text from the IRC Channel (ie chatting).
To the right of the Chat Text Window is the channel member list.
If you right-click on a name, a multi-level menu will appear which
allows you to do several things to the user name that you selected.
(Use caution here since
kick and
ban are among the
commands offered.)
These menus are called the "Userlist Popups".
Below the Channel Member List are two bars used to indicate the
IRC usage levels.
The first indicates represents the ping/pong response from server
(ie how efficent/good your connection is to the server).
This is also referred to as the "lag" or "ping" time.
The second indicates how many bytes are waiting to be sent
(ie how much XChat is throttling the data so that you are not
considered to be flooding the channel).
This is referred to as the "throttle" in the Preferences.
Below the two bars may be the "UserList Buttons".
They are only showing if you enabled them in
Preferences->Interface->User List.
If you enabled them, you simply select a user from the UserList and
then press the appropraite button to issue the command that the
button represents.
These are optional and do not have to be enabled.
XChat and XChatAqua Common Notes
Below are some notes about things that are common to xchat and XChatAqua.
So, you can use them in both if you wish.
- Entering Text using the input text area or via commands
support a form of mIRC Color Codes as follows:
- Since % is used to preface special directives below, to insert a %
into your text use %%.
- For bolding, use %Btext%B as in:
"/say %BThis is BOLDed!%B"
- To cancel all effects on some text, use %Otext%O as in:
"/say %OThis is cancelled effects.%O"
- For underlining, use %Utext%U as in:
"/say %UThis is underlined.%U"
- For reversing colors, use %Rtext%R as in:
"/say %RThis is reversed.%R"
- The format for colors is:
- To set foreground color only, use: "%C<Foreground_Color_Number>(text msg)%C"
- To set both foreground and background colors, use: "%C<Foreground_Color_Number>,<Background_Color_Number>text%C"
- <Color_Code> means substitute the color code from below, but do not include the < or the >.
- For Example: "//say %C6 This is PURPLE.%C"
- The color codes are:
| Code |
Color |
Code |
Color |
| 1 |
Black |
9 |
Light Green |
| 2 |
Dark Blue |
10 |
Aqua |
| 3 |
Dark Green |
11 |
Light Blue |
| 4 |
Red |
12 |
Blue |
| 5 |
Brown |
13 |
Violet |
| 6 |
Purple |
14 |
Grey |
| 7 |
Orange |
15 |
Light Grey |
| 8 |
Yellow |
16 |
White |
- Plugins that are to be automatically loaded should be put
in "/Applications/X-Chat Aqua/Plugins/" instead of
"~/.xchat2". However, if you run the X11 version of
XChat2 as well, then they should be put in both places.
- Commands allow you to add simple scripts/commands to
say or change things. All the commands use a format that
allows for some substitution. If you need more than this,
then you will have to probably write a plugin script.
The substitutions are made by adding the following to the
command text:
- %<number> substitutes in the command word. 1
substitutes the command itself, 2 is the first operand
following the command, etc.
- &<number> substitutes in the cummulative
command words. 1 substitutes the command itself plus all
the operands given, 2 substitutes all operands, 3 substitutes
all the operands minus the first one, etc.
- %c substitutes in the current channel name.
- %m substitutes in your machine's name.
- %n substitutes in the your nick name.
- %s substitutes in the user name that you are issuing the
command on (ie the object of the command if it implies a user
nickname).
- %t substitutes in the current date/time.
- %v substitutes in xchat's version.
- %y substitutes in YYYYMMDD.
- CTCP Commands allow you to add simple scripts/commands to
say or change things. All the commands use a format that
allows for some substitution. If you need more than this,
then you will have to probably write a plugin script.
The substitutions are made by adding the following to the
command text:
- %<number> substitutes in the command word. 1
substitutes the command itself, 2 is the first operand
following the command, etc.
- &<number> substitutes in the cummulative
command words. 1 substitutes the command itself plus all
the operands given, 2 substitutes all operands, 3 substitutes
all the operands minus the first one, etc.
- %d substitutes in ???.
- %m substitutes in your machine's name.
- %s substitutes in ???.
If used in userlist button or popup commands, this will substitute the
selected users nickname.
- %t substitutes in the current date/time.
- %v substitutes in xchat's version.
- %y substitutes in YYYYMMDD.
- User Commands allows you to add simple scripts/commands.
User commands are executed by prefacing their name
with a "/" in the text input line. They are also listed
by "/help". The commands are actually stored in
"~/.xchat2/commands.conf".
Multiple lines may be added per command.
Some substitutions may be made as noted for Commands above.
- To connect to multiple channels via the Server List, make sure
that you prefix the channel names with a "#" and that the
channel names are separated by commas.
- Preferences->Chatting->LoggingThe log file name supports
substitution similar to the substitution for Commands.
The substitution supported is:
- %c substitutes in the current channel name.
- %m substitutes in your machine's name.
- %n substitutes in the your nick name.
- %s substitutes in the channel name being logged.
- %t substitutes in the current date/time.
- %v substitutes in xchat's version.
- %y substitutes in YYYYMMDD.
- Commands are denoted in the Text Input by using the Command Input
Character as the first character. This character defaults to being
"/". However, you can change it using the command,
"/set", but rarely is this done.
XChatAqua Specific Notes
The following are things which are unique to XChatAqua and really
doesn't apply to xchat2.
- Channel Mode Indicator B when pressed does not display the
Ban List as it does in XChat.
You must use "Window"->"Ban List" and then
press "Refresh" instead.
- Plugins that are to be automatically loaded should be put
in "/Applications/X-Chat Aqua/Plugins/" instead of
"~/.xchat2". However, if you run the X11 version of
XChat2 as well, then they should be put in both places.
- Preferences Lists->User Commands are actually stored in
"~/.xchat2/commands.conf" and represent additional
user commands that you have added.
- Preferences Lists->Userlist Buttons are actually stored in
"~/.xchat2/buttons.conf" and represent all the user list
buttons that you have added at the bottom of the userlist.
If they are not showing, look to see if they are enabled in
Preferences->Interface->User List.
- Preferences Lists->Userlist Popups are actually stored in
"~/.xchat2/popups.conf" and represent additional
user commands that you have added. These are brought up by
right-clicking on a userlist name.
More information
The following are links to various things which should
provide you with more information about IRC in general.
-
IRC Help has a lot
of great information.
