Book Image

Practical XMPP

By : Lloyd Watkin, Steven Watkin, Koelle
Book Image

Practical XMPP

By: Lloyd Watkin, Steven Watkin, Koelle

Overview of this book

XMPP (eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) is a messaging protocol that enables communication between two or more devices via the Internet. With this book, developers will learn about the fundamentals of XMPP, be able to work with the core functionality both server-side and in the browser, as well as starting to explore several of the protocol extensions. You will not only have a solid grasp of XMPP and how it works, but will also be able to use the protocol to build real-world applications that utilize the power of XMPP. By the end of this book, you will know more about networking applications in general, and have a good understanding of how to extend XMPP, as well as using it in sample applications.
Table of Contents (11 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
1. An Introduction to XMPP and Installing Our First Server

Chapter 1. An Introduction to XMPP and Installing Our First Server

Picture this scene: It's 1999 and you have just received your brand new computer, which sports a super-fast 333 MHz processor, a massive 256 MB of RAM, and a copy of the latest operating system, Windows 98. Not only that, but it also has a 33.6 kbps modem. After setting a wallpaper of your favorite mountain range and adjusting the screensaver to have a cool floating 3D effect, you set about connecting yourself to the information superhighway.

Soon, colleagues and friends find out that you have got yourself connected and start inviting you to connect. Jennifer in the office is using ICQ, so you also install ICQ and start chatting. Meanwhile, you've received an e-mail from your friend Marty, who asks you to install AOL Instant Messenger. Not wanting to be left out, you sign up and connect there too. Several weeks later, you've also installed Yahoo! Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger.

Now, each time your modem completes making the bing-bong electronic noises, you instinctively fire up several instant messaging applications to ensure you don't miss any messages from friends, family, and colleagues. Worse still, if you want to have a group chat with Linda and Marvin, that's not possible since both of your friends have decided to use different instant messaging programs. You begin to think to yourself that there has to be a better way.

Enter XMPP, a federated secure set of standards that allow clients and servers to talk to each other in a common language.

In this chapter, we'll cover the following topics:

  • What is XMPP?
  • Uses of XMPP
  • XMPP and the Web
  • Installing Node.js
  • Installing, configuring, and testing our XMPP server
  • Creating a test account and connecting