Project M Options

[TheBlasphemer]

Here's a little interview with myself on Project M:
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What is Project M anyway?
A new project I'm working on. It's going to be a brand new messenger add-on.

Oh? What happened to StuffPlug?
In the process of trying to port it to Windows Live Messenger 9, and get to finish the Scripting feature, I got the feeling that the engine behind it was in no way proper for what I intended with it. So as WLM9 isn't out yet, and doesn't seem to be coming out anytime soon, I decided to start on something new instead of update the old and dusty things.

So what makes this project M different?
Well, first of all, it's built from the ground up, so I get to re-make all those architectural decisions with a lot more experience than I did at the time of writing SP3.
Instead of first writing a full fledged internal framework that is highly focused on specific things, and then later on trying to bend and twist that framework to a Scripting API, I've decided to build a new framework with scripting in mind from the very beginning. Everything will be COM and completely modular. The main application doesn't actually do anything else than load so-called modules and help them communicate.
A module can either provide a feature, provide an API, or provide an entirely new way to load modules.
So let's say you want to be able to write a module in Ruby, then all you'd have to do is write a module in one of the already supported languages to load a Ruby object and proxy it to COM, and you're done!
If you want to write a new feature for it, simply find other modules that provide the API's you need, and hack them together with your favourite language!
Is an API you'd like to see not supported? Write your own!

Why COM? Isn't that old?
Yes, COM is pretty old, but apart from a few minor flaws, I feel it's still pretty solid. The main reason to pick COM is because it translates very well to a broad range of programming languages. For example you can use COM from JScript, from .NET, from Native C++, hell even more Assembly!
The other option was .NET, but I opted out of that, because to communicate with .NET from native C++ or Assembly, you need COM anyway

When can we expect this?
Not any time soon, sorry. I'm currently still in the process of drawing up the design, and I haven't actually written a line of messenger-specific code.
Also I'm not sure that I can even finish this: I feel I've lost the challenge in messenger developing. However I'm trying to force myself through this first stage, and see how I feel once the foundations are ready.

Lost the challenge in messenger development?
Yes. It used to be a challenge to disassemble messenger and find out what other tricks I could pull, but lately I seem to know all the ins and outs of messenger, and it feels like routine. I'm hoping that this major new idea to plugin development will get my interest back though.

So no messenger code eh? so what did you do?
Well, I've got the main module loader done, I've got a module that creates a simple console window for dropping debug messages, and I've got a module that allows for scripted (VBScript or JScript) modules.
Currently I'm working on a module that will take care of initialization order (e.g. a callback function when all the stuff you need is properly initialized), and after that I'm going to work on a .NET loader module, and once I have that done I'll start on the messenger specific stuff.

Why are you posting this?
Well, it's been awfully silent around StuffPlug lately, and I felt I owed an explanation for that.

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If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to post them here

[jerone]

Can't wait.

[Nuno Peralta]

good luck ^^

Just a question

Why the name "Project M"? =)

Posts merged - Kangie

[TheBlasphemer]

Why the name "Project M"? =)

Well, actually it's not "Project M", but another name
However, I haven't registered the domain names yet, and I don't want to publicize the name before that's happened.

[Nuno Peralta]

Well, actually it's not "Project M", but another name
However, I haven't registered the domain names yet, and I don't want to publicize the name before that's happened.

yeah, i think that it is a good ideia. so, good work

[Aardvark]

Wow that sounds amazing! Yeah I had gotten the feeling developing StuffPlug had started to feel like a routine with all the expectations of a new release as often as all the other messenger add-ons. The thing is, StuffPlug is a COOL name! I hope you can make another cool name for Project M too. But does this mean when Project M is eventually released, StuffPlug will be continue to be supported with newer versions every so often? I wouldn't think so due to the limitations you mentioned, but what about just fixing various bugfixes? If it were just fixes, people wouldn't have such a rush to get a new version if it's just going to fix a bug which it is probably unlikely they've encounted in the first place.

[Keikonium]

So by the sounds of it, Project M will be almost like the wiki-of-the-addon-world, by allowing users to add their own plugins and features via various scripting languages? Or am I mistaken in saying that?

Also, will Project M be the successor to StuffPlug, containing it's old features as well as anything you add in the future?

I remember talk about the next major version of Stuffplug being 4.0 that was to be released for WLM9; I take it that project was scrapped in exchange for this new Project M?

