Glossary

The most programming languages are describing functions, methodes or procedures in two parts:

• Declaration: Describes the number and types of input- and output-variables.
• Definition: Is the implemented algorithm of the function, method, etc.

If the declaration is published to other software developers who are using the implemented definition then these declarations are called API.

Is a Perl module for writing (web-)server-side's applications. The output of these scripts are HTML code which will be sent to the webserver-daemon which sent it to the browser of the user.

Is a chat room in an IRC-network. Channels have channel modes which will restrict or configure the channel. Additionally every channel has it's own user-role management, such like (prefix) channel-operator (@), -voice-operator(+). Sometimes there also exist channel-owner (~), -super-operator/protected-operator (&), -half-operator (%).

In an IRC-network every channel has a set of letters (the so called channel modes) which describes the permissions, status and configuration of it. Each letter describes a property of the channel. The meaning of these letters are depending on the IRC-daemon. Some common modes are:

• r: Registered channel; channel is protected by ChanServ.
• t: Topic lock; only channel operators or higher can change the topic.
• n: No messages from outside the channel.
• m: moderated; only voice operators or higher can speak.

Is used by the IRC protocol to send user-defined commands to an other user. But in real the CTCP message is send to the IRC-server as "PRIVMSG <nick> :<ASCII 1><CTCP Command><ASCII 1>" which sends this message unchanged to the receiver. So the name Client-To-Client Protocol is only partially correct. A real client-to-client connection via TCP is done by DCC.

The most IRC-clients are supporting the following CTCP commands <CMD> by using the IRC command /ctcp <nick> <CMD>:

• VERSION: Requests the IRC-client name and it's version.
• PING: Sends a ping to the user.
• TIME: Requests the system time of the user.
• ...

A daemon is a service program on an Unix-based operating system. It is running in the background and waiting for tasks which should be done.

An example is an IRC daemon which is waiting new incoming IRC connections and which manages the messages which are incoming and outgoing to the users who are already connected.

In an IRC-network a DCC connection is a connection between two users at the Transport Layer TCP at the OSI Reference Model. It will be introduced by the CTCP-command DCC <service> where <service> is one of the following available services:

• CHAT: Causes a Peer-To-Peer chat session between the users.
• SEND: Sends a file to the receiving user.
• FSERVE: Allows the sending user to browse and download the files of the receiving user.

Is the name of my little IRC-network at irc.dj-l.de ... Currently the following features are supported:

• client-to-server port: 6667
• SSL port: 6697
• IRC-services: NickServ, ChanServ, MemoServ, StatsServ, OperServ, HelpServ
• Web-interface at https://irc.dj-l.de/:
  • webchat/: a web-chat
  • stats/: web-frontend for statistics
  • help/: a FAQ-styled help

Is a TCP/UDP protocol at the Application Layer of the OSI Reference Model. It resolves an hierarchic domain name, such like www.dj-l.de, into an IP address. Hierarchic means that every domain has it's own namespace, called subdomain. For the example above (www.dj-l.de): www is the subdomain of the domain dj-l.de and dj-l is the subdomain of the domain de.

Is a markup-language to describe the layout of a webpage. The common structure of an HTML file are nested HTML tags which have the form <tag>...</tag>.

Is a network protocol at the Network Layer of the OSI Reference Model. It is used by the TCP/IP protocol Internet's. It's main task is to partion the data into packets which will be transported. These will be labeled with the sender's and receiver#s IP address which have a width of 4 bytes, is unique in a network and gives every machine a "name". The IP protocol does not inform the receiver about transport errors! This is done by TCP.

Is a server-client based network protocol which allows the users to chat with another. To use IRC you need an IRC client, such like XChat, Irssi, mIRC, etc, which can connect to an IRC-server (port 6667 by default). For more information about IRC take a look to the Chat/IRC page.

Is a software to connection to an IRC-server. Well known IRC-clients are:

• mIRC (Windows)
• XChat (Unix based)
• Irssi (text-based for Unix systems)
• CGI:IRC (web-based HTML)
• PJIRC (web-based Java)

Is a command which will be accepted by an IRC-client. At the most IRC-client's it is prefixed with /. The command will be translated into an IRC-message at the IRC-protocol level.

Is a software which is running in the background, a so called daemon. It provides a listening port, normally port 6667, to provide an IRC-infrastrucure. This daemon is running on IRC-server's and it's main part.

If multiple IRC-servers are linked against with so called server-to-server links then the whole cloud of these servers are called IRC-network. If a user like to chat with an other user via IRC then it is unnecessary against which servers will be linked, if there are part of the same IRC-network.

There exists hundreds of IRC-networks on the Internet. Some very well-known, with hunreds of users, are:

• QuakeNet, FreeNode, EuropeIRC, Undernet, ...

The name of the IRC-network at irc.dj-l.de is djlNet.