# Sock Chat Protocol Information
The protocol operates on a websocket in text mode. Messages sent between the client and server are a series of concatenated strings delimited by the vertical tab character, represented in most languages by the escape sequence `\t` and defined in ASCII as `0x09`.
The first string in this concatenation must be the packet identifier, sent as an integer. The packet identifiers are as follows.
Some instructions are specific to newer revisions of the protocol and some instructions behave differently in newer revisions, all versions are documented but it is recommended you use the latest one. If a packet is marked as deprecated and you only aim to implement the latest version, you may omit it in your implementation as it will never be sent.
The current stable version of the protocol is **Version 1**.
## Client
These are the packets sent from the client to the server.
### Packet `0`: Ping
Used to prevent the client from closing the session due to inactivity.
Informational |
String |
Description |
Arguments |
say |
Just echoes the arguments in a message. |
The message. |
silence |
Informs the client that they have been silenced. |
|
unsil |
Informs the client that they are no longer silenced. |
|
silok |
Informs the client that they have successfully silenced another user. |
The username of the silenced user. |
usilok |
Informs the client that they have successfully removed the silencing from another user. |
The username of the unsilenced user. |
flwarn |
Informs the client that they are risking being kicking for flood protection (spam). |
|
unban |
Informs the client that they have successfully removed the ban from a user or ip address. |
|
banlist |
Provides a list with banned users and IP addresses. |
Sets of "<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="Chat.SendMessageWrapper('/unban '+ this.innerHTML);">{0}</a> " where {0} is the username of the banned user or the banned IP address. The set is separated by ", "
|
who |
Provides a list of users currently online. |
Sets of "<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="UI.InsertChatText(this.innerHTML);">{0}</a> " where {0} is the username of a user. The current online user is highlighted with " style="font-weight: bold;" " before the closing > of the opening <a> tag. The set is separated by ", "
|
whochan |
Provides a list of users currently online in a specific channel. |
Sets of "<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="UI.InsertChatText(this.innerHTML);">{0}</a> " where {0} is the username of a user. The current online user is highlighted with " style="font-weight: bold;" " before the closing > of the opening <a> tag. The set is separated by ", "
|
join |
Informs the client that a user connected with the server. |
The username of said user. |
jchan |
Informs the client that a user moved into the channel. |
The username of said user. |
leave |
Informs the client that a user disconnected from the server. |
The username of said user. |
lchan |
Informs the client that a user moved out of the channel. |
The username of said user. |
kick |
Informs the client that a user has disconnect because they got kicked. |
The username of said user. |
flood |
Informs the client that a user has disconnect because they got kicked for flood protection. |
The username of said user. |
nick |
Informs the client that a user has changed their nickname. |
The first argument is the previous username of said user, the second argument is their new username. |
crchan |
Informs the client that they have successfully created a channel. |
The name of the channel. |
delchan |
Informs the client that they have successfully deleted a channel. |
The name of the channel. |
cpwdchan |
Informs the client that they have successfully changed the password of the channel. |
|
cprivchan |
Informs the client that they have successfully changed the hierarchy level required for the channel. |
|
ipaddr |
Shows the IP address of another user. |
First argument is the username, second argument is the IP address. |
Error |
String |
Description |
Arguments |
generr |
Generic fallback error. |
|
silerr |
Informs the client that the user they tried to silence had already been silenced. |
|
usilerr |
Informs the client that the user whose silence they tried to revoke hasn't been silenced. |
|
silperr |
Informs the client that they are not allowed to silence that user. |
|
usilperr |
Informs the client that they are not allowed to remove the silence from that user. |
|
silself |
Informs the client that they cannot silence themselves. |
|
delerr |
Informs the client that they are not allowed to delete a message. |
|
notban |
Informs the client that a username or IP address is not banned. |
The provided username or IP address. |
whoerr |
Informs the client that they do not have access to the channel they specified for the /who command. |
The provided channel name. |
cmdna |
Tells the client they're not allowed to use a command. |
First argument is the name of the command. |
nocmd |
Tells the client the command they tried to run does not exist. |
First argument is the name of the command. |
cmderr |
Tells the client that they formatted the last command incorrectly. |
|
usernf |
Tells the client that the user they requested was not found on the server. |
The requested username. |
kickna |
Tells the client that they are not allowed to kick a given user. |
Username of the user they tried to kick. |
samechan |
Tells the client that they are already in the channel they are trying to switch to. |
The name of the channel. |
ipchan |
Tells the client that they aren't allowed to switch to the provided channel. |
The name of the channel. |
nochan |
Tells the client that the channel they tried to switch to does not exist. |
The name of the channel. |
nopwchan |
Tells the client that the channel they tried to switch to requires a password. |
The name of the channel. |
ipwchan |
Tells the client that the password to tried to switch to the channel to was invalid. |
The name of the channel. |
inchan |
Informs the client that the channel name contained invalid characters. |
|
nischan |
Tells the client that a channel with that name already exists. |
The name of the channel. |
ndchan |
Tells the client that they're not allowed to delete that channel. |
The name of the channel. |
namchan |
Tells the client that they're not allowed to edit that channel. |
The name of the channel. |
nameinuse |
Tells the client that the nickname they tried to use is already being used by someone else. |
The name. |
rankerr |
Tells the client that they're not allowed to do something to a user because they have a higher hierarchy than them. |
|
## Commands
Actions sent through messages prefixed with `/` in Version 1 of the protocol. Arguments are described as `[name]`, optional arguments as `[name?]`.
