Basic commands of IRC


This guide makes reference to the most common commands that can be used in the IRC. It has nothing to do with an exhaustive relationship neither includes specific commands of some IRC customer programmes. It just tries to be a summary of the most common commands that you can need during your normal use of the IRC.

An IRC command is an order that you can give to the IRC server which you are using in order to execute specific actions or to give information. Logically, you should introduce the commands from your IRC customer programme, thus, being connected to the server, commands which have not that function are simply commands of your programme setup.

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between proper and private commands of the IRC conection programme that we are using. Currently, there are very advanced customers who assume complex commands; and this doesn't mean that they can do more than this, it simply means they are able to execute internal actions which use several IRC commands, to interpret the servers information in different ways, or to make functions automatic making you free of work.

You can find, too, that your customer programme does not answer to commands at the same level that here it is shown, and this is because the programme does not send the command to the server just the same you have orered, but also it executes internally other commands in order to extend the information received or to make better the command results. Anyway, the final effect will always be very similar. It musn't impress you at all, the basic rules of IRC protocol commands are very simple to use once you have been familiarized with it, and to know it will provide you a reliable system which execute your will whatever the programme you are using was.

As we know, a command is not a common text that is introduced to have a chat, but a chain of features which we expect to obtain a specific result, so we have to show it to our customer programme, if not, it will interpret it just as a sentence in the chat. In most of the programmes we obtain it preceding the command by a specific symbol, and this symbol is, moreover, the "slash" ("/"). So, taking this to account, we can state that the command is sitted after the "slash".

 

Command index:


AWAY

Syntax: AWAY [message]
Use: The AWAY command is used to indicate other users that you are not paying attention to the IRC in that moment. To enter, you must specify a message, to leave you only have to execute the command without writing a message. The AWAY level appears when somebody will made you a WHOIS.


INVITE

Syntax: INVITE Use: It lead an invitation to the nick which specified to enter in the channel that we are showing. It is necessary to execute this command to have a channel status operator. If the channel is in the mode +i ( see the command / MODE), only the previously invited ones will be able to accede to it.

JOIN

Syntax: JOIN <#channel> [password]
Use: It introduces us through the specified channel, if it is protected with the key it is necessary to include it in the order. If the channel does not exist it will be created to us and we will enter through it as a unique user. All channels remaining empty, stop being as before until somebody create it again, you have not to confuse it with the fact that a channel was in the IRC service network,and it doesn't imply that the channel will always be occupied and so, existing, but having a network coverage services when active and having inner users.

KICK

Syntax: <#channel> <nick> [reason]
Use: This command can be only used by those who have an operator channel status. It causes the immediate expulsion of the specified channel nick that was indicated, this expulsion could be accompanied with a message. The command / KICK does not avoid the subsequent access of the expelled user, so you have to use the " ban ". See the mode +b in the command / MODE, section " usuary modes in a channel ".

LINKS

Syntax: LINKS
Use: It gives back a list of servers to us who are connected to the IRC network in which we are sitted.

LIST

Syntax: LIST [ chain | -MIN num | -MAX num ]
Use: This commando provides us a list of the active and visible channels when asked for, showing us the name of each channel, the number of inner users, and the Topic or description of the channel if it has been specified by its users ( see command / TOPIC). Without parameters, it provides a complete list, the parameters allow to make a more selective search. Read point 2 to see a more detailed description of the meaning of the optional parameters. Very important: remember that the channels list only represents a static situation, thus, just referred to the moment you asked for it, that means that if you enter in one of them later it could be possible that the number of inner users does not coincide with the number appeared in the list.

ME

Syntax: ME <text>
Use: It sends a message to the channel or the privated active screen or preceding it of its nick as if it was comprised of its own message.

For example, if his nick is " JuanJo " and it executes the command: /me has today not a good day, the message that will appear would be: * JuanJo has today not a good day.

Syntax: AME <text>
Use:This command has just the same function as before, with the peculiarity that it is seen in all the channels in which you are connected.

MSG

Syntax: MSG <nick | #channel>
Use: This command allows us to send messages to a certain channel or, in a privacy way, to a determined nick. It is the command that your IRC customer usually adopt by norm when you just write a sentence in a channel or nick screen without specifying the command. If you send a message to a channel where you are not inside, it will be only read in that channel if it has not activated the mode +n (see command / MODE).

MODE

Syntax: MODE [#channel | nick] <+/-modes> [parametre]
Use: It is a powerful command who provides the channel operators an extensive control in the channel modes and in its users, being or not channel operators also.It is used as well to modify the own user modes within the IRC session.



