Name

type — Optional

Synopsis

<message type='chat'>

The Jabber protocol defines five different message types. The message type gives an indication to the recipient as to what sort of content is expected; the client software is then able, if it wishes, to handle the incoming message appropriately.

Attribute Values

type='normal'

The normal message type is used for simple messages that are often one-time in nature, similar to an email message. If I send you a message and I’m not particularly expecting a response, or a discussion to ensue, then the appropriate message type is normal.

Some clients handle normal message types by placing them in a sort of message inbox, to be viewed by the user when he so chooses. This is in contrast to a chat type message.

Note that the normal message type is the default. So if a message is received without an explicit type attribute, it is interpreted as being normal.

type='chat'

The chat message type differs from the normal message type in that it carries a message that is usually part of a live conversation, which is best handled in real time with immediate responses—a chat session.

The handling of chat messages in many clients is done with a single window that displays all the chat messages both sent and received between the two parties involved—all the chat messages that belong to the same thread of conversation, that is. There’s a subelement of the <message/> element that allows the identification of conversational threads so that the right ...

Get Programming Jabber now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.