Instant Messaging 8 Update 1 Quick Reference Guide
The Instant Messaging Quick Reference Guide provides a quick reference to the user interface of the Instant Messaging client.
Instant Messenger User Interface Overview
System Requirements
Sun Java System Instant Messenger software requires:
JavaTM 2 Platform version 1.4.2 or later, which includes:
Java Runtime Environment version 1.4.2 or later
Java Plug-in: For Windows platform only. Use Java Web Start for Windows.
Java Web Start: Use Java Web Start on all platforms except on Windows (although Java Web Start is recommended on Windows).
J2SE (both JRE and SDK) runs on the following operating systems and CPUs:
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/system-configurations.html
or
Mac OS make Java and Java Web Start available by default, enabling you to effortlessly get started with the Instant Messenger program. However, if you encounter any problem refer to Troubleshooting Instant Messenger.
Installing Java
Both the Java Plug-in and Java Web Start are included with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.4.2 or later.
If you do not have version 1.4.2 or later, install the latest JRE version from http://java.sun.com/j2se/downloads.html.
After installing Java, launch the Instant Messenger user interface (See Launching Instant Messenger With Java Web Start). if you are unable to launch the user interface, refer to Troubleshooting Instant Messenger.
Launching Instant Messenger With Java Web Start
Launch the Sun Java System Instant Messenger user interface using Java Web Start, which is an application launcher for Java 2 applets. Once the Sun Java System Instant Messenger user interface is launched, your browser can be closed or used to locate other URLs without affecting the Sun Java System Instant Messenger session.
To Launch the User Interface
- Enter the URL provided by your system administrator in your browser or click the Start button. This will cause Java Web Start to download the Sun Java System Instant Messenger applet.
- A sign-on window displays. Enter your login name and password in the sign-on window and click OK.
- After the login name and password are authenticated, the main Sun Java
System Instant Messenger window is displayed.
Note - The first time you use Sun Java System Instant Messenger, you may have to grant the messenger execution rights on your system.
This procedure assumes that your browser was able to find Java Web Start on your system.
If Java Web Start Does Not Launch
The reasons why Java Web Start may not launch are: Java Web Start is not installed, or Java Web Start is not enabled for your browser.
If Java Web Start is not installed, download the latest version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software from http://java.sun.com/j2se/downloads.html.
JRE software, versions 1.4.2 and later, includes Java Web Start.
If Java Web Start is not enabled for your browser, refer to the Java Web Start installation manual for details on how to enable Java Web Start.
For versions 1.4.2, find the installation manual at the following URL:
Once Java Web Start is installed and enabled, try launching the user interface again. If you are still having trouble, see Troubleshooting Instant Messenger.
Troubleshooting Instant Messenger
If you had trouble launching the Instant Messenger user interface, its possible that your network environment uses proxies. Use the following information to fix this problem:
Difficulty in Loading Resources During a Launch - Proxy Settings. By default, Java Web Start attempts to connect to the Internet directly. If your network environment uses proxies, Java Web Start may need to be configured to use the HTTP proxy. This can be done from the Preferences panel of the Java Web Start Application Manager.
For UNIX and Linux platforms:
The Java Web Start Application Manager is invoked by calling:
$ jws-install-dir /javaws/javaws &
Where jws-install-dir is the installation directory you chose when installing Java Web Start.
For Windows and Mac platforms:
The Java Web Start Application Manager can be started from the Programs section of the Start Menu.
Windows Platform: Configuring the System to Start Messenger Automatically (Java Web Start only)
Java Web Start provides you with the ability to create shortcuts on your Windows desktop or in your Windows Start menu to download applications.
To create shortcuts of Instant Messenger:
Start the Java Web Start Application Manager. The Java Web Start program icon is displayed within the Programs option of the Start menu.
Once the application manager is started, view the downloaded applications. If you have successfully used Sun Java System Instant Messenger before, you should see an icon for it.
Select the Sun Java System Instant Messenger icon.
Open the shortcut creation dialog from the Application menu.
Create shortcuts.
The above procedure alone will not cause Sun Java System Instant Messenger to start automatically when you start your computer. To automatically start the Sun Java System Instant Messenger, copy one of the shortcuts created to the startup folder (or startup group). This can be done from the Start menu by:
Locating the Sun Java System Instant Messenger icon among the programs in your Start menu.
Dragging the Sun Java System Instant Messenger icon to the Startup folder (also in the programs pull-down) by holding the Ctrl key.
