Here is what is going to keep me busy with Jabber/XMPP Tools. Since the library should be a lightweight module integratable into non-IM software (this is the main goal with it currently), no full XMPP functionality is expected, only reasonable features for non-IM software, especially server side.

The first goal is to be able to deliver notifications via IM. With connection, authentication and message objects implemented this task is complete.

A new goal is server automation. Through this tools library server would be able to keep persistent XMPP connection, have it’s status shown through XMPP presence and expose itself for remote commands using Jabber RPC. Limited Roster functionality may be also required to secure exposed RPC.

Thus, roadmap is: presence and RPC.

General Information

About Jabber/XMPP Tools

Update

As planned recently, Jabber/XMPP Tools library was updated to support TLS secure connections, among other reasons required by Google Talk. The library contains interoperable connection COM objects for TCP and TLS on top of TCP network connections.

Additionally, new properties added to Authentication and Message objects to support authentication method preference, message subject and type.

Download

Download the software package from the following link: Alax.Info Jabber/XMPP Tools 1.0.1.767

Jabber/XMPP Tools already implement TLS 1.0 secure connections and will be available shortly. TLS is implemented using SChannel API, the ATL helper classes I made for SChannel might also appear here to public. Jabber/XMPP Tools also contain some reusable components such as COM objects for TCP connection, for TLS over TCP connection which implements the same interfaces as TCP connection object and thus TLS might be used fully transparently. Basically, these objecst/classes lack documentation and samples and if I manage to prepare them, this will also appear on the blog.

The next important thing with Jabber/XMPP Tools should be support for TLS 1.0 connections, mandatory for Google Talk (based on/compatible with Jabber/XMPP).

TLS support will be based on Windows SChannel API.

Summary

Alax.Info Jabber/XMPP Tools is a beginning of a Jabber/XMPP compatible set of automation objects (COM/OLE). The module is started as a simplest Jabber client to be used to send message into Jabber/XMPP network. Initially the module provides three objects:

• Connection, a TCP socket connection pump conectable to remote Jabber/XMPP server;
• Authentication, an object which authenticates Jabber/XMPP client with remote server;
• Message, a single instant message object

The software package is available as a binary redistributable for Windows operations systems.

Usage scenario

Implemented objects are available through OLE Automation and thus available in varienty of development environments. For the three implemented objects the usage scenario in JavaScript is shown below.

Connection = new ActiveXObject(“AlaxInfoXmppTools.Connection”);
Connection.Connect(“jabber://jabber.org:5222″);
Connection.WaitConnected(10000);
Authentication = new ActiveXObject(“AlaxInfoXmppTools.Authentication”);
Authentication.Authenticate(Connection, “alax”, “123″, “Test”);
Authentication.Wait(5000);
Message = new ActiveXObject(“AlaxInfoXmppTools.Message”);
Message.Send(Connection, “alax@jabber.org”, “alax@jabber.org”, “Hello from JsMessageSample01.js”);

The sample code creates a connection to remote Jabber/XMPP server, authenticates the connection and sends a message.

Features

Connection object

• Simple TCP connections supported (no TLS/SSL available)

Authentication object

• Plaintext and digest authentication methods are supported

Message object

• Simple body-only messages with from and to fields are available

Installation

Software is available as a redistributable package (compiled by Microsoft Installer), freely available for non-commercial use. Uninstallation is available as an option under Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.

Download

Download the software package from the following link: Alax.Info Jabber/XMPP Tools 1.0.0.254