An IRC like online chat running in your web browser using WebSockets

A live demo is accessible here: http://orwell.home.stochastique.net:5000/

The chat server runs with node.js. After installing node, execute the server by typing on a command line:

node server.js

The server listens to port 80 by default. However, you can change this port on the command line:

node server.js 5000

You can now open a browser and browse to the url of the server, the server will display the client interface.

Command help:

/help : show the help message
/connect <host:port> : connect to a chat server
/ident : ask for your own identification string
/motd : display the server message of the day
/motd <message> : set the server message of the day (requires: admin)
/time : show the server local time
/nick <nickname> : set the nickname you will be yelled at
/list : list all channels on this server
/users : list all visible users matching the specified pattern
/join <#channel> [<password>] : join a channel and participate ! if the channel does not exist, it is automatically created
/topic <#channel> : show the current topic of the specified channel
/topic <#channel> <topic...> : set the topic of the specified channel
/msg <#channel> <message...> : send a message to the specified channel
/msg <@user> <message...> : send a private message to the specified user
/leave <#channel> [<reason>] : leave the channel. the channel is automatically destroyed when the last particiapnt leaves
/mode <#channel> : query modes for this channel
/mode <#channel> [+|- <channel modes>] [<password>] : set modes for this channel. password is only required when setting the k mode
/mode <#channel> <@users> [+|- <channel user modes>] : set modes for all matching users on this channel
/mode <@users> [+|- <user modes>] : set global modes for those matching users
/kick <#channel> <@users> [<reason>] : kick some people out of a channel (requires: operator, admin)
/wall <@users> <message...> : send a wall notice to all matching users (requires: admin)
/select <#channel> : makes the specified channel the active channel. everything you type in the input box will be sent to this channel

Differentiate users by using an extended name syntax: @nick<#channel><@host:port>. example:

@test
@test#channel
@[email protected]:25642
@test#[email protected]:25642

some commands (users, mode, kick, wall) accept a wildcard pattern: the command is applied to all users matching the pattern. Wildcards are * and ?, escape a wildcard by preceding it with \.

Channel modes are:

s : secret. the channel does not appear when listing channels with the /list command (except for server admnistrators)
m : moderated. only users with the +v mode enabled can talk to the channel
t : limited topic. only channel operators can change the topic of the channel
k : password (key) protected. the channel is only accessible to people knowing the password

Channel specific user modes are:

o : operator. operators have super powers onto a channel
v : voiced. voiced people are allowed to talk on moderated channels

User modes are:

a : admin. server administrator, better not mess with them
b : bot. complacency flag to signal a user is a bot

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