Hi,

I'm trying to make an Instant Messenger-program for my school. I'm building a client in C++ and I've made a protocol and some other things, but I really don't know what's the best option for a server.

Can I do something in combination with SQL or... Anybody got suggestions? The server has to verify the user and send his/her status to everybody else etc. etc. It also has to hold a bit of user-information and if it's possible also keep offline messages.

I've been searching for solutions, but most 'new' Instant Messengers are multi-messengers and use known protocols/servers like ICQ/MSN/AOL/etc.


Please can anyone help me?!

Best regards, Jesper.

This is some project you've started. It won't be easy.

I guess the best way to hold onto the data would be SQL, but if it's for a small enough school, it's a lot of effort & expense. A comma seperated text file might do the job just as well.

What would you like help on?

GF

Hey Garth,

Thanks for your reaction;

I know, it will be a bit of a struggle, but that's no problem.

The school has got about 1200 students, so I don't think a text-file is the best option and I have got experience with (My)SQL. But the main problem here is that I(we) want to have some kind of server that can run on it's own and send commands back to the client-program. (to verify changes and to send status-commands to clients when, for example, you go offline.)

But if it is possible, I want that server-program NOT to run on something like C++.

And then... what are the options left...?

Jesper

From a server point of view, with an average of 50-100 online at one time, yeah you'll need a database. But it's perfectly possible for the serverside stuff to not be in C++. Perl or even PHP backends, linked with a mySql database would do nicely.

hotwired.lycos.com is the closest thing I can recall which is similar to your predicament. It describes (in Perl) how to open sockets, wait for commands & send out information to other clients.

There's also plenty of tutorials on the DBI & DBD interface, as well as Perl itself (which can be a bit headwrecking - but if you've C++, you're sorted on the theory), to maintain the info in the database.

I don't think C++ is the tool of choice for this backend software, it might be the most efficient, but you sound too young to be going bald from pullling out your hair

We know a bit of Perl here (well I've got a little). If there's anything we can do....

GF