Ways of User in IRC:

i It activates or not " the invisible " mode. If your mode has the form +i, your nick will never appear when another user is executing the WHO or the NAMES command.
s It activates or not the mode used to see the messages that the server is sending in the NOTICE form. It could be easy to introduce yourself in the mode +s if you are not interested in the messages that the server sends frequently to us.
w It activates or not the reception of the messages that the server sends by way of WALLOP, it could be said that it is a kind of global sometimes used NOTICE by the network operators.
d It activates or not the reception of public messages which are appeared in certain channels. Thus, if we have activated the d mode for our nick, the server will not send to us the public messages of those channels.If you want to exploit the edge-width this is ideal for bots or states of AWAY. Note: When mode d is active, the channels in which we are will appear preceded by a hyphen (-) when an user uses the WHOIS.



Ways of Channels in IRC:

v It provides or not the voice mode to an user within a channel (see mode+m)
o This mode allows us to provide or not the channel operator status to ourselves or to another user of the channel.
b It is the mode that establishes or not a ban to an user in a channel. If this user is not within the channel he cannot enter this and he will receive the message that he is banned, if he is within the channel he cannot send messages to the channel unless he was the operator of this one.
t It activates or not the prohibition that those being not operators could modify the channel topic.
n It activates or not the prohibition that those who are not in the channel could send messages to this channel, by way of the MSG command.
k It establishes a channel key that has to be introduced in the JOIN command in order to accede to this channel.
s It hides the channel (it is a kind of not visible mode for channels), it won't be listed with the command / LIST nor will appear in the / WHOIS of the users are in the channel unless another user who was inside it, too, will list it.
i It activates or it deactivates the option of single channel for guests (through the commando IT INVITES). The invitations to the single channel will be able to make it the operators of this.
p Deprived channel, is a way similar to the secret (way s).
l It establishes a maximum limit of users within the channel.
m It establishes or it retires the configuration of moderate channel. With +m in the single channel the operators and those users will be able to write messages who have voice (way +v of user in the channel).

 

NAMES

Sintaxis: NAMES <nick | #channel>

Use: It will provide a list to us of nicks that is in a certain channel. If you one is not in that channel the users who are in invisible way (to see commando MODE) they will not appear in that list whenever we are not in another channel in which they are also)

NICK

Sintaxis: NICK <new_nick>
Use: It allows him to specify and to change nick, nickname or name by which the others will identify in the East IRC nickname to him is limited a maximum of 9 characters.

NOTICE

Sintaxis: NOTICE <nick | #channel>
Use: Another way to send a message to certain nick or all those that comprise of a channel.

PART

Sintaxis: PART <#channel>

Use: It makes us leave the indicated channel immediately.

QUIT

Sintaxis: QUIT <mesaje>
Use: It sends to the IRC server an order that produces our immediate disconnection of the IRC Is the habitual form to close the session. Additionally you can add a message that will be seen by the other users next to the notification of its exit.

SERVER

Sintaxis: SERVER name:port:password
Use: Another way to send a message to certain nick or all those that comprise of a channel.


TOPIC

Sintaxis: TOPIC <#channel> <txt>
Use: It serves to specify or to modify the Topic or description that accompanies the name by the channel. The text of topic will be sent to all the users who enter the channel and will accompany the name by the this list that is obtained with commando / LIST. If the channel is in way +t (to see commando / MODE) the single Topic it could be modified by the users who have estatus of operator of the channel.

WHO

Sintaxis: WHO [name] [o]
Use: Commando WHO uses a client to generate a consultation that gives back all the visible users of the IRC or a list of information that agrees with the mask or complete name of the parameter [ name ]. The commando gives back the main server, the server of IRC, the real name, nick, and the channels in which is the user. The parameter " or " is indicated to know the operators active the server or chewed of the network. That is to say, when this parameter is used, information of the operators of the IRC network is given back solely, not of all the users in general.

WHOIS

Sintaxis: WHOIS <nick>
Use: This commando will provide information to him about certain nick being able to see if he then is in the IRC If the user to that we make the WHOIS finds connected to the IRC we obtain a information that will depend on the client of IRC which we are using and on the version of the server to whom we are connected. Normally you will be able to see the referred data the connection of that nick: the direction of this connection, its identifier of user (identd), if is or not away (to see commando / AWAY), the time IDLE (the time that takes inactive), if it has or not estatus special in the IRC... etc.

WHOWAS

Sintaxis: WHOWAS <nick>
Use: He is useful to request information on a user who no longer is in the IRC If this he is even in the file of nicks of the server will provide a information to us similar to the one of / WHOIS.

 

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