This manual documents WeeChat chat client, it is part of WeeChat.

Latest version of this document can be found on this page: http://weechat.org/doc

1. Introduction

WeeChat (Wee Enhanced Environment for Chat) is a free chat client, fast and light, designed for many operating systems.

This manual documents WeeChat internals:

  • repository (sources, doc, …)

  • coding rules

  • core internals

  • plugin internals

  • how to contribute to WeeChat.

2. Repository

WeeChat has two main repositories:

This manual documents only core repository.

2.1. Overview

The main WeeChat directories are:

Directory Description
src/

Root of sources
core/

Core functions: entry point, internal structures
gui/

Functions for buffers, windows, … (used by all interfaces)
curses/

Curses interface
plugins/

Plugin and scripting API
alias/

Alias plugin
aspell/

Aspell plugin
charset/

Charset plugin
exec/

Exec plugin
fifo/

Fifo plugin (FIFO pipe used to remotely send commands to WeeChat)
irc/

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) plugin
logger/

Logger plugin (write messages displayed to files)
relay/

Relay plugin (irc proxy + relay for remote interfaces)
script/

Scripts manager
python/

Python scripting API
perl/

Perl scripting API
ruby/

Ruby scripting API
lua/

Lua scripting API
tcl/

Tcl scripting API
guile/

Guile (scheme) scripting API
trigger/

Trigger plugin
xfer/

Xfer plugin (IRC DCC file/chat)
tests/

Tests
unit/

Unit tests
core/

Unit tests for core functions
doc/

Documentation
po/

Translations files (gettext)
debian/

Debian packaging

2.2. Sources

2.2.1. Core

WeeChat "core" is located in following directories:

  • src/core/: core functions (for data manipulation)

  • src/gui/: functions about interface (buffers, windows, …)

Path/file Description
core/

Core functions: entry point, internal structures
weechat.c

Main functions: command line options, startup
wee-backtrace.c

Display a backtrace after a crash
wee-command.c

WeeChat core commands
wee-completion.c

Default completions
wee-config-file.c

Configuration file management
wee-config.c

Configuration options for WeeChat core (file weechat.conf)
wee-debug.c

Some debug functions
wee-eval.c

Evaluation of expressions with references to internal vars
wee-hashtable.c

Hashtables
wee-hdata.c

Hdata (direct access to data using hashtables)
wee-hook.c

Hooks
wee-infolist.c

Infolists (lists with objects data)
wee-input.c

Input of commands/text
wee-list.c

Sorted lists
wee-log.c

Write to WeeChat log file (weechat.log)
wee-network.c

Network functions (connection to servers/proxies)
wee-proxy.c

Proxy management
wee-secure.c

Secured data options (file sec.conf)
wee-string.c

Functions on strings
wee-upgrade-file.c

Internal upgrade system
wee-upgrade.c

Upgrade for WeeChat core (buffers, lines, history, …)
wee-url.c

URL transfer (using libcurl)
wee-utf8.c

UTF-8 functions
wee-util.c

Some other functions
wee-version.c

Functions for WeeChat version
gui/

Functions for buffers, windows, … (used by all interfaces)
gui-bar-item.c

Bar items
gui-bar-window.c

Bar windows
gui-bar.c

Bars
gui-buffer.c

Buffers
gui-chat.c

Chat functions (display message, …)
gui-color.c

Color functions
gui-completion.c

Completion on command line
gui-cursor.c

Cursor mode (free movement of cursor)
gui-filter.c

Filters
gui-focus.c

Functions about focus (for cursor mode and mouse)
gui-history.c

Commands/text saved in buffers
gui-hotlist.c

Hotlist management (list of buffers with activity)
gui-input.c

Input functions (input bar)
gui-key.c

Keyboard functions
gui-layout.c

Layout
gui-line.c

Lines in buffers
gui-mouse.c

Mouse
gui-nicklist.c

Nicklist in buffers
gui-window.c

Windows
curses/

Curses interface
gui-curses-bar-window.c

Display in bar windows
gui-curses-chat.c

Display in chat area (messages)
gui-curses-color.c

Color functions
gui-curses-key.c

Keyboard functions (default keys, read of input)
gui-curses-main.c

WeeChat main loop (waiting for keyboard/network events)
gui-curses-mouse.c

Mouse
gui-curses-term.c

Functions about terminal
gui-curses-window.c

Windows
main.c

Entry point

2.2.2. Plugins

Path/file Description
plugins/

Root of plugins
plugin.c

Plugins management (load/unload dynamic C libraries)
plugin-api.c

Extra functions for plugin API (wrapper around WeeChat core functions)
plugin-config.c

