Sending messages > The input field

The input field
Depending on your preference settings the input field may exist in a single floating window or be attached to each channel window and profile list.
The attached input fields will increase in height to make room for long messages and will shrink back to normal size after you send the message.



If the field contains more than 500 characters, the text will be sent in multiple messages are IRC puts a limit on the amount of text you can send in a single message.
The text in the field is sent to the channel when you press return.

The input field remembers the last 10 messages that you sent and you can use the up and down arrow keys to leaf through the message history. If there is text in the input field when you use the up and down arrows it will be replaced.

If you prefer to use the up and down arrows to move around in the text you can go to the general preferences panel and select the "Message history requires option key with up/down arrow" option. Now you can access the message history with option-up arrow and option-down arrow and use the op and down arrows by themselves to navigate the text.

The input field supports tab completion and also contains a list of the last 10 people that sent private messages to you, or that you sent private messages to.

If you press the tab key while the input field is empty the program will step through the private message history.

If you have text in the input field when you press tab, the program will attempt the match the last word to the beginning of a nickname in the channel.

The input field also supports the option key as a shortcut to making action messages (the "/me smiles" type of messages). If you hold down option when pressing return the outgoing message will be formatted as an action message.

You can separate text in the input field into separate lines that will be sent as individual messages by holding down shift when you press return. This does not send the text, but makes a new line in the input field.

You can drag and drop text onto the input field and it will be sent when you press return.