Pichat Road Map

Overview:

1.     Planned features
2.     Planned builds and history of changes
3.1.  TODO list, user interface
3.2.  TODO list, functionality
4.     Open issues

1. Planned features

The following features are planned for Pichat v0.4.2:

automatic download of updates from configurable repositories, nacholoading
rewrite chat output from scratch with text selection, text size, animation
internationalisation for Windows GUI resources
user interface improvements and bugfixes

2. Planned builds and history of changes

Here is a break-down of Pichat v0.4.2 into individual builds:

New in B46
> added chat window with smiley bar
> configurable smiley bar and side bar
# allow color scheme changes with context menu, new tab sets caret in address field
# bugfix: mouse cursor is correct while resizing big main window
# bugfix: tooltip does not vanish after a "focus-less" button was clicked
# bugfix: listctrl column does resize without "show window contents while dragging"
# bugfix: crash report is written on Windows Vista too

New in B45
> rewrote chat output with text selection, text size, animation
> INI file, new setting EnableVisualEffects=1, [GUI] section
# wiki like text formatting with bold and italics, text color types ordered R-G-B
# bugfix: check why images are not "inked" in night color scheme
# improve documentation and wiki engine (images)

New in B44

updated Windows GUI resources, completed Swedish translation (thanks Magnus for help)
updated SDK web page parser with language detection based on user agent language
documentation tool with support for wiki text format (pikiengine)
website with more information and new documentation engine, using a MediaWiki/ReStructuredText like formatting suitable for technical documentation
renamed simple chat mode to simple text mode in HTML templates

New in B43

internationalisation for Windows GUI resources, defaults are English/German/Swedish
updated options dialog with language selection, application restart after change
INI file: new setting LanguageGuiDefault, [Languages] section

New in B42

updated SDK with manual authentication for bots, C++ interface changed

New in B41

updated status dialog with chat activity and user number in current color scheme
refactored chat text drawing, custom calculation for word wrap and ellipsis
refactored web page parser, added to SDK and updated webcam plugin
homepage with two more screenshots, webchat and telnet example

New in B40

updated webchat HTML templates, more layout control (for Feyd)

New in B39

webchat with support for Wii (Opera browser) and iPhone (Safari browser)
webchat with support for custom style sheet extensions, CSS skinning
updated webchat HTML templates, optional send button and better error handling
INI file: new setting SideBarLevel=2, [GUI] section

New in B38

side bar with chatrooms and users for user interface and webchat
command /WHO shows users in any chatroom, added to side bar
protocol updated, server sends more chatroom information, new chat actions
changed some color names, new colorscheme examples in download section
homepage with CSS layout and updated screenshots
INI file: new setting ChatroomListUpdateIntervall=120, [Server] section
INI file: renamed setting ShowUserList to ShowSideBar, [GUI] section

New in B37

experimental dynamic user list in webchat, add/change/remove with JavaScript and DOM
experimental new webchat HTML templates, simplified for easier integration into existing layouts, moved JavaScript into namespace, shorter loading time, tested with FF and IE
most pages in standards compliant mode and HTML/CSS validated
chat status page shows users in permanent chatrooms
quizbot plugin with support for multiple languages
webcam plugin with context menu in preview window

New in B36

added blinking title bar to webchat and user interface
user interface with interactive login if authentication is required
startup connections via contacts
homepage with sitemap in English/German (for search engines)
INI file: added setting StartupCommands, [Pichat] section
INI file: added setting AnimateWindowTitle=1, [GUI] section
INI file: removed setting Connect, [Pichat] section

New in B35

user interface optionally with precise time stamp
updated SDK with access to logfile, updated plugin interface (for Feyd)
added quiz plugin for running a chatroom quizbot, example trivia in download section
better webcam plugin with logo for online, offline and on the air status (for Rickard)
INI file: new setting NachoTimeStampPrecise=0, [GUI] section
INI file: renamed setting ShowPingPrecise to PingPrecise, [GUI] section

New in B34

user interface with button to show chat options
updated preferences dialog with advanced server settings
homepage with more pages in English/German
INI file: new setting MainWindowOptions=1, [GUI] section
INI file: changed settings for permanent chatrooms, [Server Chatrooms]
bugfix: bots can be added and removed on runtime (bug 1054)

