Despite Apple’s announced delay of its Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” until an October release, the company is beginning to publicize various features of the operating system. Specifically, an expanded Instant Message framework within iChat 4.0 has become more prominent. In recently published developer documentation, Apple claims that the framework will allow developers to determine whether a specific instant message user is online and then begin using iChat theater sessions to share supporting video and audio content during a video conference according to AppleInsider.
“One of the powerful capabilities that the Instant Message framework gives you is the ability to determine if a contact in a user’s buddy list is online or not. You can also get the Address Book data for that contact as well as other status information,” states online developer documentation. “This information is collectively referred to as ‘presence.’ And once you tap into this presence data, your application can be notified when information about a contact changes.”
iChat 4.0 is also expected to include iChat Theater, which will allow users and other applications to present both audio and video content during the chat session. Files such as a slide show, video feed or graphics can be included into the content. This is made possible by the IMAVManager code used within iChat Theater.
The documentation also covers a new level of scriptability, Apple stating that developers will be able to access iChat’s features via AppleScript to operate nearly half of iChat’s operations that could be performed with a keyboard and mouse.
Further details as they become available.
Despite Apple’s announced delay of its Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” until an October release, the company is beginning to publicize various features of the operating system. Specifically, an expanded Instant Message framework within iChat 4.0 has become more prominent. In recently published developer documentation, Apple claims that the framework will allow developers to determine whether a specific instant message user is online and then begin using iChat theater sessions to share supporting video and audio content during a video conference according to AppleInsider.
“One of the powerful capabilities that the Instant Message framework gives you is the ability to determine if a contact in a user’s buddy list is online or not. You can also get the Address Book data for that contact as well as other status information,” states online developer documentation. “This information is collectively referred to as ‘presence.’ And once you tap into this presence data, your application can be notified when information about a contact changes.”
iChat 4.0 is also expected to include iChat Theater, which will allow users and other applications to present both audio and video content during the chat session. Files such as a slide show, video feed or graphics can be included into the content. This is made possible by the IMAVManager code used within iChat Theater.
The documentation also covers a new level of scriptability, Apple stating that developers will be able to access iChat’s features via AppleScript to operate nearly half of iChat’s operations that could be performed with a keyboard and mouse.
Further details as they become available.