NAME "Net::Async::IRC" - Asynchronous IRC client SYNOPSIS TODO DESCRIPTION This object class implements an asynchronous IRC client, for use in programs based on IO::Async. This documentation is very much still in a state of TODO; it is being released now in the hope it is currently somewhat useful, with the intention of putting more work into both the code and its documentation at some near point in the future. CONSTRUCTOR $irc = Net::Async::IRC->new( %args ) Returns a new instance of a "Net::Async::IRC" object. This object represents a connection to a single IRC server. As it is a subclass of "IO::Async::Stream" its constructor takes any arguments for that class, in addition to the parameters named below. PARAMETERS The following named parameters may be passed to "new" or "configure": on_message => CODE A CODE reference to the generic message handler; see "MESSAGE HANDLING" below. on_message_* => CODE Any parameter whose name starts with "on_message_" can be installed as a handler for a specific message, in preference to the generic handler. See "MESSAGE HANDLING". pingtime => NUM Amount of quiet time, in seconds, after a message is received from the server, until a "PING" will be sent to check it is still alive. pongtime => NUM Timeout, in seconds, after sending a "PING" message, to wait for a "PONG" response. on_ping_timeout => CODE A CODE reference to invoke if the server fails to respond to a "PING" message within the given timeout. $on_ping_timeout->( $irc ) on_pong_reply => CODE A CODE reference to invoke when the server successfully sends a "PONG" in response of a "PING" message. $on_pong_reply->( $irc, $lag ) Where $lag is the response time in (fractional) seconds. nick => STRING user => STRING realname => STRING Connection details. See also "connect", "login". If "user" is not supplied, it will default to either $ENV{LOGNAME} or the current user's name as supplied by "getpwuid()". If unconnected, changing these properties will set the default values to use when logging in. If logged in, changing the "nick" property is equivalent to calling "set_nick". Changing the other properties will not take effect until the next login. encoding => STRING If supplied, sets an encoding to use to encode outgoing messages and decode incoming messages. METHODS $connect = $irc->is_connected Returns true if a connection to the server is established. Note that even after a successful connection, the server may not yet logged in to. See also the "is_loggedin" method. $loggedin = $irc->is_loggedin Returns true if the server has been logged in to. $irc->connect( %args ) Connects to the IRC server. This method does not perform the complete IRC login sequence; for that see instead the "login" method. host => STRING Hostname of the IRC server. service => STRING or NUMBER Optional. Port number or service name of the IRC server. Defaults to 6667. on_connected => CODE Continuation to invoke once the connection has been established. Usually used by the "login" method to perform the actual login sequence. $on_connected->( $irc ) on_error => CODE Continuation to invoke in the case of an error preventing the connection from taking place. $on_error->( $errormsg ) Any other arguments are passed into the underlying "IO::Async::Loop" "connect" method. $irc->login( %args ) Logs in to the IRC network, connecting first using the "connect" method if required. Takes the following named arguments: nick => STRING user => STRING realname => STRING IRC connection details. Defaults can be set with the "new" or "configure" methods. pass => STRING Server password to connect with. on_login => CODE A continuation to invoke once login is successful. $on_login->( $irc ) Any other arguments that are passed, are forwarded to the "connect" method if it is required; i.e. if "login" is invoked when not yet connected to the server. $irc->send_message( $message ) Sends a message to the server from the given "Net::Async::IRC::Message" object. $irc->send_message( $command, $prefix, @args ) Sends a message to the server directly from the given arguments. $irc->send_ctcp( $prefix, $target, $verb, $argstr ) Shortcut to sending a CTCP message. Sends a PRIVMSG to the given target, containing the given verb and argument string. $irc->send_ctcprely( $prefix, $target, $verb, $argstr ) Shortcut to sending a CTCP reply. As "send_ctcp" but using a NOTICE instead. $me = $irc->is_nick_me( $nick ) Returns true if the given nick refers to that in use by the connection. $info = $irc->server_info( $key ) Returns an item of information from the server's 004 line. $key should one of * host * version * usermodes * channelmodes $value = $irc->isupport( $key ) Returns an item of information from