Shoutbox

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Originally posted by Cameno forums
How Cameno works - Originally Posted by Gildan

I wanted to write this so that there would be an understanding of how the program works in the background to eliminate some confusion.

How Cameno Works:

Cameno uses two techniques to do its job: The Messenger API and normal window hooking through Windows API calls.

When you sign into MSN Messenger, a variable must be declared by Cameno so that it will recieve events from MSN Messenger. This variable can only be declared when the user is signed in, or there will be an error. Once signed in, the user can sign out and sign back in, and the variable will remain active, because it was declared when the user was signed in.

Once the variable is declared, code written in the OnIMWindowCreated sub is called when an IM window is opened. Cameno takes the new IM window and removes the window border (the title bar and the minimize/maximize/close buttons, etc.) from it, places it inside itself, and creates a tab.

When the user closes the tabbed window, Cameno hides it until a new window is opened.

Since the variable can only be declared when MSN Messenger is signed in, Cameno must detect if the user is signed in. After a bit of searching, I discovered that when MSN signs in, a hidden window titled "EchoPortManagerWnd" is opened by MSN. So Cameno simply waits for this window to open, then it loads the tabbed window (hidden) and declares the API variable. When the EchoPortManagerWnd window closes, Cameno notes that you are signed off, but leaves the windows open (because you could have been disconnected from the Internet). If MSN is exited, Cameno closes the tabbed window and waits for MSN Messenger to re-open. If Cameno were at this point to close completely, next time you started MSN Messenger, you would have no tabs.

Therefore, in order for seamless operation with MSN Messenger, Cameno must remain running at all times.

Also, because Cameno's only interaction with MSN Messenger is to pull over the IM windows and get notified through the API, it cannot interfere with any other addons that you install, unless they play with the IM windows. Therefore, if you are having a problem, do not uninstall Cameno: there are no problems that can be fixed by uninstalling, and there is nothing to uninstall except the Cameno.exe file.

This is the ideal and normal operation of Cameno: running silently in the background, creating and destroying the tabbed window as needed with no user interation in the least.

If it does not operate in this manner, then there is a bug present, not any lack of features. If you get Cameno to not display the tabs, please try to recreate what you were doing and post a note in the Bug Reports forum.

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