Common Tasks
This section describes the common tasks in Instant Messenger.
To Search for and Add Contacts to a Contact Group
When you run the Instant Messenger user interface for the first time, the Main window’s Contact List tab has a Add Contacts button. To get started, do the following:
- Search for and add contacts to this contact group.
In the Instant Messenger user interface, contacts are LDAP userIDs or groups that you use to send and receive instant messages with. You need to add contacts to your personalized contact groups so that you can monitor their online status. Other instant message environments refer to contacts as buddies and contact groups as buddy lists.
Use these steps to search for and add contacts to a contact group:
In the Main window, with the Contact List tab selected, you can add contacts to a group in the following ways:
Right-click on a contact group and select Add Contacts or Add Contacts by User ID from the pop-up menu.
Click the Add Contacts icon
.Select Add Contacts or Add Contacts by User ID from the File menu.
The Add New Contacts window appears.
- Add the contacts to your contact groups.
After entering the user name or ID, click OK. The result is displayed in the Contacts to Add or if your search finds more than one match, the Select Contact window is displayed.
If the Select Contact window is displayed, select the contacts that you want to add to a contact group and click OK. You can use multiple selection in this window.
The Add Contacts window is updated with the contacts and the Select Contact window is closed.
- To remove a contact from the list, select the contact and select Delete in the File menu.
- To add contacts to a different contact group, select a contact group and
click the Add Contacts icon.
The Instant Messenger program updates your contact group with the contacts.
To Organize Contacts within a Contact Group
- In the Main window, with the Contact List tab selected, you can create
contact groups for different categories of users you want to communicate with, and
add contacts to them.
You can create a new contact group in the following ways:
Right-click on a contact group and select New contact group from the pop-up menu.
Select New Contact Group from the File menu.
The Create contact group window appears.
- Type the contact group name and click OK.
The new contact group is displayed in the Contact List tab.
- To rename a contact group, right-click on the group and select Rename contact group from the pop-up menu. Or, select the group, and select Rename contact group in the File menu.
- To remove a contact group or a contact from a contact group, select the contact group or the contact from the group and select Delete from the File Menu. Or, right-click on the group or contact, and select Delete.
- To move a contact from one contact group to another contact group, select the contact and drag and drop it to the new contact group.
To Start a Chat Session
- With the Contact List tab highlighted, select the contacts with whom you want
to chat.
You can start a chat session with one or multiple contacts. Use the Shift or Control keys for multiple selections.
- You can initiate a Chat session with the selected contacts in the following
ways:
Click the Chat icon
.Right-click on a contact name and select Chat from the pop-up menu
Select Chat from the Tools menu
The Chat window appears.
Tip - You can double-click a contact (or contacts) to launch the Chat window.
- Type your message in the input area. When done, click Send.
The message is sent to the users displayed and appears in your upper display area. As users respond, their messages also appear here.
Tip - Use the toolbar to change text size or color, to emphasize with bold, italic, or underlining, or to add emoticons.
- To invite other online contacts to join the chat session, select Invite Others in the File menu of the Chat window.
To Subscribe to a Conference
Conference subscriptions enable the user to search and select among existing conferences and insert those as favorites, shown in the conference tab.
- Select the Conferences tab in the main Messenger window.
- Select the Add Conferences button (the conference icon)
or select Add Conferences from
the File menu.The Add Conference window appears.
- Type the ID of the conference to which you wish to subscribe in
the Id field. Click Find to search for the conference.
A list of matching conferences is displayed. Select desired conferences and click OK. The selected conferences are shown in the Conferences to Add pane.
Tip - Browse Button provides an unfiltered list of all available conferences (to the maximum results limit).
To Join a Conference Room
You can talk to multiple online contacts at the same time by joining a conference room from the list of predetermined conference rooms displayed. You can also invite other contacts to participate in the chat. Conferences unlike Chats, do not disappear after all the participants have left the conference. Conferences remain in the system so that users can join and leave them at their convenience. Also, the participants can be assigned various access levels in a conference. For example, Manage, Read, Write or None.
- Select the Conference Tab in the Main window to view a list of conferences.
- Enter the conference by selecting Enter Conference from the Tools menu or by
double clicking on the conference.
The conference window is displayed with the name of the conference in the title bar.
- Once the conference window is open, you and the other participants simply type your messages and click the Send button. Each entry is displayed in the upper message pane.
- To invite other contacts to participate in a chat, select Invite Others from the File menu of the Conference window.