New in B33

updated preferences dialog with user interface settings
new hotkey Windows+P = show/hide main window (for Feyd)
protocol updated, more chatroom information for bots, new chat actions
homepage with developer documentation in English/German
Winamp plugin with option to ignore song titles with specific text
INI file: renamed setting ChatServerJoins to ChatServerUsers, [GUI] section
INI file: removed setting MainWindow3dCheckbox, [GUI] section
INI file: removed setting MainWindowStatusButtons, [GUI] section

New in B32

updated preferences dialog with network settings and a password manager
manual software updates with detailed error feedback
crash report includes information about plugins (for Feyd)
improved file parser class to read and write configuration data
INI file: new setting ClearInputAndOutput=1, [GUI] section
INI file: new setting UserAuthentication=1, [GUI] section
INI file: new setting UserAuthenticationFile=pichat_user_authentication.ini, [GUI] section
bugfix: HTTP/1.0 server closes non-persistent connections immediately (bug 1053)

New in B31

updated MOTD (message of the day) with better support for multiple languages
added ability to check manually for software updates (for Domk)
added status plugin with list of all users in TEXT/XML format
updated SDK with access to more server and user information, updated bot interface
refactored connection manager, download updates optionally via HTTP proxy
bugfix: compressing binary packages with correct length (bug 1052)

New in B30

homepage with user handbook in English/German (for Mattze)
custom title in main window and systray (for Mattze)
HTTP 1.1 client allows dynamic change of traffic limitations during upload/download
bugfix: XML translation without access violation, improved stability (bug 1051)

New in B29

profiling and stress testing of network classes and incoming traffic
bugfix: better handling for telnet and tinygrams (bug 1050)

New in B28

webchat with own help page in English/German/Swedish
command /WHOIS shows if user is registered and optional description
command /LOGOUT and /QUIT to leave chat
updated chat status query with more server information (for Feyd)
updated password tool with IP ranges for all users types
updated SDK to make it VC8 friendly, some incompatibilities as usual
bugfix: web server handles requests with bare CR (bug 1050)

New in B27

web server with support for reverse HTTP proxy (for Feyd)
command /COLORSCHEME is the default command to change color scheme
renamed colorsheme to colorscheme, updated webchat HTML templates
INI file: new setting FollowXForwardedFor=127.0.0.1, [Server] section
INI file: removed setting AssistantButtonsLevel, [GUI] section
INI file: renamed section [Color Shemes] to [Color Schemes]
bugfix: user login works reliable (bug 1049)

New in B26

protocol updated for comunities that require registration, updated password tool
new command /CHATMODE to change chat server mode
new command /USER to log in or out as registered user
updated SDK with text container and access to server information
INI file, new setting ChatModeDefault=CHAT_OPEN, [Server Permissions] section
INI file, new setting VisitorRestrictionChatroom=1, [Server Permissions] section
INI file, new setting VisitorRestrictionNickname=1, [Server Permissions] section
INI file, new setting SafeguardLoginFailedMax=10, [Server Permissions] section
INI file, new setting SafeguardExpireTime=600, [Server Permissions] section
INI file, new setting ClosedQuitTime=300, [Server Permissions] section

New in B25

new application icons
homepage with screenshot section, merged download and plugin section into one section
added webcam plugin, shows picture in JPEG format (code from Feyd and Mark)
added Winamp plugin, shows current song title
INI file: changed setting SmileysAndGraphicsLevel=6, [GUI] section

New in B24

updated visualisation and graphical user interface according to coding standard
added PNG decoder to visualisation (code from Feyd), refactored TGA decoder in same style
refactored visualisation input handling and data formats for stricter encapsulation
refactored visualisation data manager classes to use polymorphism instead of templates
profiling of file stream and string classes, improved implementation
bugfix: automatic update unpacks files from download container
bugfix: simple chat mode opens links in new browser window (bug 1048)

New in B23

added automatic download of updates, also known as "nacholoading" (for Nacho)
new tool to create file repository with version information and SHA256 checksum
INI file, new section [Updates]

New in B22

refactored HTTP server to offer data exchange with plugins, added to SDK
refactored file/memory stream class to be shareable across library boundaries
INI file: moved setting DedicatedServer to ServerDedicated, [Profile] section
bugfix: STL is not used across DLL boundaries (bug 1047)

New in B21

improved HTTP 1.1 client with partial file transfer and traffic limitations
improved documentation tool with XML output (shown as HTML in standard web browser)
refactored string parser for easier use, updated SDK examples
bugfix: nickname change is reported to bots

