Client-To-Client Protocol

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The Client-To-Client Protocol ( CTCP ) is a special form of communication between IRC clients .

CTCP extends normal IRC text messages with special commands that can be used to send certain messages and request information from the recipient. Among other things, the local time (TIME), the version information of the IRC client used (VERSION) and the real user name (FINGER). The common IRC clients understand these requests and answer them according to the user settings. Often at least the version query is answered by default.

CTCP is also used by the CTCP-ACTION command for the implementation of the pseudo command / me , by means of which a message is interpreted by the recipient as an "action" and represented accordingly (e.g. " Angela has left the computer").

Furthermore, a direct DCC connection between two IRC clients is established with CTCP-DCC .

The CTCP specification has not yet been laid down in any official RFC for the IRC protocol and is therefore only a de facto standard.

CTCP requests

CTCP requests can usually be sent in common IRC clients by entering the following command: 

/CTCP <nickname> BEFEHL

COMMAND stands for the actual command to be executed via CTCP.

A selection of frequently used CTCP commands (for a user with anonymous nickname):

  • PING returns the latency of the IRC connection between your own computer and that of the recipient.
    Example:
Command: / CTCP anonymous PING
Answer: 2secs
  • VERSION returns the version information of the client used.
    Example:
Command: / CTCP anonymous VERSION
Answer: mIRC v6.16 Khaled Mardam-Bey
  • TIME returns the system time, usually local time, of the recipient.
    Example:
Command: / CTCP Anonymus TIME
Answer: Sat Oct 02 3:05:54 AM 2004
  • FINGER returns the idle time, the name and the registered e-mail address of the chatter.
    Example:
Command: / CTCP Anonymous FINGER
Answer: anonymous (anonymous@example.net) Idle 82 seconds (-)

See also

Web links