To Create and Manage a Conference Room
- In the Main Window, with the Conference tab selected, select Manage Conferences from
the Tools Menu.
The Manage Conferences window is displayed. Click the New Conference button. The Create a New Conference window is displayed.
- Type a name for the room in the Conference name text box.
- Use the Default Access drop-down list to select the room access that will be granted to all users. The available access options are: Write, Read and None.
- To moderate a conference
Select a Conference in the Conference tab.
The Conference window displays.
Select Moderate in the File menu of the Conference window.
As a moderator of a conference you can filter the messages viewed by others in the conference using the Accept or Reject buttons.
Note - You need Manage privileges to be able to moderate a conference.
- To save the messages, select the Save option from the File menu of the Conference window.
To Send an Alert
Use alerts, rather than chat, to send notifications. The alerts are displayed as pop-up messages on the recipients desktop.
Note - You need Alert privileges to be able to send alerts. Contact your administrator for more information.
- With the Contact List tab highlighted, select the contacts to whom you want
to send the alert.
You can send an alert to one or multiple contacts. Use the Shift or Control keys for multiple selection.
- You can send an Alert message to the selected contacts in the following
ways:
Click the Alert icon
.Right-click on the selected contacts and select Alert from the pop-up menu.
Select Alert from the Tools menu.
The Send Alert window appears. Recipients of the alert appear in a scrollable list box. If you do not need to add or delete recipients, skip to Step 4.
- To add or remove recipients, click the To button to display the Add
Recipients window.
The Add Recipients window enables you to build a recipient list from your personal contact list, or to search the LDAP directory for additional recipients. When you are done with adding or removing recipients, click OK.
- In the Send alert message window, type the subject of the alert message in the Subject text box. Type the text of the message. Use the text formatting tool bar options to format and edit your message.
- Select the Show Delivery Status check box, if you want a pop-up Status window to be displayed on your desktop showing the alert status of each recipient.
- Click Send to send the alert.
The alert appears on the recipients’ desktops, and in the Alerts tab in their News Channels window if the recipients have subscribed to that channel. If you selected the Show Delivery Status check box, a Status pop-up appears on your desktop.
Tip - You can chat with the sender of an alert. In the Alert received window, select Chat with sender from the Tools menu.
To Conduct a Poll
The polling option enables you to poll contacts for their response to a question. You send a question and possible answers to selected contacts and they respond with their answer.
- With the Contact List tab selected, click the contacts you want to poll.
You can send a poll to one or multiple contacts. Use the Shift or Control keys for multiple selection.
- In the Main window, select Poll from the Tools menu.
The Poll Users window appears. Recipients of the poll (if any) appear in a scrollable list box. If you do not need to add or remove recipients, skip to Step 4.
- To add or remove recipients, click the To: button. The Add Recipients window
appears.
The Add Recipients window enables you to build a recipient list from your personal contact list, or to search the LDAP directory for additional recipients. Click OK after adding or removing recipients.
- In the Poll Users window, type your question in the Poll Users with this Question text box.
- Click the Add Answer button to display the Input dialog box. If required
click Add Answer button again to type another possible answer to the list
of available answers and click OK.
The answer is displayed in the list of Available answers.
- If you want to remove an answer from the list, select the answer and click Remove Answer button.
- If you want users to be able to specify their own answer to the question, select the Allow recipients to customize answers check box.
- When you have filled in the question and answers, click OK to send
the poll to the selected recipients.
When a user responds to the poll, the response is displayed in a Status pane on your desktop, with the question in the title bar. Each respondent’s name is listed, along with the selected response. A summary of responses for each poll can be viewed in the Status pane.
Note - Keep the Poll Status pane open until all users have responded. Once you close the pane, you cannot redisplay it.
To Subscribe to a News Channel
News channels are available for viewing on a subscription basis. There are two ways in which you can be subscribed to a news channel:
Your administrator has assigned you to news channels.
You can subscribe (and unsubscribe) yourself from selected news channels if you have been granted at least Read access by the channel’s creator.
- Select News from the Tools menu of the Main window.
The News Channels window displays.
- Select Subscribe News Channel from the Tools menu of the News Channels window.
The Subscribe News Channel window appears with a list of news channels to which you have access along with a list of subscribed news channels.
Note - News channels are named name@domain, with the exception of the Alerts channel, which is named as topic-Alerts@local.
- Select the required news channel in the News Channels list and click Add.
