Hello Lebeau-Software subscribers,

Sorry for the long delay since my last mailing (7/1/2000). College has been
out for the summer and I've been working full-time so I'm sure you all can
understand that most of my time was taken up. However, that doesn't mean I
didn't work on any projects this summer

I've been working on many projects in my free time. None are really ready
for testing yet, but I thought I'd let you all know what I've been working
on:

- ICQ Database reader
I came across some specs about the format of the ICQ database files, and
have started exploring possibilities for Database utilities. I know many
people keep requesting stuff like Message Readers and Database Mergers, so
I'm hoping to learn enough about the database formats to do these kinds of
programs. I've already gotten much of the ICQ99a format figured out so far.

- ICQ Webcam
I'm still working on my webcam add-on for ICQ, I haven't given up on
that yet. I've had to change the protocol used from UDP to TCP, but still
haven't had much success either way in transmitting the video frames in a
reliable, readable format. Will continue working on it.

- ICQ plugins
I've been trying to figure out how ICQ's plugin DLLs work. Just about
all third-party add-ons available for ICQ are external programs that "tack"
themselves onto ICQ. I'm trying to figure out how ICQ itself loads and
accesses plugins, like Voice Messages and ICQPhone (a new feature in
ICQ2000b which is currectly in alpha testing). Once this info is finally
decyphered, I can start making my own ICQ plugins. My webcam add-on will
probably be the first to be converted over to a plugin format

- ICQ protocol
AOL and Mirabilis have been working to merge AIM and ICQ together, or at
least to get them communicating with eath other. The new protocol is
currectly being analyzed by third party individuals, and when enough
information is available about the specs of this protocol, I'll start
incorporating them into my TICQProtocol VCL component for C++ Builder (this
component itself is still in development, I haven't had much time to work on
it lately)

- ICQ pager
I received a special request for a program that could send ICQ Pager
messages. He supplied the source code, I made it work.

- MSAgent plugin
For those of you Microsoft Agent developers who have always wanted to
use MSAgent with Netscape but couldn't since Netscape doesn't support
ActiveX, I've been working on a plugin for Netscape that is specifically
made for allowing full control of MSAgent in the Netscape browser. Tests
have been very good, but the plugin is about to undergo a complete redesign
soon. I originally had it made to run commands from an external script
file, but I'm going to incorporate new scriping support so that JavaScript
on the HTML page can access the plugin.

- MSAgent DLL
For anyone here who is a MSAgnet developer working with ToolBook, I had
received a special request for a DLL to be developed that could return to
the calling program a list of the animations for any MSAgent character, by
supplying the DLL with the path to the character's .ACS file (since I hear
ToolBook can't enumerate the animations collection).

If there's anything you have questions about, or want to hear more abou,
then feel free to contact me


Unil later...

Gambit
Lebeau Software
ICQ: 5372014
My Website: http://gambit47.virtualave.net