Hi Andrew,

I just read your very interesting article.

Just to clarify the difference between both approaches for all UTers. Both do the same things, just differently.

Andrew's Chat engine requires the third-party InterCom System server ( http://www.cns.nl/ ) which should be installed on the server PC, but it does not require DCOM settings.

Mine was created especially for COM applications, so it requires
DCOM settings (in it's existing incarnation). I created this sample just
one week before DevCon as an answer to UT question posted in Thread #538602 (See Message #544625)

It is a VFP COM class using VFPCOM.DLL (or may use EVENTHANDLER() function in VFP 7), and one simple VB EventRaiser.DLL for raising events. The COM Communicator may be just added to existing COM/DCOM applications (works for MTDLLs too).
This is just a working sample, not a commercial product.

>Hi Nick & Kevin,
>
>I've implemented a chat engine in an app where the chat form also passes the primary keys for the records currently displayed on the initiating user's screen. This means that the receiving user(s) can click to have that record displayed instantly to facilitate the chat.
>
>I wrote up the chat mechanism in FoxTalk earlier this year (Feb 2001) and it's also available on my web site and in MSDN online (and on the mSDN library CD/DVD):
>
>http://www.pinnaclepublishing.com/FT/FTmag.nsf/WebIndexByIssue/C28E7DEEC51B171D85256A020078BE90?opendocument&login,
>http://www.civilsolutions.com.au/publications.htm (go to the chat article), or
>http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/periodic/period01/ft01b1.htm
>
>Cheers,
>
>Andrew
>
>>>Anyone know how I can provide Chat abilities in my software
>>>using VFP?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>
>>BTW, what are your Chat scenario and requirements?
>>
>>This is actually question to everybody. What would you use the chat capabilities in your VFP applications for? (except users chit-chat :) I have more ideas about this type of communication, but would like to know is there a demand for these things and what kind?