streamlined nonbloatware version?!

[bitcloud]

Hi, don't take this the wrong way, because this is a really superb piece of software, but you really have to release a non bloated version of this software. (or a setting to debloat)

The lean chat needs only a single default channel, audio alert and an online users section. It needs to load almost instantly, should load progressively and should begin in the same size as the final chat window. Ideally the chat window loads exactly as it appears, and if a load message is necessary, inside the chat window is where the loading text goes... having the layout change as the chatbox resizes is messy. These are the absolute basic essentials for a web chat IMHO...

The rest of the info etc, smilies, private messages, additional channels etc should be optional - (the smileys display without the smiley dialog anyway (when a user types in it converts it, and the nickname changes etc can be reached via command, so the jam packed GUI isn't necessary in a streamlined version)

The multiple channels, private messages etc are wonderful, but the "loading" message (and it's accompanying browser delay) is a killer... I have this chat on the bottom of my site as part of the site design, so everywhere someone goes, they can check on the chat... that contant "loading" and browser delay (when you're scrolling or typing theres a slight delay while the loading message changes to a chat window) really ruins the entire experience... The whole thing, while outstanding and feature laden, feels far too heavy and bloated for an integrated chat. You mention that chatcreator.com is based on PHPfreechat... chatcreator worked really well, loaded instantly and was seamless, but I couldn't integrate it with my users so I abandoned it. How can I get chatcreator like functionality from PHPfreechat?

I've been tempted to even try out something like http://www.linuxuser.at/chat/index.html but without the audio alert and online user section it's worthless... PHPfreechat is the one I want to use, but in it's current "feature packed" state it's really not feasable...

Any likelyhood of a ultra streamlined version? Any clues how I could streamline PHPfreechat to be slicker ala chatcreator?

kind regards
lachlan

[pinup57]

I do agree with you, too (though I need the multiple channels). I'm happy with it, as it is, but as soon as I can afford some time I'll be looking into streamlining.....no smileys, command buttons, or BBcode, for a start. I also find the resizing stuff not that aestetical....
The chat behaviour is very dependant on the processing power of the client PC, btw. It almost instantly loads on my PIV-3GHz-1Ghz ram box, but is much much slower on my PIII450: on that PC the "chat loading" animation just freezes for a while, and there are at least two stages where the page looks frozen for at least 10 secs before the chat becomes functional, which is not good for the user experience.

But it's definitely a great script (and what a lot of work!!!! Hats off to Kerphi)

On the other hand, if you indeed want to have the chat on each page of your site, which I can undestand, from a webdesigner's point of view that's interesting, indeed at each page the chat is re-initialized and loaded again. Maybe something like having just one page with the chat in it plus an Iframe with your content? So the chat wouldn't reload when you change content in the Iframe.

Dirk

[phpfreechat]

Ideas for the long term roadmap (after 1.0-final), was to add a lightweight invisible chat listener that will keep the user connected (sending periodically /update commands) everywhere the user is in the website.

Then this module could intercept each private messages and display a warning popup with a link to the "real" chat window which is, I know, longer to load.

Creating a mini phpfreechat would be great but I really don't have the time to do it, however if contributors are motivated, feel free to do it (thanks to opensource) ! It will be a great contribution to pfc community.