New in B20

added HTTP 1.1 client class to core, updated unit tests
added SDK tools to download page, contains mkdoc + mkres + pipasswd + pngcomment
improved memory stream class with read/write access
refactored network error handling and data exchange
bots with better text output and multi-threading support
bugfix: trimming text lines before sending to chat server (bug 1046)
bugfix: methods TrimTextEllipsis() and TrimTextLine() work without crashing

New in B19

bugfix: flicker free drawing without GDI leaks (thanks Feyd for help)

New in B18

rewrote tabs with theme support, images and close buttons (thanks Feyd for help)
tabs show connection problems and blink if highlighted text is waiting
refactored chat graphics and theme handling to work without singelton
refactored system tray and icon animation
INI file, new setting TabsCloseButton=1, [GUI] section

New in B17

rewrote buttons with theme support, reorganised buttons in main dialog
protocol updated, server sends more status information, new chat action
bugfix: input focus and default button (owner-draw) is handled better
bugfix: auto away message is not shown when text filter is enabled

New in B16

web server supports authentication, updated password tool with IP ranges
server puts automatic safeguard on user names with too many failed login attempts
user interface with status button to zoom main window in/out
user interface supports filtered text output (for Domk and Nacho)
new hotkey Ctrl+R = enable/disable text filter
new hotkey Ctrl+L = clear chat window
documentation tool with more options and error feedback
INI file: new setting DomkoTextFilter=0, [GUI] section
INI file: new setting MainWindowZoomed=1, [GUI] section
INI file: new setting ServerHttpLocationProtected="/private", [Server] section
INI file: renamed setting MainWindowStatusAndContacts to MainWindowStatusView, [GUI] section

New in B15

improved string and buffer classes with memory allocator
added smart pointer templates (owned/shared), new engine unit test
updated SDK coding standard with a new section about C++ memory handling
reduced webchat to three browser types: dynamic, simple, unsupported
INI file: new setting WebchatScreenSizeBrowserSimple=12, [Server] section
INI file: renamed setting ServerDefaultEntryPage to ServerDefaultHomepage, [Server] section
INI file: changed setting DataTransferBufferSize=32768, [Server] section
INI file: removed setting WebchatBrowserNormal, [Server] section

New in B14

added STL independent string and buffer classes for better binary compatibility
refactored connection manager and plugin manager to use same pattern
refactored command parser with proper encapsulation

New in B13

improved chat server plugin support, new bot interface
updated SDK with library documentation and more engine unit tests
homepage with plugin section for tester
new hotkey F12 = show 3D window
bugfix: chat server announces correct name in LAN
bugfix: user interface minimises without resizing views (bug 1011, bug 1017)

New in B12

improved chat server plugin support, new command interface

New in B11

improved chat server plugin support, new interfaces
new command /PLUGIN to show and configure chat plugins (for Domk)
resource tool with configurable namespace label
INI file: new setting AnnounceNetworks=255.255.255.255, [Server] section

New in B10

UDP scan for running chat servers in LAN, added to contacts, new chat actions
new hotkey F5 = update contacts
different icons for application and download container
INI file: new setting ServerAnnounceLocalNetwork=1, [Server] section
INI file: new setting AnnounceIntervall=60, [Server] section
INI file: renamed setting EngineLogfile to VisualisationLogfile, [GUI] section
INI file: renamed setting EngineLogLevel to VisualisationLogLevel, [GUI] section
bugfix: webchat with stubborn web browsers requires initial stream update
bugfix: webchat refresh initialises the stream compression

New in B9

added simple chat server plugin support
added simple software development kit (SDK) to download page
updated engine unit tests, dynamically linked, all runs automatic, added to SDK
refactored and splitted engine classes to reduce header dependencies

New in B8

experimental chat plugin support (for Feyd)
server logfile lists shared libraries and chat plugins in server debug mode

New in B7

improved server reconnect, detects when local network connection has been restored
command /COLORSHEME is the default command to change color sheme
INI file: new setting ConnectRetryLocalNetwork=3, [Client] section
bugfix: user interface clears chat output correct (means without crashing)

New in B6

contacts with multiple groups
INI file: new setting ContactGroupAddresses=Default, [GUI Connect List]
INI file: removed section [GUI Connect List Favourites]
bugfix: download container sets original file date after extraction
bugfix: chatroom list is not wrong after update to a new build