the server's "005 ISUPPORT" lines. Traditionally IRC servers use all-capital names for keys. $cmp = $irc->cmp_prefix_flags( $lhs, $rhs ) Compares two channel occupant prefix flags, and returns a signed integer to indicate which of them has higher priviledge, according to the server's ISUPPORT declaration. Suitable for use in a "sort()" function or similar. $cmp = $irc->cmp_prefix_modes( $lhs, $rhs ) Similar to "cmp_prefix_flags", but compares channel occupant "MODE" command flags. $flag = $irc->prefix_mode2flag( $mode ) Converts a channel occupant "MODE" flag (such as "o") into a name prefix flag (such as "@"). $mode = $irc->prefix_flag2mode( $flag ) The inverse of "prefix_mode2flag". $name_folded = $irc->casefold_name( $name ) Returns the $name, folded in case according to the server's "CASEMAPPING" "ISUPPORT". Such a folded name will compare using "eq" according to whether the server would consider it the same name. Useful for use in hash keys or similar. $classification = $irc->classify_name( $name ) Returns "channel" if the given name matches the pattern of names allowed for channels according to the server's "CHANTYPES" "ISUPPORT". Returns "user" if not. $nick = $irc->nick Returns the current nick in use by the connection. $nick_folded = $irc->nick_folded Returns the current nick in use by the connection, folded by "casefold_name" for convenience. $irc->change_nick( $newnick ) Requests to change the nick. If unconnected, the change happens immediately to the stored defaults. If logged in, sends a "NICK" command to the server, which may suceed or fail at a later point. MESSAGE HANDLING Every incoming message from the IRC server causes a sequence of message handling to occur. First, the message is parsed, and a hash of data about it is created; this is called the hints hash. The message and this hash are then passed down a sequence of potential handlers. Each handler indicates by return value, whether it considers the message to have been handled. Processing of the message is not interrupted the first time a handler declares to have handled a message. Instead, the hints hash is marked to say it has been handled. Later handlers can still inspect the message or its hints, using this information to decide if they wish to take further action. A message with a command of "COMMAND" will try handlers in following places: 1. A CODE ref in a parameter called "on_message_COMMAND" $on_message_COMMAND->( $irc, $message, \%hints ) 2. A method called "on_message_COMMAND" $irc->on_message_COMMAND( $message, \%hints ) 3. A CODE ref in a parameter called "on_message" $on_message->( $irc, 'COMMAND', $message, \%hints ) 4. A method called "on_message" $irc->on_message( 'COMMAND', $message, \%hints ) Certain commands are handled internally by methods on the base "Net::Async::IRC" class itself. These may cause other hints hash keys to be created, or to invoke other handler methods. These are documented below. Message Hints The following keys will be present in any message hint hash: handled => BOOL Initially false. Will be set to true the first time a handler returns a true value. prefix_nick => STRING prefix_user => STRING prefix_host => STRING Values split from the message prefix; see the "Net::Async::IRC::Message" "prefix_split" method. prefix_name => STRING Usually the prefix nick, or the hostname in case the nick isn't defined (usually on server messages). prefix_is_me => BOOL True if the nick mentioned in the prefix refers to this connection. Added to this set, will be all the values returned by the message's "named_args" method. Some of these values may cause yet more values to be generated. If the message type defines a "target_name": * target_type => STRING Either "channel" or "user", as returned by "classify_name". * target_is_me => BOOL True if the target name is a user and refers to this connection. Finally, any key whose name ends in "_nick" or "_name" will have a corresponding key added with "_folded" suffixed on its name, containing the value casefolded using "casefold_name". This is for the convenience of string comparisons, hash keys, etc.. PER-MESSAGE SPECIFICS Because of the wide variety of messages in IRC involving various types of data the message handling specific cases for certain types of message, including adding extra hints hash items, or invoking extra message handler stages. These details are noted here. Many of these messages create new events; called synthesized messages. These are messages created by the "Net::Async::IRC" object itself, to better represent some of the details derived from the primary ones from the server. These events all take lower-case command names, rather than capitals, and will have a "synthesized" key in the hints hash, set to a true value. These are dispatched and handled identically to regular primary events, detailed above. If any handler of the synthesized message returns true, then this marks the primary message handled as well. MODE (on channels) and 324 (RPL_CHANNELMODEIS) These message involve channel modes. The raw list of channel modes is parsed into an array containing one entry per affected piece of data. Each entry will contain at least a "type" key, indicating what sort of mode or mode change it is: list The mode relates to a list; bans, invites, etc.. value The mode sets a value about the channel bool The mode is a simple boolean flag about the channel occupant The mode relates to a user in the channel Every mode type then provides a "mode" key, containing the mode character itself, and a "sense" key which is an empty string, "+", or "-". For "list" and "value" types, the "value" key gives the actual list entry or value being set. For "occupant" types, a "flag" key gives the mode converted into an occupant flag (by the "prefix_mode2flag" method), "nick" and "nick_folded" store the user name affected. "boolean" types do not create any extra keys. NOTICE and PRIVMSG Because "NOTICE" and "PRIVMSG" are so similar, they are handled together by synthesized events called "text", "ctcp" and "ctcpreply". Depending on the contents of the text, and whether it was supplied in a "PRIVMSG" or a "NOTICE", one of these three events will be created. In all cases, the hints hash will contain a "is_notice" key being true or false, depending on whether the original messages was a "NOTICE" or a "PRIVMSG", a "target_name" key containing the message target name, a case-folded version of the name in a "target_name_folded" key, and a classification of the target type in a "target_type" key. For the "user" target type, it will contain a boolean in "target_is_me" to indicate if the target of the message is the user represented by this connection. For the "channel" target type, it will contain a "restriction" key containing the channel message restriction, if present. For normal "text" messages, it will contain a key "text" containing the actual message text. For either CTCP message type, it will contain keys "ctcp_verb" and "ctcp_args" with the parsed message. The "ctcp_verb" will contain the first space-separated token, and "ctcp_args" will be a string containing the rest of the line, otherwise unmodified. This type of message is also subject to a special stage of handler dispatch, involving the CTCP verb string. For messages with "VERB" as the verb, the following are tried. "CTCP" may stand for either "ctcp" or "ctcpreply". 1. A CODE ref in a parameter called "on_message_CTCP_VERB" $on_message_CTCP_VERB->( $irc, $message, \%hints ) 2. A method called "on_message_CTCP_VERB" $irc->on_message_CTCP_VERB( $message, \%hints ) 3. A CODE ref in a parameter called "on_message_CTCP" $on_message_CTCP->( $irc, 'VERB', $message, \%hints ) 4. A method called "on_message_CTCP" $irc->on_message_CTCP( 'VERB', $message, \%hintss ) 5. A CODE ref in a parameter called "on_message" $on_message->( $irc, 'CTCP VERB', $message, \%hints ) 6. A method called "on_message" $irc->on_message( 'CTCP VERB', $message, \%hints ) 352 (RPL_WHOREPLY) and 315 (RPL_ENDOFWHO) These messages will be collected up, per channel, and formed into a single synthesized event called "who". Its hints hash will contain an extra key, "who", which will be an ARRAY ref containing the lines of the WHO reply. Each line will be a HASH reference containing: user_ident user_host user_server user_nick user_nick_folded user_flags 353 (RPL_NAMES) and 366 (RPL_ENDOFNAMES) These messages will be collected up, per channel, and formed into a single synthesized event called "names". Its hints hash will contain an extra key, "names", which will be an ARRAY ref containing the usernames in the channel. Each will be a HASH reference containing: nick flag 367 (RPL_BANLIST) and 368 (RPL_ENDOFBANS) These messages will be collected up, per channel, and formed into a single synthesized event called "bans". Its hints hash will contain an extra key, "bans", which will be an ARRAY ref containing the ban lines. Each line will be a HASH reference containing: mask User mask of the ban by_nick by_nick_folded Nickname of the user who set the ban timestamp UNIX timestamp the ban was created 372 (RPL_MOTD), 375 (RPL_MOTDSTART) and 376 (RPL_ENDOFMOTD) These messages will be collected up into a synthesized event called "motd". Its hints hash will contain an extra key, "motd", which will be an ARRAY ref containing the lines of the MOTD. SEE ALSO * - Internet Relay Chat: Client Protocol AUTHOR Paul Evans