Plugin configuration options (file plugins.conf)
plugin-script.c

Common functions used by script plugins
plugin-script-api.c

Script API functions: wrappers around some plugin API functions
plugin-script-callback.c

Callback management for scripts
weechat-plugin.h

Header designed to be distributed with WeeChat plugins, in order to compile them
alias/

Alias plugin
alias.c

Main alias functions
alias-config.c

Alias config options (file alias.conf)
alias-info.c

Alias info/infolists/hdata
aspell/

Aspell plugin
weechat-aspell.c

Main aspell functions
weechat-aspell-bar-item.c

Aspell bar items
weechat-aspell-command.c

Aspell commands
weechat-aspell-completion.c

Aspell completions
weechat-aspell-config.c

Aspell config options (file aspell.conf)
weechat-aspell-info.c

Aspell info/infolists/hdata
weechat-aspell-speller.c

Spellers management
charset/

Charset plugin
charset.c

Charset functions
exec/

Exec plugin
exec.c

Main exec functions
exec-buffer.c

Exec buffer
exec-command.c

Exec commands
exec-completion.c

Exec completions
exec-config.c

Exec config options (file exec.conf)
fifo/

Fifo plugin
fifo.c

Main fifo functions
fifo-info.c

Fifo info/infolists/hdata
guile/

Guile (scheme) plugin
weechat-guile.c

Main guile functions (load/unload scripts, execute guile code)
weechat-guile-api.c

Guile scripting API functions
irc/

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) plugin
irc.c

Main IRC functions
irc-bar-item.c

IRC bar items
irc-buffer.c

IRC buffers
irc-channel.c

IRC channels
irc-color.c

IRC colors
irc-command.c

IRC commands
irc-completion.c

IRC completions
irc-config.c

IRC config options (file irc.conf)
irc-ctcp.c

IRC CTCP
irc-debug.c

IRC debug functions
irc-ignore.c

IRC Ignore
irc-info.c

IRC info/infolists/hdata
irc-input.c

Input of commands/text
irc-message.c

Functions to manipulate IRC messages
irc-mode.c

Functions about channel/nick modes
irc-msgbuffer.c

Target buffer for IRC messages
irc-nick.c

IRC nicks
irc-notify.c

IRC notify lists
irc-protocol.c

IRC protocol (RFCs 1459/2810/2811/2812/2813)
irc-raw.c

IRC raw buffer
irc-redirect.c

Redirection of IRC command output
irc-sasl.c

SASL authentication with IRC server
irc-server.c

I/O communication with IRC server
irc-upgrade.c

Save/restore of IRC data when upgrading WeeChat
logger/

Logger plugin
logger.c

Main logger functions
logger-buffer.c

Logger buffer list management
logger-config.c

Logger config options (file logger.conf)
logger-info.c

Logger info/infolists/hdata
logger-tail.c

Functions to get last lines of a file
lua/

Lua plugin
weechat-lua.c

Main lua functions (load/unload scripts, execute lua code)
weechat-lua-api.c

Lua scripting API functions
perl/

Perl plugin
weechat-perl.c

Main perl functions (load/unload scripts, execute perl code)
weechat-perl-api.c

Perl scripting API functions
python/

Python plugin
weechat-python.c

Main python functions (load/unload scripts, execute python code)
weechat-python-api.c

