Shoutbox

If scripting is just a way of opening the power of Plus! up to the more advanced users then why not just make it open source? (possibly to a small group of people - there aren't that many who can actually do C++) This would also give you people submitting patches and enhancements with code (alright, that's not really true, but it is possible )

Otherwise I think you run the risk of completely duplicating the existing MSN object model, but in a harder to use way, Plus! should just be an MSN addon, not a programming environment.

There are a few advantages to scripting, but not enough to outweigh the pain and number of complaints/questions about it.

The other factor is stability, I use Plus! on a server that runs 10 weeks at a time, if someone contributes a script that starts to leak resources then resource managers will just see Plus! as the culprit.

The final point is virus's, when someone writes a Plus! virus, people will blame you (wrongly, but hey, thats life). Not everyone who uses MSN seems to be nice (a worryingly large number seem to be pure evil... )

When I said you would have to like COM I just meant that COM in C++ never made sense to me (I use VB if I need COM) but you would need lots of it, for VBScript and JScript it is simple. All a VB/Jscript ever does is create an manipulate COM objects - that's all they can do, but that's all a VB program does also.

As i don't understand things like COM etc. i can't go into a real technical discussion, i'm not a coder. But let's see what i can add tho this...

I guess we'll have to look to what scripting supposed to be in the first place. Sure it's ment for the some more advanced user which are smart enough to learn some basic programming, but where do you draw the line? If people would be able to do highly advanced things... then why would they not program their own add-on their selves?

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Plus! should just be an MSN addon, not a programming environment.

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Personaly i think that scripting will be good enough when i just comes down to sending messages, sending messages on specific recieved messages, ability to automize status changing... to kind of this... so no additional GUI to it.

Patchou, what your basically saying is that you can use API's with VB/Jscript, which do need.
But what if you do like WDZ said?

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do all the advanced features yourself, in C++, then have scripting as just an extra feature that people can use to make simple stuff

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Is that a possibility? So you create all the features we already had, add some new ones & a really basic scripting engine in J/VBscript. What will users be capable of whitout those API's, and what won't the be capable of?? Can you give some more examples of that, it might help.


About Gringe's COM solution, i don't understand too much about that, but if it is solves the problem, and it's do-able you could give that a try. Ofcourse that would depend on how much time it's going to take, and if it's worth that time.

Also i think that memory and CPU load are very important things, because Plus! runs almost always on many people's PC it is important that it won't take away heaps of memory, just because it wan't to execute some script. Plus! should be able to run in the background at anytime, whitout memory errors.


I think basicly it comes down to, either:
- Find a decent solution for the API's problem (COM?) and continue the way you were originally planning.
- Make the old + some new features yourself in plain C++, and just add a much less advanced scripting engine, which will be capable of only the basic things.
- No scripting at all, just go for great features which you code yourself.

Your the one which can choose that thhe best.

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Jae ... Chrono17@hotmail... Spanish

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Ok, yur added to the list you'll recieve mail tomorrow or the day after (busy now).

I suppose I'm begnning to have a better idea of what I'm going to, thanks to your posts. As Jae and Ginge said, if the script was to give real advanecd features, then why use Plus!... just do your own addon!

So, here is the idea I have now... there will be script capabilities but they will be limited to whatever I decide to offer... during beta testing you'll have to tell me what you think I should add etc... for now, I'm just thinking about basic stuff, like giving an entry point everytime some text is received or everytime that a text is sent. When text is *sent*, I'll give the ability to modify the text to whatever you want.

We shall see then.... I'll continue my work in C++ from now on. Scripting will be an additional feature, as many other.

Patchou

I think yur right, having a simple scripting engine is probaly the best.

You won't dissapoint people to much with that.
And on the other hand the normal Plus! features will not be f**cked up because your focusing on scripting.


Nice

Patchou, I just BEG you: Do NOT turn Messenger Plus into bloatware. Please. I hate programs like Winamp 3 and Windows XP because of that. I'd like to have a fast program.

Mozilla has an XML-based user interface in order to make it easier to port and, still, it has a [somewhat ] acceptable speed. Messenger Plus is only an add-on to Messenger. I trust you on this.

Speed issues concern me a lot too... heover I have a Pentium III so I'll wait for the result of the beta tests to know if MP slows down your computer.... normally, with scripting disabled, the new version of Messenger Plus! should even be a little faster. Enabling scripting won't slow down the system by itself, however, your scripts might so be careful

By the way, I've added a page on my web site so that you can be aware of the progresses in the developement of MP2.... if you're interested... http://www.patchou.com/msgplus/mp2.htm

Patchou... on your progress page you say can’t complete (or whatever) until official release from Microsoft of MSN 5.

Don't know if you know this or not, but the rumoured date is October 24th for MSN 5.

Just in case you cared.

Nice, page bookmarked.
But be sure to keep some suprises for us on release, don't tell every new feature already.

Well, Sholin just told me about the release date... I just hope that the API documentation will be released the same day because that's what I need . Anyway, the code will be ready so it will be a one night work for full Messenger 5 compatibility.

Concerning surprises... well, I don't know... you could not go on the page lol. The only real surprise will be to see if X or Y feature is now available because in most cases, all the possible new features are listed in the Suggestion page.

Patchou.

give the option of advanced or basic scripting a tick box or one version with one with out. Please