Name |
Action |
Expected bot messages |
/afk [reason?] |
Marks the current user as afk, the first 5 characters from the user string are prefixed uppercase to the current username prefixed by < and suffixed by >_ resulting in a username that looks like <AWAY>_flash if /afk away is ran by the user flash . If no reason is specified "AFK " is used. |
|
/nick [name?] |
Temporarily changes the user's nickname prefixed with ~ . If the user's original name or no argument at all is specified the command returns the user's name to its original state without the prefix. |
cmdna : Not allowed to change own nickname.
nameinuse : Someone else is using the username.
nick : Username has changed.
|
/msg [username] [message]
/whisper [username] [message]
|
Sends a private message to another user. |
cmderr : Missing username and/or message arguments.
usernf : User not found.
|
/me [message]
/action [message]
|
Sends a message but with flags 11000 instead of the regular 10010 , used to describe an action. |
|
/who [channel?]
|
If no argument is specified it'll return all users on the server, if a channel is specified it'll return all users in that channel. |
nochan : The given channel does not exist.
whoerr : The user does not have access to the channel.
whochan : Listing of users in a channel.
who : Listing of users.
|
/delete [channel name or message id]
|
If the argument is entirely numeric this function acts as an alias for /delmsg , otherwise /delchan . |
|
/join [channel]
|
Switches the current user to a different channel. |
nochan : The given channel does not exist.
ipchan : The user does not have access to the channel.
ipwchan : The provided password was invalid.
nopwchan : A password is required to enter the given channel.
|
/create [hierarchy?] [name]
|
Creates a new channel. |
cmdna : Not allowed to create channels.
cmderr : Command isn't formatted correctly.
rankerr : Tried to set channel hierarchy higher than own.
inchan : Given name contained invalid characters.
nischan : A channel with the given name already exists.
crchan : Successfully created channel.
|
/delchan [name]
|
Deletes an existing channel. |
cmderr : Command isn't formatted correctly.
nochan : No channel with the given name exists.
ndchan : Not allowed to delete this channel.
delchan : Deleted channel.
|
/password [password?]
/pwd [password?]
|
Changes the password for a channel. Specify no argument to remove the password. |
cmdna : Not allowed to change the password.
cpwdchan : Success.
|
/privilege [hierarchy]
/rank [hierarchy]
/priv [hierarchy]
|
Changes what user hierarchy is required to enter a channel. |
cmdna : Not allowed to change hierarchy.
rankerr : Missing rank argument or trying to set hierarchy to one higher than their own.
cprivchan : Success.
|
/say [message]
|
Broadcasts a message as the server to all users in all channels. |
cmdna : Not allowed to broadcast.
say : Broadcast message.
|
/delmsg [message id]
|
Deletes a message. |
cmdna : Not allowed to delete messages.
cmderr : Invalid arguments.
delerr : The message does not exist, or the user's hierarchy is lower than the sender.
|
/kick [user] [time?]
|
Kicks a user from the server. If no time is specified the kick expires immediately. |
cmdna : Not allowed to kick users.
usernf : User not found.
kickna : Sender is trying to kick themselves, someone with a higher hierarchy or someone that's already banned.
cmderr : Provided time is invalid.
|
/ban [user] [time?]
|
Kicks a user and IP address from the server. If no time is specified the kick will never expire. |
cmdna : Not allowed to kick users.
usernf : User not found.
kickna : Sender is trying to kick themselves, someone with a higher hierarchy or someone that's already banned.
cmderr : Provided time is invalid.
|
/unban [user]
/pardon [user]
|
Revokes the ban of a user. |
cmdna : Not allowed to revoke user bans.
notban : User is not banned.
unban : Success.
|
/unbanip [user]
/pardonip [user]
|
Revokes the ban of an ip address. |
cmdna : Not allowed to revoke ip bans.
notban : IP address is not banned.
unban : Success.
|
/bans
/banned
|
Retrieves the list of banned users and ip addresses. |
cmdna : Not allowed to revoke ip bans.
banlist : List of bans.
|
/silence [username] [time?]
|
Silences a user. If the time argument is not specified the silence is indefinite. |
cmdna : Not allowed to silence users.
usernf : User not found.
silself : Tried to silence self.
silperr : Tried to silence user of higher hierarchy.
silerr : User is already silenced.
cmderr : Time isn't formatted correctly.
silence : Informs the user they have been silenced.
silok : Tells the sender that the user has been silenced.
|
/unsilence [username]
|
Revokes a silence. |
cmdna : Not allowed to revoke silences.
usernf : User not found.
usilperr : Tried to revoke silence of user of higher hierarchy.
usilerr : User isn't silenced.
unsil : Informs the user that their silence has been revoked.
usilok : Tells the sender that the user's silence has been revoked.
|
/ip [username]
/whois [username]
|
Gets a user's IP address. |
cmdna : Not allowed to view IP addresses.
usernf : User not found.
ipaddr : IP address of user.
|