Build your MSN bot with DotMSN

1
Build your MSN bot with DotMSN

• SEG3510 Tutorial 5 (Feb 14)
• 2007 Spring Semester
• Prepared by Kelvin Chan (chansk_at_se.cuhk.edu.hk)

2
Contents

• Preliminaries
• DotMSN API
• Case Study - A Simple automated MSN client
• References

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Preliminaries

• MSN bot? Msnbot?
• msnbot the web-crawling robot of MSN search (now
  Live search)
• MSN bot (MSN chat bot/MSN chatterbot) refers to
  any application which runs automated tasks over
  the internet and is accessible with a MSN/Live
  messenger screen name.

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Preliminaries

• Examples of MSN bots (or bots in general)
• HKTour Robot (the Tour Robot developed in HCCI)
  hktour.robot_at_gmail.com
• Loads of bots out there
• China Live bot competition http//contest.xiaoi.c
  om/index.html

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DotMSN API

• http//www.xihsolutions.net/dotmsn/
• An open-source stand-alone class library to
  provide connectivity with the MSN Messenger
  service
• Built in C and can therefore be used by all
  languages the .NET environment supports.
• Easy to use and implement Flexible, robust and
  lightweight
• Can be used for creating messaging robots to
  creating custom clients
• (According to the project homepage)

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DotMSN API

• Download to old version DotMSN.dll(1.2)
• Sample code in C is available
• Tutor has translated the code to VB.NET, made
  some slight modifications and put onto the course
  webpage

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Case Study A simple automated MSN client

• Get dotmsn.dll
• Remember how to link it to your project?

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Case Study A simple automated MSN client

• Event Handling
• Define yourself how the program should response
  when something happens
• Format
• AddHandler Event, AddressOf HandlingFunction
• Alternatively Private Sub FunctionName (args)
  Handles Event

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Case Study A simple automated MSN client

• Create a new instance of Messenger with the
  WithEvent modifier, make it a global variable
• Public WithEvents messenger As New
  DotMSN.Messenger
• Associate events with self-defined handlers,
  enclosed by Try Catch End Try
• Try
• AddHandler messenger.ContactOnline, AddressOf
  ContactOnline
• AddHandler messenger.ConversationCreated,
  AddressOf ConversationCreated
• AddHandler messenger.SynchronizationCompleted,
  AddressOf OnSynchronizationCompleted
• Connect and Synchronize List
• messenger.Connect(textUser.Text, textPass.Text)
• messenger.SynchronizeList()
• Catch Exception
• Catch ex As MSNException
• MessageBox.Show("Connecting failed "
  ex.ToString())
• End Try

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Case Study A simple automated MSN client

• In the ConversationCreated Handler
• Private Sub ConversationCreated(ByVal sender As
  messenger, ByVal e As ConversationEventArgs)
• AddHandler e.Conversation.ContactJoin, AddressOf
  ContactJoined
• AddHandler e.Conversation.ConnectionEstablished,
  AddressOf ConnectionEstablished
• AddHandler e.Conversation.UserTyping, AddressOf
  ContactTyping
• AddHandler e.Conversation.FileTransferHandler.Invi
  tationReceived, AddressOf FileTransferHandler_File
  TransferInvitation
• AddHandler e.Conversation.MessageReceived,
  AddressOf MessageReceived
• End Sub
• For the detailed implementation of each handler,
  please refer to the sample program

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Case Study A simple automated MSN client

• Set Status to online
• Messenger.SetStatus(MSNStatus.Online)
• Status includes Away/BRB/Busy/Hidden/Idle/Lunch/O
  ffline/Online/Phone/Unknown
• Receive Message
• Add handler for ConversationEventArgs.Conversation
  .MessageReceived handler in the
  ConversationCreated handler

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Case Study A simple automated MSN client

• Send message
• Conversation.SendMessage(s As String)
• Send file
• SendFile(v As Messenger.Conversation, c As
  Contact, filename As String)

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References

• Xiaoi(?I) Chinese bots portal
• http//www.xiaoi.com/
• DotMSN homepage
• http//www.xihsolutions.net/dotmsn/
• MSN Messegner Protocol
• http//www.hypothetic.org/docs/msn/index.php