MSN Messenger activity SDK, Post all your questions and tips here Options

[timothy]

With the new release of the MSN Messenger activity SDK it would be a nice thing to have a general topic with tips and questions, so here it is ! To kick off, a general tip from me:

If you are using PHP, you can avoid the internet explorer caching while developing, just put this in the top of your PHP file:

CODE

<?php
header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must-revalidate"); // HTTP/1.1
header("Expires: Mon, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT"); // Date in the past
?>

[brianhanson37]

Ok I know I sound stupid but...I just downloaded that thing but don't know what to do after I do it. I clicked on the thing and it just brings up some internet explorer thing up and I don't know what it does.

[Rafy]

Its a software development kit for developers (this one pertains to msn activities)

If you dont know what to do with it, it probally wont be much use to you.

[Zenith]

it would be good if someone comes up with a brief summary on what to do with it. like examples or something.

[timothy]

Ok a fast tutorial. There are a few things you need,

1) Your own web space or local web server
2) Knowledge of XML
3) Knowledge of HTML
4) Knowledge of JavaScript (or VBScript)

To start of, you create a copy of the included “msgrp2p.xml” file, and edit it. The XML could look like this:

CODE

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Entry>
 <EntryID>7</EntryID>
 <Error />
 <Locale>en-us</Locale>
 <Kids>1</Kids>
 <Page>1</Page>
 <Category>50</Category>
 <Sequence>10</Sequence>
 <Name>Go thingy !</Name>
 <Description>Do something !</Description>
 <URL>http://www.mess.be</URL>
 <IconURL />
 <PassportSiteID>0</PassportSiteID>
 <Type>App</Type>
 <Height>500</Height>
 <Width>500</Width>
 <Location>side</Location>
 <MinUsers>2</MinUsers>
 <MaxUsers>2</MaxUsers>
 <PassportSiteID>0</PassportSiteID>
 <EnableIP>False</EnableIP>
 <ActiveX>False</ActiveX>
 <SendFile>False</SendFile>
 <SendIM>False</SendIM>
 <ReceiveIM>False</ReceiveIM>
 <ReplaceIM>False</ReplaceIM>
 <Windows>False</Windows>
 <MaxPacketRate>120</MaxPacketRate>
 <UserProperties>False</UserProperties>  
 <ClientVersion>6.0</ClientVersion>
 <AppType>1</AppType>  
 <Hidden>false</Hidden>
</Entry>

The only things you need (and may for the competition) to change are the following:

CODE

<Name>Go thingy !</Name>

the name of your application

CODE

<URL>http://www.mess.be</URL>

the HTML that should be loaded (local files are not allowed)

CODE

<MinUsers>2</MinUsers>
 <MaxUsers>2</MaxUsers>

Amount of users, set to 1 / 1 to launch it only on one side (Xpress greetings), set it to 1 / 2 for a game that will start when 2 users agree, but does not stop when some-one closes (bejeweled). Set to 2 / 2 for a game that will close when some-one closes it (minesweeper).

CODE

<Height>500</Height>
 <Width>500</Width>  

Height / Width of your application (duh).

CODE

<SendFile>False</SendFile>

Set to true to allow file sending

CODE

<SendIM>False</SendIM>  

Set to true to allow sending IM’s

CODE

<ReceiveIM>False</ReceiveIM>  

Set to true to receive IM’s

CODE

<Windows>False</Windows>  

Set to true to launch new IE windows (target _blank)

DON’T change other values to true, since they are not allowed in the competition !!
Now you have changed your XML file you need to place it in your MSN Messenger directory ( c:\program files\msn messenger\ in most cases).

In the menu Actions in your IM screen (not the game and activity buttons !!!), your application will appear. If you want to try multiplayer activities, both sides need the XML file. This information is also spread accros the messengerp2p.chm help file, and before you start creating something wicked for the competition, read the rules: http://www.worldsbestapp.com/Rules.aspx

[timothy]

A simple example on how to create a autoresponder with javascript:

CODE

<script language="javascript1.4" type="text/javascript">
var Channel = window.external.Channel;

function Channel_OnIMReceived() {
sendIM(Channel.IM + " ??");
}


function sendIM(Output) {
   try {
Channel.SendIMAsUser(Output);
   }
   catch(ex) {
// error !
   }
}
</script>

[timothy]

Realtime package rate, the package rate is set to 120 packages per minute (2 per second) with a maximum ammount of 1.644 bytes ( just over 1kb ), making it possible to transfer 2kb/s of data. A simple script for realtime package sending in javascript:

CODE

function timer(){
Channel.SendData("max 1664 chars");
setTimeout("timer()",500);
}

If you want to be sure it does not go over 120 packages a minute (and cause package loss) use this code:

CODE

function timer(){
Channel.SendData("max 1664 chars");
setTimeout("timer()",510);
}

It allows less packages, but is more secure

[timothy]

Look, Zero1 and me playing with some multiplayer fishes (all pure HTML, CSS API and Javascript, and you need divx codec)

Attached File(s)

 fish.zip ( 216.1K ) Number of downloads: 645
 fishes.jpg ( 120.29K ) Number of downloads: 2001

 

[timothy]

Just for fun, a second movie, with some more effects in it

Attached File(s)

 fish2.zip ( 1.87MB ) Number of downloads: 820

 

[Keikonium]

Would it be possible, with MSN Messenger activity SDK, to create a webcam recording tool? Mainly to record your contacts webcam?

