scorpiosage

Hello,
I wasn't sure where exactly to place this, as I am not even sure wich language I should use as a starting point.

there are many points that I should hit first so that the project is clear and understood, so that hopefully someone can, at the very least, tell me what the best language is to work with. I am familiar enough with Java, c++, html, php, asp, Visual basic, javascript, vbscrips, and Flash mx, that if one of these is the starting point or some language that is a variation of these would be best, however, I would not mind learning a new one if someone feels that this project requires it.

First and foremost this is a chat program.
I do online consulting, via email and for another site that has a chat similar to what I am trying to create here.

this chat must be webbased, with a timer that, based on the amount of time that I spend with a client they are charged an amount from their credit card or paypal account...

My thought is that on close the chat sends a message to the billing script to bill the card or payment method that is on file. It must all be somehow automated, and as I am familiar with ecommerce, this project seems beyond any of the information on creating chats that I have found.

The website itself should tell a potential customer wether I am online or not, but also must check to see if I am already in a session, as I can only consult one person at a time.

so now the main question that comes into play here is, "well, if you have to show as busy or online or whatever, how are you notified that someone wants to speak to you"....

I am thinking that this all will work similar to the "human click" software found at www.bravenet.com. where you actually have to log in to show that you are available, but that you do not have to actually be on the website (in your web browser) for it all to work. so I would start the program wich would hide itself (in my systray maybe?) and then when the user hits the button to contact me, I would get a prompt at my computer (soundfile as well as a "client trying to contact you") with the option to accept or decline that session.

now, let's say that I want to allow another person to do the same type of work that I do, via this same method, I will need for the chat program itself to allow anyone with a screenname and password to log in, as well as be able to connect their customer's billing to their chatsession to pay them rather then me.

It's complicated. but I think I have given enough information that someone can point me in the right direction?

Many thanks in advance
Mike

__________________
Here's my latest project still in the works, and I need to get rid of this "frame" situation for real. www.prideofaustin.com

Pimp Daddy

XHTML, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and PHP are my recommendations. The first two are important to make sure your website is standards-compliant and PHP with allow you to create quality web services.

__________________
David Morris BSc.(Hons), MBCS
Qualified Computer Engineer
Administrator (SEED Software)

scorpiosage

thanks Pimp daddy.
Actually, like I said this is a complicated thing that I am trying to do here. Yes, the PHP, XHTMl, and CSS are important, and are important to this project. Where the problem comes in, while these are powerful web developement tools, niether of them have the power to allow me to be off of the site while all of this is going on.

Let's just call myself "user" and the person on my site "client". While PHP, XML and CSS are important as far as the "Client" standpoint, I think the important thing here is that, I need to build a Chat software for the "user" that actually interfaces with the website, or at the very least, it is the action of the client pushing the "contact user" button on the website, that causes the program to activate itself on the "user's" computer. All this really has to happen, in a program rather then making it so that the "user" has to have a browser open.

Basically the "user" program would have to interact with databases as far as the chat itself, as the user will have to have the oppertunity to go back and reread the session. but that isn't the main point. It is the "user" program that is causing the most headache here, as creating the webbased chat applet for the "client" end actually wouldn't be as difficult. the problem is getting a standalone chat that hides itself on the "user" computer but interacts with the webbased chat applet that the "client" will see.
thanks
Mike

__________________
Here's my latest project still in the works, and I need to get rid of this "frame" situation for real. www.prideofaustin.com