Having a capable scripting system is not enough if what's surrounding it is not adapted to rapid development scenarios. That's why Messenger Plus! Live was designed with a special developer's mode. This option makes developing scripts an easier task while shielding end-users from boring technicalities at the same time. When debugging options are enabled, developers get access to a special debug window as well as special advantages designed to help them get what they want, how they want.

Your main point of entry in the scripting system is the Preferences panel (you'll need to be signed in to access it). From the Plus! menu of your contact list, select Preferences and click on Scripts in the left section (the Scripts section is available in the General tab). This window lists every script currently installed as well as their running state. Scripts that are not running are generally either disabled or contain syntax errors. End-users will generally stick to the "Import" button when they'll want to add a script to Messenger Plus!. The Import button loads a script pack and installs the script automatically based on the developer's configuration file. The Remove button deletes the whole directory of the script and places it in the Recycle Bin (just in case removing the script was a bad idea after all ;).

Before you create a new script, you'll want to check "Enable debugging options" and exit the Preferences window. If this is the first time you enable this mode, you'll automatically see the Script Debugging window (if not, the option to show/hide this window is accessible from the Plus! menu of your contact list). The Script Debugging window gives you access to every script currently running in Messenger. The "Debug" menu button links to a couple of functions including quick access to your script's source code. That being said, the main purpose of this window is definitively to show debugging information traced by scripts. You'll also see automatic traces for events executed in your script and error codes with the location in your code where the error occurred. When coding scripts in Messenger Plus!, this window will probably be one of your best friends :).

Enabling debugging options also has one more noticeable advantage. Messenger Plus! comes with its own script editor. This editor supports syntax coloring, outlining, basic IntelliSense and many other features designed to help you while you code. It is probably enough for script developers who want to code their scripts quickly without starting an external software. However, we understand that the built-in editor has its limitations and because so many great JScript editors already exist on the market (like Visual Studio), Messenger Plus! lets you use your favorite editor by monitoring changes done in your ".js" script files. When debugging option are enabled, if a script file is modified by an external application, the script is automatically reloaded to apply the changes. This means that every time you save your script, you instantly see the changes without having to perform any extra manipulation. Note however that in order to avoid any possible kind of confusion, this functionality is disabled while the script editor window is displayed. Also, remember that this feature is only intended to be used by developers, this means that you cannot rely on it for public use of your script (so don't code a feature that expects code file changes to be intercepted by Messenger Plus!).

There is also one more thing to remember about restarting your scripts: it is considered to be a good practice to close every window your script may be displaying, including message boxes, before the script is stopped. Because of the way script code is executed, if a script is stopped in its execution while it is displaying a modal window (a window that stops the execution of your script until it's closed), Messenger may completely crash. If you forget to close a window and crash Messenger as a result of stopping/restarting your script, don't worry about possible problems, there isn't any (no need to send an error report either).

If you're new to the Messenger Plus! Live scripting system, it is recommended that you stick with the built-in editor for a while. It will probably help you have a more complete understanding of the system and you'll see that the built-in editor is not that bad either ;). Now that you have enabled the debugging option, you're ready to create your first script!

Scripting Environment

See Also