Idea's

[bRoKeN]

How about a bot that does not need to be downloaded? That you can run straight off a site.

[Spht]

How about a bot that does not need to be downloaded? That you can run straight off a site.

I'll get right to work on it!

Update: Done. http://botdev.valhallalegends.com/webbot/webchat.asp?BotName=BinaryChat

[bRoKeN]

That's not my complete idea. I mean like a program ran off site. It would be a bot that insted of looking for it on your comp you go 2 site and open it up configure it and so on.

[Dyndrilliac]

He means a java applet or something similar, like an IRC Chat type thing you can run from a site link.

[DarkMinion]

I used to have an ActiveX chat bot, it was leet.

[synth]

I used to have an ActiveX chat bot, it was leet.

Glad to hear it.  Were there any limitations of the language that hindered you from implementing some features?  If so, would you be so kind as to tell (us / Panda) the problems you came across?

[MrRaza]

I used to have an ActiveX chat bot, it was leet.

Mesiah had something similar, but appearently someone packet logged the connection and stole his password.

[Kp]

Glad to hear it.  Were there any limitations of the language that hindered you from implementing some features?  If so, would you be so kind as to tell (us / Panda) the problems you came across?

My recollection is that since ActiveX controls get compiled into native code, they can do just about anything (that's why they can be dangerous to run).  Of course, strictly speaking, you are downloading the client even then -- your browser must download it to run it!  The same holds true with a Java applet though.  Browsers just aren't equipped to do a sustained two-way link with a server side bot/daemon (and not look horribly ugly while doing it, anyway).  Recall that even with WebChannel, you must submit the frame which has the text in it when you want to talk.  That's probably as close as you're going to get to not having any code on the client computer.

[synth]

Browsers just aren't equipped to do a sustained two-way link with a server side bot/daemon (and not look horribly ugly while doing it, anyway).  Recall that even with WebChannel, you must submit the frame which has the text in it when you want to talk.  That's probably as close as you're going to get to not having any code on the client computer.

Right, one would have to do constant refreshing to see the most current events.  The server executes the code at request from the user, then waits for the next request.  Correct?  I remember having to make the page refresh every few seconds so that the ASP chat room I was trying to code would function.

Because that's ugly (having to do page reloads every few seconds), I'd go with making an ActiveX control.  Sure, I know that technically you are downloading the bot.  But, my hunch is that Panda is talking about 'embedding' a bot into a web page.

Panda, could you please specify further to eliminate the need for my guesses?  I think you are talking about something similar to the chat bot DarkMinion was talking about, but I'm still not sure.

[MyndFyre]

Theoretically my C# bot could run in an IE window....

Although you'd still need to download it to the browser to run it.

Maybe I'll publish my version of the PocketBot (the bot for the .NET Compact Framework on PocketPC) for the web....

[Grok]

My recollection is that since ActiveX controls get compiled into native code, they can do just about anything (that's why they can be dangerous to run).

ActiveX controls created in VB6 can be compiled to either native code or to p-code.  This does not change your valid point that they can still access the entire resources of the local machine, where security is not set.

[Kp]

Right, one would have to do constant refreshing to see the most current events.  The server executes the code at request from the user, then waits for the next request.  Correct?  I remember having to make the page refresh every few seconds so that the ASP chat room I was trying to code would function.

Not necessarily.  WebChannel can operate in streaming mode for the channel text; to do so, it omits sending the content-length, so the browser continues to read until the connection is closed.  Since WebChannel doesn't close the connection (except on death of the WebChannel process), the stream remains open and the user receives new events as they occur.  However, to chat, a separate frame must be created and that must be submitted each time you wish to talk.

ActiveX controls created in VB6 can be compiled to either native code or to p-code.

Interesting.  I was misinformed - thanks.