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Instant Messaging
=================

You can find the instant messaging feature on the **Chat** tab. Libervia's chat
functionality supports a wide range of use cases, from professional collaboration to
personal communication.

Accessing the Chat Feature
--------------------------

1. Navigate to the main menu.
2. Select the **Chat** option.

Panels
------

There are three main panels for managing chats (not all may be visible simultaneously):

- **Left panel**: Displays current group chats and direct conversations. You can also
  start a new chat from this panel.
- **Main panel**: Shows the active conversation.
- **Right panel**: Provides information about the current discussion, such as participants
  in a chat room.


Main Panel Header
-----------------

The main panel header displays information about the current conversation.

On the left side of the header, you'll find a button to toggle the visibility of the left
panel. Next to this button is the identifier (JID) of the conversation recipient. This
recipient can be a single user or a group chat room.

When available, a "Data Policy" badge may appear next to the JID. This badge indicates the
privacy and data practices of the service associated with the recipient. The badge is
scored on a scale of ten and uses the following color scheme:

- **Green:** Indicates good data practices and respect for privacy.
- **Yellow:** Indicates a moderate score – data practices are neither good nor bad.
- **Red:** Indicates poor data practices and potential privacy concerns.

Hovering or touching the Data Policy badge will open a report panel with more detailed
information about the service's data handling.


Threads and Replies
-------------------

In a message, you'll see a "Reply" button represented by a left-pointing arrow. Click
it to reply to a specific message. This action creates a thread, which functions as a
focused discussion within the main conversation or a series of replies on the same topic.

When a thread exists, a chat bubble icon with three dots will appear in the message
header, next to the timestamp. Hovering over this icon highlights all messages in the
thread. Clicking it opens a submessage panel containing all messages from that thread.
Messages written in this panel will be posted as replies to the thread.

Forwarding Messages
-------------------
To forward a message, use the context menu (3-dots icon) associated with any message

1. Tap or click the **3-dots icon** next to the message you want to forward.
2. Select **Forward** from the menu.
3. A prompt will appear where you can enter the recipient's identifier (JID).
4. Confirm the action to send the message to the specified entity.

This feature allows you to share messages with users outside the current conversation.

Keywords
--------

Chat messages can have "keywords", which may help to categorize them. They can, for
instance, be added by an email gateway or a bot.

When present, these keywords will appear under the message. Clicking on one of these
keywords will show a submessage panel on the right side, where you'll see only messages
with this keyword. If you write a message in this panel, the keyword will be automatically
added to the message.

Origin
------

If a message originates from a gateway to another protocol (e.g., email, SMS,
ActivityPub), a label will indicate its origin. Clicking this label displays a submessage
panel showing only messages from this source. If a message was generated by a bot (i.e.,
an automated program), a corresponding label will appear.

Rich Editing Mode
-----------------
Libervia supports rich text formatting for messages, enabling you to apply text styles:

1. Locate the **extra menu** (vertical 3-dots icon) next to the message input bar.
2. Select **Switch to Rich Editing** from the menu.
3. Use the formatting tools to apply styles like bold, italic, underline, etc.

.. note::

   While rich formatting enhances message presentation, not all XMPP clients support
   styled messages. Recipients using incompatible clients will receive a plain text
   version of your message. The core content remains intact regardless of formatting
   compatibility.

Adding Extra Recipients
-----------------------
You can specify additional recipients for a message using the "extra recipients" feature:

1. Open the **extra menu** (vertical 3-dots icon) next to the message input bar.
2. Select **Add Recipients** to display a dynamic field.
3. Enter a recipient's JID and choose their delivery type from the dropdown:

   - **To**: Primary recipient (visible to all recipients)
   - **Cc**: Carbon Copy, secondary recipient (visible to all recipients)
   - **Bcc**: Blind Carbon Copy (hidden from other recipients)

 Pressing **Enter** after adding a recipient automatically creates a new field with the
 same delivery type, allowing you to quickly add multiple recipients of the same category.