Windows Live Messenger - Desktop contact list

So I've been learning a bit of VB.NET, and I decided to learn a bit more about it by making an application I'd actually use on a daily basis.

Basically, the application should grab all the online users on your WLM contacts list and add them into a list on the form, sorta like a replacement UI for WLM. (I hate looking at the pre-skinned crap).

Anyway, the source is very messy and crap, and I plan to fix that up soon. But I wanted to get some user input (as one person can not think of everything) as to what could be added to make it a better application.

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If you are feeling kind hearted / bored, perhaps one or two readers could also leave a comment or two on my website. No reggo is needed, and it contributes to the community so it shouldn't count as advertising.

 

Hey Jazz, i ran the project and it looks good One suggestion is maybe to add a scroll bar or something to it, as when i ran it, it showed some of my contacts not all of them though.

 

Is the cloud background showing up because you used transparency in the form, or you set that as the background for the list?

And seeing as this is a replacement, are you able to use this to message people? I don't see how a program on its own could sign into MSN while your MSN is already signed into (I thought there was a session limit of 1 per account)

 

This is very nice actually.

I had the same problem with scrolling unfortunately, But that won't be hard to fix up in vb.

 

The form is transparent. It would be nice if you could click on the names easier... Its kinda hard...

 

The clouds are my desktop wallpaper, the entire form is transparent.

First of all, there is only a session limit (as you say) with an 'unpatched' IM client. I use A-Patch which allows me to use as many clients at the same time.

Secondly, this is only a 'replacement UI' not an entire client on its own. Double clicking on someones username will bring up the chat window with that person, and right clicking will allow you to rename them (program side only)

I don't plan to add scrolling support, but I will make it so the form/list shrink and grow with the ammount of contacts.

The status icon can be clicked too, and I'm playing around with the username clicking too.

 

Yes, but one account can still only be logged on one client at any given time and I believe that's what cp was talking about...

 

it looks very nice, maybe you could transform it somehow into a dock? to where you scroll over it enlarges?

 

My mistake. It is also possible to sign in at many different locations (or just different clients)

This option is under the "Sign In" tab. (WLM 2009 BETA 3)

And I wasn't looking to make it into a dock, but the idea sounds good. I'll add it in.

 

O yea, my msn kept getting logged in two times, since i forgot to stop it from logging in on my dads comp when i went on vacation... :/

What do the different color squares mean?

 

Code:

Green   : Online
Orange  : Away
Red     : Busy