I know HTML and thats about it. If someone created a tool that could do this that would rock!

[timothy]

Would it be possible, with MSN Messenger activity SDK, to create a webcam recording tool? Mainly to record your contacts webcam?

I know HTML and thats about it. If someone created a tool that could do this that would rock!
[right][snapback]88139[/snapback][/right]

No, not possible

[psyko]

Those fish are freakin awesome! I wanna play earthquake with the fishes!

[Zero1]

Woo, look at them go!

[psyko]

You all need to make that into a game!

[balupton]

Made a little app for you peepz, that will help with developing your junk
When u run it it will shutdown msn messenger, and copy the new 'msgrp2p.xml' to your MSN Messenger directory.
Then it will start MSN Messenger up again.

Saves you closing msn messenger, then copying it yourself then starting it up again.

So just copy it to the directory of your 'msgrp2p.xml' and change 'msndir.txt' to contain your install directory of msn messenger.

Oh yer, require .NET Framework v2.0 BETA 2 which you can get from -> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&displaylang=en

Hope someone else finds this usefull
-BALUPTON

This post has been edited by balupton: Sep 14 2005, 05:13 AM

Attached File(s)

 msnm.zip ( 5.18K ) Number of downloads: 385

 

[balupton]

Heres a autoresponder to 'hey' and 'hi'
Credits to Timothy for his autoresponder above

CODE

<html>
<head>

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="15;
url=http://localhost/msnm/app.php" />

<script language="javascript1.4" type="text/javascript">
var Channel = window.external.Channel;

function Channel_OnIMReceived() {

window.location="http://localhost/msnm/app.php?msg=" + Channel.IM;

}

<?php

$msg = "";
if(isset($_GET["msg"]))
$msg = $_GET["msg"];
if(isset($_POST["msg"]))
$msg = $_POST["msg"];

?>

function sendIM(Output) {
  try {
Channel.SendIMAsUser(Output);
  }
  catch(ex) {
// error !
  }
}
</script>

</head>
<body
<?php
if($msg != ""){
$reply = "";
if(strtolower(substr($msg, 0,3)) == "hey" || strtolower(substr($msg, 0,2)) == "hi")
 $reply = "Hey, how are you?";
 
if($reply != "")
 print(" onLoad=\"javascript:sendIM('".$reply."');\"");
}
?>
>

Test1

</body>
</html>

This post has been edited by balupton: Sep 14 2005, 06:33 AM

[raulsos]

nice you guys keep them coming

[balupton]

I just made a google translator activity, heres what you set your xml file to:

CODE

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Entry>
 <EntryID>7</EntryID>
 <Error />
 <Locale>en-us</Locale>
 <Kids>1</Kids>
 <Page>1</Page>
 <Category>50</Category>
 <Sequence>10</Sequence>
 <Name>Balupton's Translator</Name>
 <Description>Lets you send translated text.</Description>
 <URL>http://msn.balupton.nghosting.org/translator.php</URL>
 <IconURL />
 <PassportSiteID>0</PassportSiteID>
 <Type>App</Type>
 <Height>500</Height>
 <Width>500</Width>
 <Location>side</Location>
 <MinUsers>1</MinUsers>
 <MaxUsers>1</MaxUsers>
 <PassportSiteID>0</PassportSiteID>
 <EnableIP>False</EnableIP>
 <ActiveX>False</ActiveX>
 <SendFile>False</SendFile>
 <SendIM>True</SendIM>
 <ReceiveIM>True</ReceiveIM>
 <ReplaceIM>True</ReplaceIM>
 <Windows>False</Windows>
 <MaxPacketRate>120</MaxPacketRate>
 <UserProperties>False</UserProperties>  
 <ClientVersion>7.5</ClientVersion>
 <AppType>0</AppType>  
 <Hidden>false</Hidden>
</Entry>

Hope you like

[balupton]

I've updated my Msn closer and copier thingo so you wont need to run it twice.
And also there is now a .net framework v1.1 version of it.

http://msn.balupton.nghosting.org/msnmsngr_quickdev_net2.zip - .NET Framework v2.0 BETA 2 Version
http://msn.balupton.nghosting.org/msnmsngr_quickdev_net1.zip - .NET Framework v1.1 Version

[wizen]

If you set the users to min 1, max 2, is it supposed to give an invite?