From Ape Wiki

[edit] Understanding pipe

Pipe is the main feature of APE's communication system. Pipes are communication conduits to exchange data between the Client and Server. There are two main types of pipes:

• Multi pipe or Channel
• Uni pipe or User

Each pipe is identified by a pubid (pseudo-random value generated by the Server, a 32 character key). The pubid is used when you exchange data with server to set on which pipe data is exchanged.

[edit] Channels

A channel is a communication conduit that can be directly created by the server or by a user. A channel is automatically created if a user subscribes to a non-existing channel. The APE Server answers directly while sending the pubid of the channel. (Allowing the user to communicate via the pipe of this channel).

Each channel has a list of properties, and by default the only property is the name of the channel. Properties can be added via server modules or authorised entities.

A channel has two ways of working :

• Interactive Channel
• Non-Interactive Channel

[edit] Interactive Channel

When a user subscribes to an already-existing interactive channel, he recieves the list of all the other users who have subscribed to this channel, and can directly communicate with them via the channel pipe.

[edit] Non-Interactive channel

The communication pipe of a non-interactive channel is read-only, meaning that users do not know each other, and can't communicate via the channel. Only authorized entities are allowed to do so.

A non-interactive channel is automaticaly created when the first character of its name is a wildcard (*)

[edit] Users

When a user connects to APE, a pipe is created to facilitate communication with other entities, and a unique sessid is assigned to the pipe. The sessid allows the Server to identify the user that sent each command.

As channels, a user has a list of properties, empty by default.

A user can perform actions (commands) that allow them, by default, to :

• Post a message on a pipe (channel or another user)
• Subscribe to a channel (also called 'join a channel')
• Unsubscribe a channel (also called 'leave a channel')
• Create a channel (If they subscribe to an non-existent channel)