Webmessenger principle

[CW]

I need to implement a web based online chat console. ICQ and Yahoo have
implemented their web chat program in Java. However, I don't believe it is
the case with MSN web messenger. I notice that it has very rich
functionality and all the pages are in aspx. When running it, it doesn't ask
you to install any piece of software. I am not quite sure how it is able to
achieve these functions without resorting to java. It obviously would need
to be in touch with a server in order to receive messages, but yet I am
under the impression that web forms require postbacks in order to obtain
data from server. I don't see any refresh meta tag either. So could anyone
enlighten me how it is done with MSN web messenger?

Thanks in advance

 

[Curt_C [MVP]]

It's a desktop based app that calls ASPX pages within in for the ads and
such.
ASP/ASP.NET are not really a good choice here for the reasons you specified.
The headaches wont be worth the payoff

 

[CW]

Curt

I think you have confused what I am after. If you go to
webmessenger.msn.com, you will notice that it will load an web based chat
application. This is different from the desktop version of MSN Messenger,
though with pretty much all of the functions of the desktop version. The web
client seems to be implemented in web forms. If it is calling some desktop
APIs, it would need to install some sort of ActiveX component which would
require my permission. I am not referring to the ad window on the desktop
version of MSN Messenger.

I hope this clears up my question.

Regards

CW

 

[bruce barker]

it uses javascript and a hidden frame to poll a webserver

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[Curt_C [MVP]]

Can't help ya, that site wont load with a popup blocker installed but
basically there has to be either a META REFRESH or some sort of thing
happening to autopostback if it's ASPX.

--
Curt Christianson
Owner/Lead Developer, DF-Software
Site: http://www.Darkfalz.com
Blog: http://blog.Darkfalz.com

 

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi CW,

As for the MSN Web Messager's communication with serverside, I'm also not
sure the actual internal details. But generally, in browser based web
applications, there are serveral means to silently post back to server side
so as to refresh the page state:
1. Use a Hidden Frame(or iframe) as Bruce has mentioned, when we use a
hidden frame(height and width set to 1 which can't visiable), we can
constantly post back the frame's containing page so that prevent the end
user notice the whole web page's refreshing. Many page basd web chatting
room use this approach.

2. Use the MSXML components, they are the COM components buildin on the
OS. We can call them to post data to webserver and retrieve back response
(using client side script). And the IE WebService behavior( the HTC
componetns helps to call webservice in IE via client script) is also based
on this:

#WebService Behavior
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/webservic
e/webservice.asp

Thanks.


Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Support

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