New in B5

added context menu in user bar with clickable chat commands
added context menu for status and contacts
refactored core data containers for stricter encapsulation
refactored 3D visualisation error handling and logging, similar to chat server
INI file: new section [Contacts]
INI file: new setting EngineLogfile=pichat_3d.log, [3D Visualisation] section
INI file: new setting EngineLogLevel=2, [3D Visualisation] section

New in B4

added tabs for multiple chat windows
preference dialog with checkbox for sticky window mode (always on top)
INI file: new setting TabsWhenChatWindowNumber=2, [GUI] section
INI file: renamed setting MainWindowHomepageButton to MainWindowStatusButtons, [GUI] section

New in B3

added preferences dialog for basic chat settings like nickname
updated hotkeys Ctrl+P = show chat preferences, Ctrl+G = pong back last user
user can hide right part of chat dialog (for Phantomix)
INI file: new setting MainWindowStatusAndContacts=1, [GUI] section
INI file: changed setting ShowUserList=1, [GUI] section

New in B2

splitted off core and engine into shared libraries (dll/so)
redesigned engine resource handling to be more flexible
reduced build time by making better use of precompiled headers
bugfix: download container can run only once at a time

New in B1

added download container for Windows, unpacks and starts exe
added set of engine unit tests for Linux/BSD to download page
redesigned source code structure into application + core + engine
resource tool supports compression and file modification dates
bugfix: user list is not empty on startup

New in B0

protocol updated, client sends preferred languages with first line, new chat actions
refactored client classes to have the same simple design
command /MESSAGE is the default command to send private messages
homepage relaunch with download section

Explanation of used symbols:

= item done

> = item planned
# = comment or smaller task

3.1. TODO list, user interface

multiple chat windows for private messages, dockable or something cool (mark)
skinning support for Windows GUI, Winamp 2.x like, godX remix (feyd, mark)
chat input with a 'girlie mode' where you can see smileys etc while typing (mark)
in message window show if user is in DND mode (domk)
in message window show if opponent is typing or not (domk, jns)
in message window show user's image or webcam, if available (domk)
automatic check if friends on contact list are online/offline (mark)
status dialog with more information, possibly web based too (mark)
options dialog with more settings, possibly web based too (phantomix, mark)
3D dialog with server and network details, both for Linux and Windows (mark)
improve 3D rendering with animated models, textures, etc (mark)
animated notifier for private messages, joins, etc (mark)
chat window with search bar, Firefox like (domk)
user can log his/her chat text and messages (domk)
usability study with ca 10 users to make UI better (mark)
investigate how to get rid of MFC GUI in favour of another Win32 wrapper (mark)
investigate how to get a Linux GUI compiled with WINE or KDE/QT (mark)

3.2. TODO list, functionality

chat with filtered IP-address display and logging (mark, iamnacho)
in /WHOIS command block LAN network information (mark, iamnacho)
anti flood protection (iamnacho)
web server handles pipelining with mixed text/binary data stream (mark)
web server supports CGI and FastCGI (mark)
web server with request rewrite interface, similar to mod_rewrite (mark)
authentication interface for user authentication via database (mark)
multiple 'view ports' to support multiple chat windows, suitable for multiplexing (mark)
traffic encryption (mark, jamie)
builtin proxy with a multi-purpose P2P tunneling service (mark)
abbility to send/receive files via HTTP/HTTPS (mark, phantomix, domk)
profiling of HTTP data flow, especially bulk data transfer and transaction rate (mark)
instant messaging "short messaging" also when other person is offline (mark, rickard, domk)
user profiles with vcard and interests (mark, iamnacho)
finding users with common interests (mark)
script for Pichat webpage that checks chat servers and makes statistics (mark)
server cluster with automatic server change when one goes down (phantomix)
data injection to harden against traffic activity analysis (mark)
technical and functional improvements to harden against misuse, spamming and attacks (mark)
adjustments for mobiles devices, e.g. extra low traffic (mark)
ASCII and UTF8 text data streams, publish protocol specifications (mark)

4. Open issues

new ticket system for support and bug tracking
refactor preferences classes, automatic update for dynamic entries and smaller footprint
systray blinking doesn't work on Windows 64bit version, maybe a time calculation issue
forced idle away from chat server and application logic should work better together

Ideas or wishes? Please visit the Pichat Support and discuss your ideas!

For further information and feedback please contact me.
See also: User Handbook, Chat Configuration, Features