pahariwalla, to improve the module, I want to suggest the following features. You can put it in your To Do list and work on it whenever you can, no hurry and no pressure, if I were a good programmer I would've helped you but surely others will volunteer I hope.

- Option to choose the font and background colors
- use AJAX to auto refresh the user list
- A Clear button to clear the chat window
- ability to talk to more than one person in the same window (with conference or invite option like a chat)
- ability to open multiple IM consoles
- Option to have the IM console as a pop-up app, so we can continue to to browse while chatting.
- Ability to click on a user in the Who's online block and open the IM console. hence we won't need the IM Friends block this way.
- A sound option to alert of an incoming IM message (like a mild Ding)
- Ability to click on a button and create a Relationship with everyone in the user list, currently in order to IM someone, I have to go to their profile and Link to them...if we have 100s of users it can become an issue.
- Make the three windows equal in width.
- Option to choose the size of the IM console window

thanks!
-V-

Hi Vako - Thanks for all your support and help !!

You've got some great ideas, but they need to be addressed individually. Can you please create a separate issue for each one - and set the Category to Featute Request.

Having said that, I don't think I can do them all, but maybe others can help.

Thanks again. BTW the refresh friends list bug has been fixed but I'm still waiting for CVS admins to delete my "recommended" release so I can post up the new fixes.... sorry. learning CVS the hard way

I'll send you an email when we're back on track

Thanks again for all you've done.

Raj

Hmm interesting requests, I'm very interested in this module but have some comments about your requests. I hope you don't mind me discussing these requests very quickly, and then maybe we can put the most likely ones in their own issues.

Requests that I don't agree with:

"- Ability to click on a button and create a Relationship with everyone in the user list, currently in order to IM someone, I have to go to their profile and Link to them...if we have 100s of users it can become an issue."

You should ask UR for this feature, it's not directly related to IM.

"- use AJAX to auto refresh the user list"
A block refresh module already exists.

"- Option to choose the font and background colors"
I don't think that fits within the scope of this module. There are style API-like modules that might be good to integrate?

"- A Clear button to clear the chat window"
I don't see a reasonable usecase for this.

"- Make the three windows equal in width."
Theme issue? Do it yourself.

Requests that I second:

"- A sound option to alert of an incoming IM message (like a mild Ding)"
I second this request.

"- Ability to click on a user in the Who's online block and open the IM console. hence we won't need the IM Friends block this way."
This is useful, but I don't think it should be done through online block. Views integration, IE, add a new field or some such to open the chat window on a users list via views?

"- Option to choose the size of the IM console window"
Optional Jquery UI integration?

"- ability to open multiple IM consoles"
Certainly

"- Option to have the IM console as a pop-up app, so we can continue to to browse while chatting."
Not sure what the best way to handle this is. But a popup certainly is inelegant.

@Miraply and @Vako - I'm pretty new to all this and I really appreciate all the feedback. We need to separate these items into individual issues and it will be easier to converse, work on, commit, etc.

Just a couple of points.

1) Regarding display of users, selecting a user to chat with, etc. There are a lot of possibilities, but I think the most sensible is to have multiple ways to define who your "IM Friends" are. Currently we are only allowing UR for this. Some folks want to be able to have all users on a site to "IM Friends" with all other users, but then what do I show in the "Friend Picker" thing that starts a conversation? See #407648: Allow options on display of Friendlist and #407640: User shold be able to configure who is in the Friend List. I'm also planning on exposing the "Friend List" builder to allow a hook so that you can define your friends however you like.

2) Regarding pop-up and chatting while browsing. Pop-up would be a good option I think, but I personally find it a little annoying to always have to switch focus between my browser and the chat window. The current IM Console block keeps your conversation alive while you browse around the site, and therefore is always there.

3) The issues regarding styling - yes, these are current handled via css. I will publish a directory of css tags, but in the mean time, you should be able to recognize the tags and what they are for. Please feel free to ask specific questions is you get stuck.

Thanks

Raj aka pahariwalla

1) Like I said in #3, views. Views can allow admins to select any combination of users. UR, a random list of users, users that are flagged, so on and so forth. Don't duplicate work unnecessarily. Create a views field for the friend picker and this would be done.

If I may also make a suggestion :)

1. Have a block with 'you have x number of user relationships online' that links to a separate view or page with 'friends' online.

Then in a block to be able to chat with your friends.

So basically a separate page with the IM (as with latest Facebook feature)

Wondering, how does Facebook create the 'friends online' in a menu to float at the bottom? That would be nice.

2. Also love the sound effect ..

3. Most important though is that it shows the real name and not username as with http://www.drupal.org/project/realname

Look forward to any updates, and thank you!

Hey guys! I'm really happy that we are about to get a working IM module soon. Thanks a lot for your work & passion, Mr. developer! :)))

I don't know how hard it is to implement but personally I'd prefer the facebook-solution for pop-up-layers. So, we could have all the chats and friedlists in collapsible/extensible jquery(?)-driven pop-up-layers. It would save valuable place on the page and by the way look absolutely fancy.
I think the ha.bla module delivers a great inspiration and design-base of what I mean.

Regards,
Stefan

stephan - I know that would be very cool. Although I thought about it from the onset, I didn't really architect IM to easily go in that direction. However, I would like to do that - I think it would be a great improvement. I also want to make a 5.x version soon and am debating (with myself) which to do first.

Probably 5.x - but I will take a little time to sort of map out what I need to do to make the multiple pop-up windows..

Thanks for the feedback

Lot's of good ideas. There is already some work being done for some of them, but what we all really need to do is create a separate issue for each of these ideas. That way there can be a good discussion on the progress of each request and I can get a sense of how many people are looking for each issue.

Piling them all into this one issue requires the I have to keep rereading all of the comments and try to get a sense of 12 things at the same time.

So, If anyone want to see some real action on any of these features please create a new issue for that one item.

Thanks for all the great ideas.

Unfortunately, I have not that much time at the moment but I started the first separate issues:
#483146: Pop-Up layer
#483154: Sound alert for incoming messages
#483162: Ability to open multiple IM consoles

Hope it helps. :)

Best regards,
Stefan

Perfect ! Thanks so much for taking the time. I know it's something I could also have done, but I think it's nicer and more meaningful if the people who came up with the idea take credit for it. :)

What about the possibility to chat with anonymous users?
Is that possible already

this issue is a mess of feature requests that each be made into its own issue if still desired.

renamed from: >>> NEW FEATURE REQUESTS <<<

p.s. @hamsterbacke82 - there is no way to talk to anonymous users. we could build that in, but the "names" of the people would be session ID's which are horribly long randomish strings of number and letters..