ChatZilla facts for kids
ChatZilla with Midnight theme and black motif
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| Developer(s) | James Ross, Robert Ginda, Samuel Sieb, Gijs Kruitbosch |
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| Last release | 0.9.90.1 (July 7, 2013) |
| Written in | JavaScript, XUL |
| Platform | Mozilla Firefox |
| Available in | 9 languages |
| Type | IRC client |
| License | MPL-2.0 |
ChatZilla is a special computer program that lets you chat with people online using something called IRC. Think of it like an old-school chat room! It's part of a bigger internet suite called SeaMonkey. For a while, it was also an extra tool you could add to web browsers like Firefox. ChatZilla was first released in 2000. It's a cross-platform program, meaning it works on different types of computers. It's also open source, which means its code is free for anyone to see and use. People liked it because it looked the same on different computers. You could also change its look using CSS and add scripts to it.
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How ChatZilla Started
On April 20, 1999, a company called Mozilla announced a new chat project. Mozilla was part of AOL's Netscape Communications at the time. Their goal was to support many chat types, including IRC. Other companies were also making chat systems.
AOL said they knew people were very interested in instant messaging. But the next day, the announcement was taken back. This was "pending further review by Netscape."
However, a programmer named Robert Ginda kept working on an IRC program. He sent it to the Mozilla project. By September 1999, Mozilla planned to include it with their new browser. This program was named "ChatZilla." It became available in May 2000 for Netscape 6.01 and Mozilla 0.8.
Cool Features of ChatZilla
ChatZilla works on any computer that can run SeaMonkey. This includes computers with OS X, Linux, and Microsoft Windows. It looks and feels the same no matter which computer you use. You can also run it as a separate app using XULRunner.
It has many features that most IRC chat programs have:
- You can connect to many chat servers at once.
- It has a list of popular chat networks built-in.
- You can search for and sort different chat channels.
- It can save your chat conversations.
- You can chat directly with other users and send files using DCC.
- You can change how the program looks to fit your style.
ChatZilla also helps you type faster. If you press the `Tab` key, it will automatically complete usernames for you. If a username is the first word you type, it adds a comma after it. You can also use the `Tab` key to complete commands. If you press `Tab` twice quickly, it shows you a list of commands you can use.
The area where you type messages can be set in two ways:
- Single line: When you press the Enter key, your message is sent right away.
- Multiline: This lets you type longer messages with line breaks. You press `Ctrl-Enter` to send your message.
You can use JavaScript to run special scripts in ChatZilla. The way messages look is controlled by CSS. You can change these styles from the View menu. You can also drag a link to a `.css` file into the chat window. Or you can use the `/motif` command.
When someone sends a message, their name appears on the left. If you click on their name, a private chat window opens just for you and that person.
ChatZilla comes with SeaMonkey. It used to be available as an extension for other Mozilla browsers like Firefox. You could even run it in a tab inside Firefox.
Extra Tools (Plugins)
ChatZilla has many plugins. These are like small programs that add more features and make the chat experience better.
Some examples of these plugins are:
- TinyURL: This tool makes very long website links shorter.
- googleapi: This plugin searches Google and shows you the top result right in the chat.
- cZiRATE: This lets you share what song you are listening to on iRATE Radio.
Newer WebExtension Version
When Firefox Quantum (version 57) came out, it stopped supporting older types of add-ons. This meant ChatZilla could no longer work inside Firefox. Because of this, work has started to change ChatZilla into a new type of add-on called a WebExtension.
Other Versions (Forks)
Sometimes, programmers take an open-source program and make their own version of it. This is called a "fork."
Ambassador
Ambassador is a fork of ChatZilla. It works with other web browsers like Pale Moon, Basilisk, and Interlink Mail & News.
See also
In Spanish: ChatZilla para niños
- Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients
- List of free and recommended Mozilla WebExtensions
- List of Internet Relay Chat commands
