Stories for the simple Chat Room

These are not ordered or prioritized. 


1. System should permit up to four chatters (clients). 

2. Each client connected is designated by a number (0, 1, 2, 3).  Each line typed by a client is 
tagged with this number to the others. 

3. Any client can type a line of chat at any time. These are broadcast to all other connected clients.
  They show in the client chat window in the order received. This includes the text typed by that 
  client also. 

4. A separate area of the window is used for input and for the running chat. 

5. There is a send button, but the return/enter key should also send the current line of chat if any. 
 Empty lines should not be sent, however. 

6. User can exit a chat by typing some token such as BYE as a chat line.  The client then 
disconnects. There is no provision for reconnecting, other than restarting the client. 

7. If the system is not available at startup, the client should be informed. 

8. There should be only one window for the chatroom client and it must be resizable and the chat 
area must scroll. 

9. There is no login. Clients are attached on a first come/ first served basis. 

10. The chat area of the window need not be editable or even selectable. 

11. Some instructions should be given in the chat area at startup. 

12. At connect, the client should be told how many others are connected. 

13. When the server starts it should be able to specify the port number and number of
permitted clients on the command line.  Default is four clients and port 4440. 

14. When the client starts up it should be possible to specify the host (server URL) and the
port number. 



NOTE.  No technology is specified here. In particular it doesn't specify any communication protocol 
or whether the client is an applet or application (or indeed just telnet.)