Ch@t v1.1 for First Class and First Class Intranet
• General information
ch@t is a FirstClass Client extension that adds a new private chat feature to it. To use it, you must have a MacOS-compatible computer, and FirstClass Client v3.5 or newer, or FirstClass Intranet Client. ch@t features advanced GUI, private messaging, actions, chat operators, topics and many more additional functions.
• Installation
To install ch@t, perform these simple steps:
a. Locate your FC Client or FC Intranet Client folder;
b. Open it and locate Plugins folder inside;
c. Drag ch@t extension into Plugins folder;
d. Start up FC Client or FC Intranet Client.
From now on ch@t is installed. You can start using it - enjoy!
• Using ch@t: Basic GUI Navigation
To use your ch@t, select "ch@t" option in the Private Chat submenu of Service menu. ch@t window will appear.
The big black area is the text output field. All incoming text appears in it. You can customize the colors and font by editing Preferences (see below).
The grey area at the right represents user list. It shows chat participants. If the name is red, it means the person is an operator. More info on the operators can be found below. You can click on the name to get a popup menu for every user. Popup menu items are identical to similar commands.
The bottom grey area is text input area. Everything you type when ch@t window is frontmost window comes there; you can type the text you want to send to the chat, or commands (more info on commands can be found in the section named "Using ch@t: Commands").
At the bottom right corner you see two buttons, "Invite" and "Prefs". First one brings up an invite dialog that allows you to invite another person with ch@t. Second button brings up Preferences dialog (see next section).
• Using ch@t: Contextual Menus
ch@t contains many contextual menus. Some of them require Option key to be down to appear. Here's a brief description of what they do and where they appear:
- User popup: Appears when you click on the user name in the participants list. Provides the shortcuts to the similar commands.
- Sound popup: Appears when you click on the little triangle below the text area. You can choose a sound to be played in the chat. Alternatively, you can use /SOUND command.
- Clipboard popup: Appears when you hold down Option key and click on the input area. Provides copy/paste facilities for the input area. Alternatively, you can use Option-C and Option-V keys.
- URLs popup: Appears when you hold down Option key and click on the text area. You can choose one of the menu items to launch your browser and visit one of @soft's pages. This menu also contains URLs found in the chat (that feature is called URL trapping).
- Misc popup: Appears when you hold down Option key and click anywhere in the areas not covered by other popups. Provides misc functions like Save as and About ch@t.
• Using ch@t: Setting Preferences
When you click "Prefs" button, a preferences dialog appears. You can toggle some values and choose your favorite color set to use.
To choose the font, select the font and size from the appropriate popup menus. The example of the font will be shown in the font preview area (note that fonts are always shown in 12 pts size, except for Default font, which is displayed in 10 pts).
To choose the colors, simply click on the color you want to change and choose it using standard MacOS color picker. You can verify the change in the preview area at the right. To revert to original color set, click Default button (Attention: this will reset the toggles too). If you click the mouse on the preview area you'll see a list of pre-defined color schemes.
Below the colors is the toggles area. Here's a brief explanation of what the toggles do:
- Fast scrolling: disables nifty scroll effect. If you don't like it, you can toggle it off by selecting that checkbox.
- Save messages when away: in the future beta will log the messages when you're away. Right now does nothing.
- Prompt to save log on close: when you close ch@t, it will ask you if you want to save the log. Handy if you like to save conversations but often forget to do it.
- Disable sounds: disables all sound effects in ch@t.
• Using ch@t: Commands
Text typed in the input field is normally treated as the text to be send to the public. But if the text startsh with a slah character ('/'), it is considered a command. Here's a list of ch@t commands and what do they do:
/HELP <nothing or command name>
Help command gives you the help on the specified command name. Use it when you forgot how to use a command.
/ME <action>
Performs an action to the chat, rather than a usual chat text. Tip: You can also hold down option key when pressing Return to send an action instead of usual chat text.
/TOPIC <topic>
Sets the chat topic to the one specified. Works only if you are an operator, or free topic mode is set. If no topic is given, a random one is picked.
/OP <partial name>
Gives operator status to another user. Works only if you are an operator.
