llInstantMessage scripting

[JustaTest]

Hello, I'm trying to learn scripting in SL. What I'm trying to do is make a script that allows me to type an encrypted message and relay it to my friend, and they in turn can return a message back. I know to send a message in chat without it being seen, I would have to type on a channel. However, I'd prefer not sending it through a channel because if there's a listen script out there, your message will be read with ease.

I know the obvious alternative would be to **DUH** use the actual instant message option provided by SL in your friend's list. But, I want to learn other options and methods to doing so with scripting. I've tried asking ingame but barely anyone wants to help without charging a fee per hour which is pointless. I might as well pay them to make it for me and that's not what I want, I'm eager to learn it.

Any help or scripting books/tutorials would be most appreciated.

[Void Singer]

llRegionSayTo

[Rolig Loon]

If you're not using IM, then you have only three choices.  One is to use chat with any of the commands llSay, llWhisper, llShout, llRegionSay,or  llRegionSayTo. COmmunication is always on a chat channel, but you can communicate to objects on any channel numbered between −2,147,483,648 and +2,147,483,647. If you choose channels carefully, it is normally extremely difficult for anyone to intercept a message. Furthermore, you can always encrypt the message to make it even harder to intercept and read.  The second method is e-mail, which will work for in world comunication or to send or receive extrrnal messages. The third method woul be use of HTTP protocols, again for in world or rexternal communication.

Look at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Category:LSL_Communications to see links to each of the LSL functions that control communication by these methds. If you are new to LSL scripting, I also recommend that you spen time reading and practicing with the tutorials at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LSL_Tutorial

[Wandering Soulstar]

If what you are worried about being intercepted is you typing the message in chat for the script to pick-up and transmit to your friend via llInstantMessage ... then I am afraid there is not much you can do, other than change the way you communicate with the script (via notecardas suggested above), and was well whispering will help reduce the number of scripts that could possibly hear what you say.

If on the other hand you are worried about the transmission of the message to your friend from the script, the llInstantMessage function is as secure as it gets, with no one being able to script a listen on that.

[Qie Niangao]

llTextBox to enter the message.

Will the recipient sometimes be in a different sim?  If so, your options are pretty limited.  To send it directly to the recipient (not to a scripted device they have attached or rezzed at their location), I think llInstantMessage() is pretty much the only option.

If they can use a script to receive the message, then there are a bunch of object-to-object communication options, all with different complications, the hairiest being addressability of the recipient despite changing object keys, URLs, etc.

Anyway, if that's the scenario, you might set up a static, always rezzed "directory" / "forwarding" server and send llEmail through it to the recipient's device, which would have to register with that server every time it changed addresses.  It's also fairly common to create external web services to perform that directory /forwarding function, over llHTTPRequests.  All-in-world "hybrids" are also common, which use email to propagate the dynamic URLs for HTTP script functions.

[JustaTest]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I'll take a look at the wiki. Thanks again :matte-motes-asleep-2:

[JustaTest]

Oh I see, I didn't realize the llInstantMessage functions purpose was to send a "premade" message in the script to the avatar. I thought it would be able to send chat.

[Qie Niangao]

Uh, just to be sure I haven't led you astray here, it's certainly possible for a script to listen to chat and forward it using llInstantMessage() to another avatar.  It would simply pass any string it gets in the listen() event into an llInstantMessage() function call. 

The only reason I mentioned llTextBox() was because folks were worrying about the possible security risk of having the message in chat, regardless of channel.  Incidentally, llTextBox() is supported by most viewers now, but there are still some folks on 1.23.5, for whom that function serves only to annoy.