construct/doc/features/monitor.txt

MONITOR - Protocol for notification of when clients become online/offline
             Lee Hardy <lee -at- leeh.co.uk>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently, ISON requests by clients use a large amount of bandwidth.  It is
expected that it is more efficient for this to be done by the server at the 
expense of cpu cycles.  The WATCH implementation that was designed to counter 
this is (in my opinion) severely flawed.  This protocol was designed to 
provide a cleaner implementation.

The command used throughout this specification is "MONITOR".

Each use of the MONITOR command takes a special modifier, indicating
the operation being performed.  The client MUST NOT attempt to specify
more than one modifier.  Only one special modifier may be used per MONITOR
command.

Thus it is impossible to combine additions to the list with removals from
the list -- these MUST be done with two seperate commands.

A client MUST NOT issue the MONITOR command more than once per second.
Any attempts to do so will generate an error.

In commands and numerics where multiple nicknames may occur, the length of
the nickname list is limited only by the buffer size of 512 chars, as
defined in RFC1459.

Support of this specification is indicated by the MONITOR token in
RPL_ISUPPORT (005).  This token takes an optional parameter, of the maximum
amount of nicknames a client may have in their monitor list.  If no
parameter is specified, there is no limit.  A typical token would be:
MONITOR=100

MONITOR + nick[,nick2]*
-----------------------
Adds the given list of nicknames to the list of nicknames being monitored.

If any of the nicknames being added are online, the server will generate
RPL_MONONLINE numerics listing those nicknames that are online.

If any of the nicknames being added are offline, the server will generate
RPL_MONOFFLINE numerics listing those nicknames that are offline.

MONITOR - nick[,nick2]*
-----------------------
Removes the given list of nicknames from the list of nicknames being
monitored.  No output will be returned for use of this command.

MONITOR C
---------
Clears the list of nicknames being monitored.  No output will be returned
for use of this command.

MONITOR L
---------
Outputs the current list of nicknames being monitored.  All output will use
RPL_MONLIST, and the output will be terminated with RPL_ENDOFMONLIST

MONITOR S
---------
Outputs for each nickname in the list being monitored, whether the client is
online or offline.  All nicks that are online will be sent using 
RPL_MONONLINE, all nicks that are offline will be sent using RPL_MONOFFLINE.


Numeric replies
---------------

730 - RPL_MONONLINE
-------------------
:<server> 730 <nick> :nick!user@host[,nick!user@host]*

This numeric is used to indicate to a client that either a nickname has just
become online, or that a nickname they have added to their monitor list is
online.

The server may send "*" instead of the target nick (<nick>). (This makes it
possible to send the exact same message to all clients monitoring a certain
nick.)

731 - RPL_MONOFFLINE
--------------------
:<server> 731 <nick> :nick[,nick1]*

This numeric is used to indicate to a client that either a nickname has just
left the irc network, or that a nickname they have added to their monitor
list is offline.

The argument is a chained list of nicknames that are offline.

As with 730 the server may send "*" instead of the target nick.

732 - RPL_MONLIST
-----------------
:<server> 732 <nick> :nick[,nick1]*

This numeric is used to indicate to a client the list of nicknames they have
in their monitor list.

733 - RPL_ENDOFMONLIST
------------------------
:<server> 733 <nick> :End of MONITOR list

This numeric is used to indicate to a client the end of a monitor list.

734 - ERR_MONLISTFULL
---------------------
:<server> 734 <nick> <limit> <nicks> :Monitor list is full.

This numeric is used to indicate to a client that their monitor list is
full, so the command failed.  The <limit> parameter is the maximum number of 
nicknames a client may have in their list, the <nicks> parameter is the list
of nicknames, as the client sent them, that cannot be added.