/DEOP <partial name>
Takes operator status off user. Works only if you are an operator.
/FTOPIC
Toggles free topic mode on the chat. Free topic mode allows non-operators to set the chat topic with /TOPIC command. Works only if you are an operator. Free topic mode is off by default.
/MSG <partial_name*> <message text>
Sends the private message to another person in chat. Noone else can see it.
/KICK <partial_name*> [<kick reason>]
Kicks the user off the chat with the reason specified. Works only if you are an operator.
/SOUND <sound name> [<partial_name*>]
Plays the sound to the chat. If the name is specified, plays the sound privately to that person.
/AWAY <reason>
Sets you away. People messaging you will see the note stating that you are away.
/VERS
Shows the ch@t version.
/URL
Launches the last trapped URL.
//
Repeats the last entered command.
There also may be some "secret" commands ;-)
* - please replace the spaces in the name with underlines.
• Pricing
ch@t is Shareware. To disable the shareware version, you must purchase a license for US$15.00. On receiving payment, @soft will supply you with an Unlock code. To chat with a friend each one of you must purchase a code. Please note that when purchasing more than one license there's a discount available. If you are getting 2 licenses, it will cost you just $10 each - that's $10 of savings. More than 10 licences costs $7 per license. More than 100 licenses costs $5 per license. If you want to purchase more than 200 licenses for use on your site, contact @soft for the special discounts.
• Registering ch@t
Paying for ch@t is fairly simple. Open the Register program that accompanies ch@t. Enter your name, your email address, and the number of licenses you desire for it. Save or Copy or Print the data from the Register program and send the data and payment to Kagi. More specifics on the Register program to follow.
Kagi handles @soft payment processing.
If paying with Credit Card or First Virtual, you can email or fax the data to Kagi. Their email address is sales@kagi.com and their fax number is +1 510 652-6589. You can either Copy the data from Register and paste into the body of an email message or you can Save the data to a file and you can attach that file to an email message. There is no need to compress the data file, it's already pretty small. If you have a fax modem, just Print the data to the Kagi fax number.
Payments sent via email are processed within 3 to 4 days. You will receive an email acknowledgement when it is processed. Payments sent via fax take up to 10 days and if you provide a correct internet email address you will receive an email acknowledgement.
If you are paying with Cash or USD Check you should print the data using the Register application and send it to the address shown on the form, which is:
Kagi
1442-A Walnut Street #392-3YQ
Berkeley, California 94709-1405
USA
You can pay with a wide variety of cash from different countries but at present if you pay via check, it must be a check drawn in US Dollars. Kagi cannot accept checks in other currencies, the conversion rate for non-USD checks is around USD 15 per check and that is just not practical.
If you have a purchasing department, you can enter all the data into the Register program and then select Invoice as your payment method. Print three copies of the form and send it to your accounts payable people. You might want to highlight the line that mentions that they must include a copy of the form with their payment.
Kagi can not invoice your company, you need to act on my behalf and generate the invoice and handle all the paperwork on your end.
Please do not fax or email payment forms that indicate Cash, Check or Invoice as the payment method. As far as we know, there is still no technology to transfer physical objects via fax or email and without the payment, the form cannot be processed.
Payments send via postal mail take time to reach Kagi and then up to 10 days for processing. Again, if you include a correct email address, you will hear from Kagi when the form is processed.
• What's new?
Version 1.1
- Completely redesigned ch@t protocol, causing up to 20% less network traffic generated by ch@t. Note that this causes incompatibility with version 1.0.
- Some small bugfixes and tweaks.
• Contacting @soft
We encourage you to send the feature suggestions etc to our email: atsoft@kagi.com.
ch@t web page is located at <http://www.kickinit.net/@soft/chat/>.
• Credits
ch@t was created by Slava Karpenko and Eduard Ginzburg. Thanks to all the beta testers and people who had registered their copies!
• ch@t License
CH@T ("THE SOFTWARE") IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. USE THE SOFTWARE AT YOUR OWN RISK. @SOFT ("THE AUTHOR") MAKES NO WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION FROM OR INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THESE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY IN ALL JURISDICTIONS. YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS AND SOME OF THESE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
