README
1nullprpl
2
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4OVERVIEW
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6Nullprpl is a mock protocol plugin for Pidgin and libpurple. You can create
7accounts with it, sign on and off, add buddies, and send and receive IMs, all
8without connecting to a server!
9
10Beyond that basic functionality, nullprpl supports presence and away/available
11messages, offline messages, user info, typing notification, privacy
12allow/block lists, chat rooms, whispering, room lists, and protocol icons and
13emblems. Notable missing features are file transfer and account registration
14and authentication.
15
16Nullprpl is intended as an example of how to write a libpurple protocol
17plugin. It doesn't contain networking code or an event loop, but it does
18demonstrate how to use the libpurple API to do pretty much everything a prpl
19might need to do.
20
21Nullprpl is also a useful tool for hacking on Pidgin, Finch, and other
22libpurple clients. It's a full-featured protocol plugin, but doesn't depend on
23an external server, so it's a quick and easy way to exercise test new code. It
24also allows you to work while you're disconnected.
25
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27BUILDING AND INSTALLING
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29
30To build, just run ./configure as usual in the root directory of the pidgin
31source distribution. Then cd libpurple/protocols/null and then make. To
32install, run make install. Then run Pidgin.
33
34To build nullprpl on Windows (with Cygwin/MinGW), use: make -f Makefile.mingw
35
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37USAGE
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39To add a nullprpl account, go to the account editor window and click Add.
40Select Nullprpl from the protocol drop-down list, and enter any username you
41want.
42
43Now, use Pidgin like normal. You can add buddies, send IMs, set away messages,
44etc. If you send IMs to your own username, they will be echoed back to you.
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