Shoutbox

hi all,

i've been using msn messenger for a while to chat with my friends. I recently became interested to develop an add-on to msn messenger, but I have never used messenger plus and I thought I could just find all the info I needed in Microsoft's MSDN library online. I looked a the messenger API there but I don't understand it : does microsoft allow other people to write plugins for msn messenger / windows messenger or not at all? I read something about the API being locked and you need to request an ID or something. If this API is closed and microsoft does not allow other people to write plugins, how was messenger plus designed such that it can sit on top of windows messenger or msn messenger? I could of course just create a messenger plus plugin but I'm not sure how many people are actually using it, compared to the total msn messenger users, and how many users are using windows messenger just plain. I would like my plugin to work on all variations of messenger.

thanks in advance!

bert

The Messenger API Type Library documented on MSDN is publicly available, and there are functions that allow the use of this API. Plus manages to do what it does by non-standard means as far as I can tell, which is why it can do more than seems immediately possible.

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Originally posted by raceprouk
The Messenger API Type Library documented on MSDN is publicly available, and there are functions that allow the use of this API. Plus manages to do what it does by non-standard means as far as I can tell, which is why it can do more than seems immediately possible.

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thanks for the info. but how does messenger plus install itself into the menu of msn messenger, for example? what are the limits roughly of the standard messenger api and are there any tutorials on how to use it?

Ah, the Messenger API isn't quite what you're looking for here. Unless you want to catch the creation of conversation windows, which in that case I recommend you take a look at http://www.rpsoftware.net/tutorials.php?page=events.
As for adding the menu, you'll need to centre that code around a call to InsertMenu(). The MSDN Library has fullinfo on InsertMenu(), and it should be easy to find.

quote:

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Originally posted by raceprouk
Ah, the Messenger API isn't quite what you're looking for here. Unless you want to catch the creation of conversation windows, which in that case I recommend you take a look at http://www.rpsoftware.net/tutorials.php?page=events.
As for adding the menu, you'll need to centre that code around a call to InsertMenu(). The MSDN Library has fullinfo on InsertMenu(), and it should be easy to find.

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thanks for the info the fog is clearing up in my mind slowly ...

so, suppose I don't want to assume my users have Plus! installed, and I want to:

1. add a menu to messenger so they can set and view some options

2. get a chance to receive and interpret the text sent by the other side of the chat conversation

what do i need to do to add this functionality to messenger? I write a DLL with the right bits of code in it, and I put this DLL in a directory somewhere on my system? what directory?

is there a general tutorial for total idiots somewhere on how to add functionality to messenger?

i've looked at various pages on msn messenger and the messenger protocol, how to install hooks etc to trick messenger and do your own stuff.. but it all looks complicated compared to the msn plus plugin code kit i downloaded from the website here... am I correct to think that plus! hides all this complexity and makes it simpler for people to write msn messenger functionality? i'm not sure how i could bring up my own configuration window from the plus plugin DLL I would write..


thanks!

2. get a chance to receive and interpret the text sent by the other side of the chat conversation



now that one is a tricky..

unless you go deep deep into winsock hooking, or using a homemade proxy.. its going to be hard work..

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Originally posted by Stigmata
winsock hooking, or ... homemade proxy

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Or API hooking, which is itself very tricky.

As for the menu adding, it's possible even withoiut using the Messenger API. You'll just need a global hook to catch window creation. If the window class is 'IMWindowClass', subclass it and add the menu.

For hooking, look up SetWindowsHookEx(), and go from there