Summary:
We will show you how to expand your web site by adding another section to it. Despite what you might already have (besides your on-line community) this guide will use the example of adding a chat channel for your users to get real-time contact with other members, or live-support for your customers.

Details or Sample:
We will show you how to expand your web site by adding another section to it. Despite what you might already have (besides your on-line community) this guide will use the example of adding a chat channel for your users to get real-time contact with other members, or live-support for your customers.

Thank you Daniel P. for writing a IRC How-To and allowing me to use parts of it in this guide and Zachery for the great vBXIRC add-on for vBulletin: http://www.vbulletin.nl/community/showthread.php?t=1785

Author: Floris Fiedeldij Dop
Website: http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/

## Tutorial: Adding a Chat Section to your Site ##

My preference goes to IRC chat, for it gives you greater and real-time control over the network, channel, users and chats. So allow me to introduce and explain what IRC chat is.

A short Introduction to IRC

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a world wide web internet chat system which allows users from all over the world to connect to a server (with an IRC chat client) that is part of a network of one or more servers (virtual text world) that allows them to chat in real-time in a group-channel with other / multiple users. An example of this server is irc.vbulletin.nl and an example of a channel is #vBnl. After connecting, one picks a username and is able to join a chat channel and participate in conversations. These channels are controlled by channel moderators to make sure chats will not go out of hand. Unlike a forum, chats arent saved, you cant leave and come back later and simply scroll back to find what chats you might have missed.

A chat section to a web site can benefit the web site by provoking regular members to return again and again and provoke newcomers to participate and keep up to date with the latest news. It can be used for holding chat events, interviews, pre-sales questions or product support. A user who joins the chat channel (guest, member, customer) has a simple overview of any other users on-line and can quickly ask questions personalized questions and get instant feedback.

More details about IRC can be found in the IRC How-To created by our staff member Daniel P here: http://www.vbulletin.nl/community/showthread.php?t=1785

Oh, before I forget, you can make channels invite only, for private parties. You can also set a private key, to have staff-only channels. Very handy to keep staff conversations outside the public chat channel dont you think?

Integrating Chat with the Forums

Now that you understand what IRC chat is all about and wanting to set it up and use it aside your on-line community, it is time for the next step: Forum Integration.

You can take the long way and setup a IRC daemon (ircd) on your own, which you have to manage, or you can create a new channel on an existing network. For our example we will use the DevCore network (Same network vBulletin.org and vBulletin.nl make use of)!

In order to have your own chat channel, which you can get at no cost, you are required to do three things:

1. Get a chat client and connect to the chat network

I advise to get the mIRC chat client for Windows. (http://www.mIRC.co.uk/)
Once downloaded and installed, start it up and read the IRC How-To by Daniel P., but basicly it comes to this: Connect with mIRC to: irc.vBulletin.nl on port: 6667 - pick a nickname and join the channel #vBnl

2. Register your nickname and chat channel on the chat network, so the services understand it is you who are the actual owner of the channel

Once you are connected, you can join any channel of choice. If a channel doesnt exist and you join it as the first person, you create it - after which you can register it. (You can join a channel with the command: /join #yourchannel)
In order to register a chat channel you first need to register and identify with AuthServ with is the nickname service on DevCore. You can do that with this command: /msg AuthServ@srvx.devcore.co.uk REGISTER handle pass (example: /msg AuthServ@srvx.devcore.co.uk REGISTER floris s3cr3t). Now, each time you get on the DevCore network, you can identify to the nickname service with the following command: /msg AuthServ@srvx.devcore.co.uk auth handle password (example: /msg AuthServ@srvx.devcore.co.uk auth floris s3cr3t). You have now registered your nickname, you can now register your own chat channel. You can do this with the following command: /msg ChanServ register #yourchannel it will notify you if the registration was successful.
This all might appear a bit complicated, but you only need to register once, and just auth to AuthServ each time you get on the IRC chat. Why? Because if you part the channel it will get lost if it isnt registered. Now if you return to it, it will still exist and you will still be the owner.

3. Downloading and Installing a Java chat client for your members to connect to

We now came to the part where it is all about. The Java chat client. In our example we will use the vBXIRC source code modifcation for vBulletin by Zachery (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=59612) for it allows you to implement it into any web page and allows you to connect to any IRC server and lets your users automaticly connect and join to your public chat channel.
Download it as licensed vBulletin member from the link above, follow the installation instructions that are included with the source code modification and you are good to go. If everything went ok, you should end up with something like this: vBulletin.nl Chat! (http://www.vbulletin.nl/community/chat.php)

The Final Steps

The last thing you need to do is announce to your community you have a chat section added. And add a link to your footer or navbar template that loads the chat. Additionally you could add or point to a IRC introduction and basic commands thread that might help your members to get introduced with the chat on your web site.

Enjoy!

Copyright ©2004-2005 Floris Fiedeldij Dop - http://www.vBulletin-Fans.com/ (The vBulletin Fan Web Site)
You can discuss this guide here: http://www.vbulletin.nl/community/showthread.php?t=5814
Floris Fiedeldij Dop

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