Hey everyone, I''m interested in learning about how AOL Instant Messenger works and maybe trying to write a little code to communicate with the AIM program. Is there an SDK available? Where can I find out about how AIM works and what protocols etc it uses. Thanks.

AIM uses two main protocols: OSCAR and TOC.

OSCAR is the protocol used by the AOL-distributed AIM client. The protocol is proprietary and subject to change, but has been reverse-engineered. google for gaim and libfaim for more details.

TOC is a simpler protocol, with a fully open specification. It''s used by many third-party AIM clients. However, it doesn''t have as much functionality as OSCAR; in particular, direct connections, file transfer, and password modification are not available. You can get the specification directly from AOL.

Don''t listen to me. I''ve had too much coffee.