# Any Network Cocoa-ers Here?



## martinatkinson (Jun 7, 2002)

Hello!

I am recently planning on putting together another application.  It will be a Carracho and Hotline replacement and will be in full Cocoa.  It will have customizable toolbars, sheets, drawers, a nice chat interface with graphic smilies, and more.  One application is all you will need to connect to a server or run your own.  

Because of the possible legal issues with Carracho/Hotline protocol  I will be implementing a new protocol that will add support for tons of new features.

Problem is that I am pretty clueless when it comes to protocol programming  so I was wondering if there are any cocoa programmers here who would be interested in helping out?

This app will be open source by the GPL license.  Please let me know if you are interested or if you have any questions!

Have a great day!

Albert


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## kainjow (Jun 7, 2002)

Sweet! I use Hotline sometimes, but it's in Carbon and isn't very stable. I would love a Cocoa replacement.

I recently just downloaded Aquisition, the Cocoa replacement for Limewire. It's very good. Cocoa always rules.


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## martinatkinson (Jun 7, 2002)

Hello!

Glad you liked the idea.  I used FrogBlast for Hotline but it is not feature rich and there is no Cocoa server for Hotline.  So I decided to program my own  

Would you be interested in helping a little in the development of Swap?  You do not need to do huge things but maybe just a class or two as you have time.  Let me know...

Have a great day!

Albert


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## Joseph Spiros (Jun 13, 2002)

The idea is nice, I'll give you that, but I think its a bit far off...

First, both the Hotline and Carracho protocols are very popular, and smaller protocols, such as one you would write, might not "survive"...

Secondly, there is a "cocoa" server for the hotline protocol.. It's called HXD for Mac OS X (HXD is an opensource set of tools based around the hotline protocol.. see hotlinex.org)... check it out at http://osx.hotlinex.org/.

Thirdly, there would be no legal problems with Hotline, as Hotline Communications is now out of business, and as there are the aforementioned opensource tools that use the protocol... Carracho *is* a closed protocol at the moment, but I wouldn't put it past the developers to be creating a cocoa client.

Lastly, I will say again, this is a nice idea, just not very likely to work... especially the idea of creating an entirely new protocol. I think your time is best spent working on an existing client, like HotCocoa, a GPLed Hotline Cocoa client.. check out hotline:shxd.ath.cx:5500 (Tell em JosephSpiros sent ya ).


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## martinatkinson (Jun 13, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Joseph Spiros _
> *Lastly, I will say again, this is a nice idea, just not very likely to work... especially the idea of creating an entirely new protocol. I think your time is best spent working on an existing client, like HotCocoa, a GPLed Hotline Cocoa client.. check out hotline:shxd.ath.cx:5500 (Tell em JosephSpiros sent ya ). *



Hello!

Yeah, I have bee to shxd.ath.cx.  (I am on as kDOG) and his client is nice but not close and I would rather start my own.

I WAS thinking of supporting a Hotline client and server in the same app as well as a tracker both for Hotline and Swap, that way people would have more features then FrogBlast or HotCocoa (BTW: the maker of FrogBlast says he is soon to stop making FrogBlast and Göran has been slowing down the HotCocoa releases)

What I want is super features in both protocols that way people start using Swap.app then they will start to see that the Swap protocol supports better and more powerful releases and they will use it as well.  And if someone could assure me that supporting the Carracho protocol had no legal worries I would pursue that as well...

Only problem is I need some people to help  Either with the Hotline side of it or the Swap side of it.  I am almost finished the interface but I am afraid this idea might die in my head...

Have a great day!

Albert


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## fintler (Jun 13, 2002)

I just had a wacky idea...how about writing a tracker and server module for hotcocoa ;P


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## martinatkinson (Jun 13, 2002)

Ughh, maybe I should just cut the development of Swap, it looks like everyone thinks it is a bad idea.  Have not had one person interested in helping in the open source development.

 And it looks like Göran has his spies all over the web 

I was really interested in making a really awesome client.  Swap would have had bandwidth control, rich text in the chat, announcements, and private messaging and tons of new features...someone, ANYONE, interested in contributing even a short span of time to make this work   

Albert


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## alesh (Jun 19, 2002)

I would be interested in helping, you seem quite desperate. I don't know how much help I would be though. I just started using Cocoa and I am slowly getting familiar with it. I have been developing small Classic apps in C and C++ for the past 5 years or so.


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## macxonly (Jun 20, 2002)

I think this would be cool as well.  It sux that I have barely started using Cocoa, but I will get better.  I promise  

I am getting quite annoyed with Carracho, mainly because there is no bandwidth control.  And some of the other clients I have been using seem confusing (in my opinion).

I would like to help out, and I'd be glad to step up to the plate when there are things that I can help with.

Idea: there is a client/server app called KXD that offers encryption.  That might be a cool idea as well....

Check out KXD here  [url]http://www.haxial.com/products/kdx/index2.html [/url]


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## martinatkinson (Jun 25, 2002)

I am really sorry guys that I did not respond sooner.  I am not ignoring you, I just never got a notification that this was replied to  

Anyway, alesh and macxonly, thanks for offering to help.  I know I will need your help...once my volunteer programmer finishes the frameworks I will be counting on you guys for some small things...little features and controls and such.  It will mostly be just me emailing you about something I am stumped on and you helping out.

Also, if you could please come up with a list of every feature you can think of that would be nice in this app...that will help for now...

The frameworks should start coming in within a month or two...I will let you guys know when I need help  

If there are any others who would be willing to do this kind of thing I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks again!

Albert


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## martinatkinson (Jun 25, 2002)

Oops, forgot one thing...I will also need someone that is good at Aqua icons to volunteer to do some toolbar icons, app icon, etc.  I have someone who would be willing to do it for $50 and will probably go with him if no one else steps forward...I do not really look forward to dishing out that kind of money so if anyone is interested please let me know...

Thanks again!

Albert


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## macxonly (Jun 25, 2002)

What kind of icons were you thinking about?  Any ideas that maybe I can work with, or anybody else that reads this thread can work with?

What is the proposed "name" of this app?

-macxonly

Happy Hacking!


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## martinatkinson (Jun 25, 2002)

I will need some smilies, user icons (like avatars, only 32x32pix), and two app icons done.

Someone has already thrown together some smilies for me...see the attached file for a snap of what they have done...I really like the aqua bubble under them but I think some of the expressions could be improved...I also don't really like the hair or the hearts and arrows.  If someone would want to improve on these I would like that, they are all 32x32pixels...

Also, the user icons will need to be 32x32pix...these should be pretty easy since I do not have any specific ones I want done...just be creative...these will be the icons next to a users name...

The apps official name is "Swap" it will have the tracker, server and client all in the same app so if someone could design just one icon getting across the feel of file sharing, meeting friends or etc...Here is the URL to the icon that someone put together (they will charge $50 to have this icon and the rest designed) http://design.dv-graphics.com/atkinsonpreview.jpg  I will also need an icon designed for the helper application that will keep the server running after a crash ("BulletProof" is the official name of the helper)

I will also need a cool splash screen, don't really know what I want so just be creative 

Here are my likes when it comes to icon design:  Try to make the icons as "Aqua-like" as possible, with the light sources, the bevel, etc...make it look like something that the OmniGroup or Apple would have done...make sure it is antialiased...make sure the mask is smooth and not jagged...and again, make it look like OS X eyecandy 

I will need some toolbar icons done later on, I will let you know as soon as I know exactly which ones I need.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with 

Albert


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## martinatkinson (Jun 25, 2002)

Arghh, forgot the attachment of the smilies  

It is attached below:

Albert


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