The news channel is added to the Subscribed list.
- Click Close.
- To unsubscribe from a news channel, select the news channel in the Subscribed
list and click Remove.
The news channel is removed from the Subscribed list.
- Click Close.
Once you are subscribed, a tab for each news channel appears in your News Channels window.
To View News Channel Messages
- In the Main window, select News from the Tools menu.
The News Channels window appears.
- Select the tab for the desired news channel.
The first message for that channel appears in the message pane.
- Click the View Next Message and View Previous Message buttons to see the
other messages posted to this channel.
The News Channels window can also be configured to scroll through all messages and News channels.
Appendix
This section lists the commonly used abbreviations for chat messages, emoticons and shortcuts, and submenu options.
Commonly Used Abbreviations
Table 1 lists the commonly used abbreviations for Chat.
This table consists of two columns; the first column displays the abbreviation, and the second lists the full form of the abbreviation.
Table 1 Commonly Used Abbreviations for Chat
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|---|---|
ASAP |
As Soon As Possible |
BFN |
Bye For Now |
BRB |
Be Right Back |
BTW |
By The Way |
FYI |
For Your Information |
IAC |
In Any Case |
IMO |
In My Opinion |
IOW |
In Other Words |
JK |
Just Kidding |
K |
O.K. |
LOL |
Laughing Out Loud |
NP |
No Problem |
NRN |
No Reply Necessary |
OIC |
Oh, I see |
See PVT |
See Private Chat |
TX |
Thanks |
TIA |
Thanks In Advance |
Shortcut Keys for Emoticons
Table 1-2 lists the available emoticons and their shortcut characters. The table consists of three columns; the first the displays the emoticons; the second mentions the emotion signified by the emoticon; the third describes the appropriate keyboard shortcuts.
Table 2 List of Available Emoticons and Keyboard Shortcuts
Emoticon |
Name |
Shortcut Character |
|---|---|---|
|
Alarm Clock |
((O)) |
|
Angel |
0:) |
|
Angry |
X-( |
|
Balloons |
88= |
|
Birthday Cake |
~[ |
|
Calendar |
[#] |
|
Can of Worms |
&] |
|
Clown |
:O) |
|
Cool |
B: |
|
Dead |
D: |
|
Devil |
): |
|
Don’t Tell |
:-$ |
|
Drink |
)-| |
|
Embarrassed |
:$ |
|
Exclamation Point (glow required) |
:E |
|
Flowers |
@= |
|
Ghost |
G: |
|
Gift |
@[ |
|
Gold Star |
(*) |
|
Grin |
:-D |
|
Happy |
:-) |
|
Kiss |
:* |
|
Knife |
-->> |
|
Laugh |
:)) |
|
Life Preserver |
o= |
|
Lightning |
\\\ |
|
Lovestruck |
:-x |
|
Money |
$$ |
|
Mug of Beer |
@] |
|
Music |
~~ |
|
Nerd |
8-| |
|
Not Talking |
[-( |
|
Phone |
(~)a |
|
Rat Hole |
<O~ |
|
Sad |
:-( |
|
Sick |
+O( |
|
Sleep |
|:) |
|
Straightfaced |
:| |
|
Sun Shining |
=O= |
|
Surprised |
:O |
|
Tongue Out |
:p |
|
Violin |
~\~ |
|
Whatever |
W: |
|
Wink |
;-) |
Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Access Menus
The following tables list the quick access main menu and the submenu options and their keyboard shortcuts, for the Contact Tab selected.
These tables consist of three columns; the first column lists the menu name; the second lists the quick access pop-up option; and the third lists the appropriate keyboard shortcuts.
Table 3 Quick Access Main Window Menu Options and Their Keyboard Shortcuts
Menu Option Name |
Quick Access Pop-up Sub Options Available |
Keyboard Shortcuts |
|---|---|---|
File |
|
|
Tools |
|
|
Help |
|
|
Table 4 Quick Access Chat/Conference Window Sub-menu Options and Their Keyboard Shortcuts
Menu Option Name |
Quick Access Pop-up Sub Options Available |
Keyboard Shortcuts |
|---|---|---|
File |
|
|
Edit |
|
|
Tools |
|
|
Help |
|
|
Table 5 Quick Access News Window Sub-menu Options and Their Keyboard Shortcuts
Menu Option Name |
Quick Access Pop-up Sub Options Available |
Keyboard Shortcuts |
|---|---|---|
File |
|
|
Help |
|
|