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mIRC facts for kids
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Screenshot of an unmodified mIRC 7.27 running on Windows 7
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| Original author(s) | Khaled Mardam-Bey |
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| Developer(s) | mIRC Co. Ltd. |
| Initial release | 28 February 1995 |
| Stable release | 7.32 (May 23, 2013 ) |
| Written in | C/C++ |
| Operating system | Windows XP and later |
| Platform | IA-32 |
| Type | IRC client |
| License | Proprietary/Trialware |
mIRC is a special computer program that lets people chat online using something called Internet Relay Chat (IRC). It works on Windows computers. mIRC also has its own built-in language for making cool additions and changes to the program.
This software first came out in 1995. Many people have said it's one of the most popular IRC chat programs for Windows. mIRC is a type of software called shareware. This means you can try it for free for 30 days, but after that, you need to pay to keep using it.
Contents
The Story of mIRC: How It Started
mIRC was created by a programmer named Khaled Mardam-Bey. He was born in Jordan and has a Syrian father and a Palestinian mother. Khaled started working on mIRC in late 1994. He released the very first version on February 28, 1995.
Khaled Mardam-Bey said he decided to make mIRC because other chat programs for Windows at the time didn't have some important features. He kept working on it because it was a fun challenge. Also, people really liked what he was doing! He mentioned that mIRC became so popular, it helped him make a living. He also joked that the "m" in mIRC could stand for "moo" or "MU," which means 'nothing' in some languages.
Older versions of mIRC supported older Windows systems. For example, mIRC 5.91 was the last version for very old 16-bit Windows computers. Version 6.35 was the last one that worked on Windows 95, NT 4.0, 98, and ME. Today, the current version of mIRC works on Windows XP and all newer Windows versions.
You might have even seen mIRC in a music video! It appeared in the 2006 song "Boten Anna" by the Swedish singer Basshunter.
Cool Features of mIRC
mIRC has several unique features that make it stand out.
Customizing mIRC with Scripting
One of the best things about mIRC is its special scripting language. This language gets better with every new version of the program. You can use this scripting language to make small changes, like creating your own custom commands. But you can also use it to completely change how mIRC looks and works!
mIRC also lets you share files easily with others. It uses a method called DCC for file sharing. It even has a built-in file server.
Since mIRC version 7.1, which came out on July 30, 2010, the program supports Unicode and IPv6. Unicode helps mIRC show many different languages and symbols correctly. IPv6 is a newer way for computers to connect on the internet.
mIRC has its own special editor for writing scripts. It also comes with very detailed help guides.
Because the scripting language can do so much on a user's computer (like renaming or deleting files), some people created harmful scripts. For example, in 2001, there was a problem with a command called `$decode`. This command could decode hidden messages. Some users were tricked into running commands that let others take control of their mIRC program. To fix this, mIRC version 6.17 made changes. Now, `$decode` is turned off by default. Also, other features that could be risky are now "lockable," meaning you can protect them.
See also
In Spanish: MIRC para niños