@(#)$eterna: ctcp,v 1.2 2001/08/12 15:42:27 mrg Exp $

ircII CTCP implementation notes:

[ i've heard and seen all sorts of CTCP specification papers
  but this document describes what ircII has done for at least
  7 years --mrg 1999/3/7 ]


ircII sends ctcp messages in the following format:

	^A<type>[ <type-specific-data>]^A

where <type> and <type-specific-data> are the ctcp request (version,
dcc, etc.) and any data supplied with the request.  ctcp request
messages are always sent as an IRC PRIVMSG command.  ctcp reply
messages are always send as an IRC NOTICE command.  this limits
the scope of CTCP to IRC currently [*], if you wish to use replies.

multiple requests can be sent in one message, by simply putting
them together, either back to back, or with normal message text
in between.  ircII strips the ctcp messages out, processes then,
and returns the remaining text.

ctcp quoting.

as CTCP uses the ^A character as a message delimiter, it makes
it impossible to send an embeded ^A without some quoting mechanism.
ircII uses the typical UNIX quote character \ to quote these
characters:
real character	converted string	description
	^A		\ a		- ctcp message delimiter
	\n		\ n		- new line
	\r		\ r		- line feed
	\		\ \		- quote character
	\0		\ 0		- null character
	:		\ :		- irc message separator

by converting them into the two characters in the second column.
each of the above characters is able to corrupt the data if it
is not quoted.


mrg@eterna.com.au


[*] one possible way would be to define that the ctcp reply request
is really a ctc reply.  eg, i send ^AREPLY VERSION <my version>^A
as a "normal message".