Python scripting API functions
relay/

Relay plugin (IRC proxy and relay for remote interfaces)
relay.c

Main relay functions
relay-buffer.c

Relay buffer
relay-client.c

Clients of relay
relay-command.c

Relay commands
relay-completion.c

Relay completions
relay-config.c

Relay config options (file relay.conf)
relay-info.c

Relay info/infolists/hdata
relay-network.c

Network functions for relay
relay-raw.c

Relay raw buffer
relay-server.c

Relay server
relay-upgrade.c

Save/restore of relay data when upgrading WeeChat
relay-websocket.c

WebSocket server functions (RFC 6455)
irc/

IRC proxy
relay-irc.c

Main IRC proxy functions
weechat/

Relay for remote interfaces
relay-weechat.c

Relay for remote interfaces (main functions)
relay-weechat-msg.c

Send binary messages to clients
relay-weechat-nicklist.c

Nicklist functions
relay-weechat-protocol.c

Read commands from clients
ruby/

Ruby plugin
weechat-ruby.c

Main ruby functions (load/unload scripts, execute ruby code)
weechat-ruby-api.c

Ruby scripting API functions
script/

Scripts manager
script.c

Main functions for scripts manager
script-action.c

Actions on scripts (load/unload, install/remove, …)
script-buffer.c

Buffer for scripts manager
script-command.c

Commands for scripts manager
script-completion.c

Completions for scripts manager
script-config.c

Config options for scripts manager (file script.conf)
script-info.c

Script manager info/infolists/hdata
script-repo.c

Download and read repository file
tcl/

Tcl plugin
weechat-tcl.c

Main tcl functions (load/unload scripts, execute tcl code)
weechat-tcl-api.c

Tcl scripting API functions
trigger/

Trigger plugin
trigger.c

Main trigger functions
trigger-buffer.c

Trigger buffer
trigger-callback.c

Trigger callbacks
trigger-command.c

Trigger commands
trigger-completion.c

Trigger completions
trigger-config.c

Trigger config options (file trigger.conf)
xfer/

Xfer plugin (IRC DCC file/chat)
xfer.c

Main xfer functions
xfer-buffer.c

Xfer buffer
xfer-chat.c

DCC chat
xfer-command.c

Xfer commands
xfer-completion.c

Xfer completions
xfer-config.c

Xfer config options (file xfer.conf)
xfer-dcc.c

DCC file transfer
xfer-file.c

File functions for xfer
xfer-info.c

Xfer info/infolists/hdata
xfer-network.c

Network functions for xfer
xfer-upgrade.c

Save/restore of xfer data when upgrading WeeChat

2.2.3. Tests

Path/file Description
tests/

Root of tests
tests.cpp

Program used to run tests
unit/

Root of unit tests
core/

Root of unit tests for core
test-eval.cpp

Tests: evaluation of expressions
test-hashtble.cpp

Tests: hashtables
test-hdata.cpp

Tests: hdata
test-infolist.cpp

Tests: infolists
test-list.cpp

Tests: lists
test-string.cpp

Tests: strings
test-url.cpp

Tests: URLs
test-utf8.cpp

Tests: UTF-8
test-util.cpp

Tests: util functions

2.3. Documentation / translations

Documentation files:

Path/file Description
doc/

Documentation
asciidoc.conf

Asciidoc configuration file (some macros)
asciidoc.css

Asciidoc style
docgen.py

Python script to build files in autogen/ directory (see below)
XX/

Documentation for language XX (languages: en, fr, de, it, …)
weechat.1.XX.asciidoc

Man page (man weechat)
weechat_quickstart.XX.asciidoc

Quickstart guide
weechat_user.XX.asciidoc

User’s guide
weechat_faq.XX.asciidoc

FAQ
weechat_plugin_api.XX.asciidoc

Plugin API reference
weechat_scripting.XX.asciidoc

Scripting guide
weechat_tester.XX.asciidoc

Tester’s guide
weechat_dev.XX.asciidoc

Developer’s guide (this document)
weechat_relay_protocol.XX.asciidoc

Relay protocol (for remote interfaces)
cmdline_options.XX.asciidoc

Command-line options (file included in man page and user’s guide)
autogen/

Files auto-built with script docgen.py
user/

Files auto-built for user’s guide (do NEVER update manually!)
plugin_api/

Files auto-built for plugin API (do NEVER update manually!)

Translations for WeeChat and plugins are done with gettext, files are in po/ directory:

Path/file Description
po/

Translation files (gettext)
XX.po

Translations for language XX (fr, de, it, …), base language is English
weechat.pot

Template for translations (auto-built)

3. Coding rules

3.1. General rules

  • In source code, your comments, variable names, .. must be written in English only (no other language is allowed).

  • Use a copyright header in each new source file with:

    • short description of file (one line),

    • date,

    • name,

    • e-mail,

    • license.

Example in C: