Version: 0.8.1 (using KDE 3.2.1, Gentoo) Compiler: gcc version 3.3.2 20031218 (Gentoo Linux 3.3.2-r5, propolice-3.3-7) OS: Linux (i686) release 2.4.20-gentoo-r8 If you're in a chan and type an unknown command (like /who), Kopete sends the command line as text to the chan. As this leads to inconsistent behaviour and can be a bit embarassing, it should print a nice error message instead.
/who is supported in HEAD. Sending /<*> to the KMM when it is not a real command is for convenience sake for several reasons.. a) pasting text that starts with /<foo>, b) in other protocols people are not really used to /<*> being a command and may type this on purpose. I don't really see any reason why /noexistcommand should not be sent, I have often wished myself for this many many times in XChat and KSirc etc.
It shouldn't do so because it's heavily inconsistent which is a nightmare, usability-wise. To counter your axamples: a) No, I can't paste anything and rely on it to *not* trigger a command. b) It's true that especially IM users aren't used to the slash-commands (as no other protocol supports something like this). But now you're in a situtaion where it some times work and sometimes not. Do I have to remember all implemented commands if I want to type something starting with a slash? No, I should have to remember/learn that a slash starts a command, period. If I post something with a leading slash and thats no known command, Kopete should give me an error so I know about this. A good example, in both directions, is /who: 1. In Kopete 0.8 I can type "/who are you?/" (to add emphasis) and it will go to the chan. Now I get used to it and continue to do so in 0.9. Oops. Doesn't "work" anymore. 2. I try (better: tried, this was when I noticed this) the /who command. And the stuff goes to the chan, everybody (exaggerated) says "haha, you lamer". Even worse, imagine I come from mIRC and there I created a nice macro /m for /msg. Now I want to msg somebody privately and say "/m you suck". Oops. I never intended to say that publically. It often bit myself that I can't paste strings starting with a slash to IRC clients. But while that's inconvinient on the first look, I prefer this over a "maybe it works, maybe not" approach. A solution might be to make this configurable. Add two options, a "master" one which says "Enable IRC slash-commands" (defaulting to on) and a second one which says "Interpret unknown commands as text" (defaulting to off). The first time an IRC users types a line starting with a slash he could also get a message box which says something like "You typed text which started with a slash. In IRC the slash is commonly" "used to start special IRC commands." "The word /foo you typed is a recognized command. Do you want to execute "it (instead of sending it as plain text)?" "[ ] Do not ask me again." "[[Yes]] [No] [Cancel]" Or "You typed text which started with a slash. In IRC the slash is commonly" "used to start special IRC commands." "The word /bar you typed is not a recognized command. Do you want to send" "it as plain text?" "[ ] Do not ask me again." "[Yes] [[No]]"
Comment #2 does say it already, but I've to add one more reason; Let's say you like to register your nick and therefore use the "/identify nick password"-stuff. Bussiness as usual you wrote /idenntify nick password" and volia... everybody is able to read your password. Yes, I saw a lot of passwords flying around the irc cause of that... It would also a good idear to check if [\s]+/command was given and maybe just remove those whitepace then...
Good example, you are right of course.
*** Bug 100645 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
PROTIP: Make it a user choice! There is no perfect setup for everyone, and there is no absolute best choice. It’s basic physics. Duh. Problem solved. :)