As some of you know I’ve been doing some coding in C++ using the QT toolkit in my free time.

At the moment, it has the following functionality (both in Windows and Linux, using the same code):

• basic chat capabilities (using UDP multicast for discovery and TCP for the actual conversations, so no server is needed)
• save a log of the conversations
• print the log of the conversations
• warn if the TCP/UDP ports are already being used
• remove disconnected users on timeout (both TCP and UDP timeout)
• change tray icon on special events
• hide window when the user presses the X button (show a balloon warning them, much like MSN)
• context menu on the tray icon
• basic translation mechanism (easy to translate the whole app, without changing the code)
• private chat between users (besides a common room where anyone can talk)
• URLs open on the system designated browser
• settings are kept between sessions (currently our own font color, and if the balloon got clicked so that it doesn’t show again)

This should also work under Mac OS X (I need to get a Mac to compile the code on).

The following screenshot, depicts the first time a user using Windows was able to communicate with a user using Linux:

and this next one, shows how configurations are being saved between sessions on the Windows registry (they are saved under the user homedir in Linux), and you can also notice a small difference on the buttons design.

The color dialog on both screenshots change the font color you type your text with (it isn’t always showing of course, but somehow I always take my screenshots with it open *shrug*).