I've always loved stuffplug, and it would be a shame to enter into the new WLM9 world without such a wonderful plugin . Good luck with your Project M, and looking forward to seeing / hearing about any progress you make !

[Nuno Peralta]

I've always loved stuffplug, and it would be a shame to enter into the new WLM9 world without such a wonderful plugin .

Since the program (with what name it has) is by TB....... we need to love
But remember that TheSteve and J-Thread are cool people, too =D

[TheBlasphemer]

So by the sounds of it, Project M will be almost like the wiki-of-the-addon-world, by allowing users to add their own plugins and features via various scripting languages? Or am I mistaken in saying that?

You're close
Just imagine Plus! scripting but much more extensible.

Also, will Project M be the successor to StuffPlug, containing it's old features as well as anything you add in the future?

My goal is to at least make sure that most SP features can be written as scripts.

I remember talk about the next major version of Stuffplug being 4.0 that was to be released for WLM9; I take it that project was scrapped in exchange for this new Project M?

Yes, stuffplug is just no longer something I enjoy working on :/

I've always loved stuffplug, and it would be a shame to enter into the new WLM9 world without such a wonderful plugin . Good luck with your Project M, and looking forward to seeing / hearing about any progress you make !

I'll keep you posted

[Aardvark]

Yes, stuffplug is just no longer something I enjoy working on :/

One could argue you would take that unenjoyment of working on StuffPlug to the new project of Project M. Sure it's being rewritten from the ground up but essentially it's still a messenger add-on, but with a bit of a name change, so it might not seem like much of a "new" challenge. Then again writing in a new style is always interesting so I suppose that's always fun.

And why do I have a sneaking suspicion whatever "Project M" stands for starts with the letter M? It just seems so obvious to me but why else would it be "M"

This post has been edited by Aardvark: May 9 2008, 03:58 PM

[Keikonium]

Magnificent perhaps haha .

If interest is ever lost entirly in any WLM related projects you work on in the future (or stuffplug as it is now) will source code ever be released for others to continue development, or will J-Thread / TheSteve pick up where you leave off? Basically I just want to have the default browser options in WLM9 if it's not included by default .

[Aardvark]

StuffPlug's source code will NEVER be released, this has been stated numerous times across the years, and I don't see why that would change now.

[TheSteve]

Basically I just want to have the default browser options in WLM9 if it's not included by default .

If Stuffplug does die forever(which I honestly don't see happening), chances are that most if not all of its good features will be ported to project "M" in one way or another.

After all, the whole idea behind project "M" is to be very open to addition.

[Aardvark]

Technically StuffPlug is dying - it's being replaced by Project M And over time Project M will prove to be (hopefully) vastly superior than StuffPlug ever was, rendering StuffPlug only useful to people who don't want to upgrade or who love using the classic versions of things (like me). Windows 3.1 for life!!

EDIT: If not dying then retiring, whatever same deal.

This post has been edited by Aardvark: May 12 2008, 12:48 PM

[Nuno Peralta]

Think positive:

People who knows the name "StuffPlug" as "Opened Window Notifier", will never go to a forum of Project M and say: "where is the feature to notify me of opened windows?"

lol

[Matti]

Oh dear, you're still alive? I was just about to look where you have been buried...

That sounds like a very cool new project, TB! I hope you'll find the challenge of programming Messenger add-ons again, and I really hope that you'll finish this project. The idea is awesome and I think very cool new features will be created thanks to this project.

Good to hear something you, TB! Now get back on your work, slave!

[Aardvark]

Think positive:

People who knows the name "StuffPlug" as "Opened Window Notifier", will never go to a forum of Project M and say: "where is the feature to notify me of opened windows?"

lol

That is genious, I never thought of that! Now let's make sure we get all the dodgy features out of StuffPlug before they're ported over to Project M so it doesn't suffer the same harassment as StuffPlug has with things like the open/closed notifiers.

Then again most of the features in StuffPlug are useful anyway, so there isn't really a need to get rid of anything...

[EaglesNestOne]

OMG I forgot I didn't post here. Lol sounds awsome can't wait.

[EaglesNestOne]

Sorry to bump but shouldn't this be in "Recent News" on the main page?

EaglesNestOne

[TheSteve]

shouldn't this be in "Recent News" on the main page?

No, the Latest News section shown on the main page pulls from the Latest News forum. Not the development blog. Besides, this technically isn't related to Stuffplug.