[jdev] Developer resources

[Richard Dobson]

> I think Jabber website has very poor resources for
> client-side developers. I understand that there is no
> need for another chat client, but what about people
> that want to use Jabber for distributed computing? I
> think Jabber is really a great platform for cluster
> computing. Some details like connection,
> disconnection, fault-tolerance, logging are all
> built-in. I mean, Jabber has a huge potential as a
> developer's tool, yet you can't tell it from the
> website. Just as a standardized log monitoring
> utility, its value is already unbelievable. I think
> Jabber's focus is misplaced: it tries only to portray
> itself as public chat utility for general audience,
> forgetting that itself is a good developer's tool:
> like XML-RPC, Zope, etc. The website really ought to
> separate the general-consumer part from the developer
> part, and maybe have some topic guides, or even some
> Wiki for developers.

Its true that it does have far more uses than just IM and is more of a
general XML routing framework but up until now the majority of interest in
Jabber has been its IM platform which is why most of the site concentrates
on this.

> There is no tutorial and sample usage of the protocol
> on the website, at all. The RFC-style protocol
> description is just not good for someone that is
> beginning.

Well currently that is the best place to start if you want to be XMPP
conformant.

> Could someone point out some resources to me? Some
> websites? I would like to use Jabber from C++/C# and
> Python.
>
> I have been able to send simple messages from Python,
> but I'd like to know things like how to open a
> chatroom, join a chatroom, etc. And other features
> like how to send/receive files. If someone knows where
> to get started with C++/C#, that would be great, too.

Your best option is to read the JEPs on those subjects and raise any
questions about them on this list. To help speed your development I would
suggest you look at the code libraries available which are listed at the
following URL http://www.jabber.org/software/libraries.php

> (I know, I may just have to buy the book. But this is
> unusual, for other software utilities, I usually have
> been able to try out first, get some familiarity, and
> then decide whether I need a book.)

Most of the Jabber books ive seen have been out for quite a while and will I
expect be very out of date for all but the most simplest things, I doubt its
worth buying them.

Richard