A chat window is a feature of chat programs that displays sent and received messages. It consists of a display section and an input section, and can include media and other features. Chat windows are used in instant messaging programs, online games, and social networking sites.
A chat window is a window used by a chat program to allow a user to see messages they have received, as well as messages they have sent. This window is typically divided into two basic areas: the view section which shows the messages that have been sent by each user, and the input section which allows a user to see the message she is creating. A chat window can be part of a chat program, such as instant messaging programs, or it can exist within a larger structure, such as an online computer game or social networking site.
There are several ways a chat window can be created and displayed, and the complexity of those windows has evolved over multiple generations of chat programs. The basic design for a chat window typically consists of two elements: the display section and the input section. While these two sections can be displayed in any type of layout, the most common default layout is to have the display section be large and above the smaller input section.
The display section of a chat window usually displays those messages that have already been sent by the users of the chat program. This may include user-submitted text messages, images uploaded or sent through the program, links included in messages, and any other type of media supported by a program. These messages are typically not displayed in real time as they are created, only once they have been generated and sent by a user.
Besides the display section, the input section is usually an important part of a chat window. This section displays a message created by a user, in real time. If a chat program allows users to post pictures or audio files, that will also usually appear in this section. Other sections may also be part of chat windows, including visual avatar displays for users, symbol links that can be sent via the chat program, and advertisements.
While a chat window is often a key part of any instant messaging program, there are other applications for chat options as well. Online video games, especially massively multiplayer online (MMO) games often include chat windows for communication between players. These windows are often customizable and can be modified to only receive messages from certain players or include multiple tabs to provide different information in discrete levels of a single window. Social networking websites also often include instant messaging programs for logged in users, typically using chat windows linked to the web browser used to access those sites.
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