Last updated on 05/24/2016
Server to handle online TAK games
The input/output of server is all text.
The client to server commands and their format is as below (format of all squares is [Capital letter][digit]. e.g., A2, B5, C4, (row numbers start from 1)
Since the server and client are still in beta, the API is bound to change to support more features (though I would try to keep the changes to a minimum)
| Commands to server | Description |
|---|---|
| Client client name | Informs the server of the client being connected from |
| Register username email | Register with the given username and email |
| Login username password | Login with the username and password |
| Login Guest | Login as a guest |
| Seek no time incr W|B | Seeks a game of board size no with time per player time specified in seconds, increment per move incr specified in seconds and an optional choice of color W for white, B for black |
| Accept no | Accepts the seek with the number no |
| Game#no P Sq C|W | Sends a 'Place' move to the specified game no. The optional suffix 'C' or 'W' denote if it is a capstone or a wall (standing stone) |
| Game#no M Sq1 Sq2 no1 no2... | Sends a 'Move' move to the specified game no. Sq1 is beginning square, Sq2 is ending square, no1, no2, no3.. are the no. of pieces dropped in the in-between squares (including the last square) |
| Game#no OfferDraw | Offers the opponent draw or accepts the opponent's draw offer |
| Game#no RemoveDraw | Removes your draw offer |
| Game#no Resign | Resign the game |
| Game#no Show | Prints a somewhat human readable game position of the game number no |
| Game#no RequestUndo | Requests the other player to undo the last move or accept the other player's undo request |
| Game#no RemoveUndo | Removes your undo request |
| List | Send list of seeks |
| GameList | Send list of games in progress |
| Observe no | Observe the specified game. Server sends the game moves and clock info |
| Unobserve no | Unobserve the specified game |
| Game#no Show Sq | Prints the position in the specified square (this is used mainly to convert server notation to PTN notation) |
| Shout text | Send message text to all logged in players |
| JoinRoom room | Join the room room |
| ShoutRoom room text | Send test to players in room room |
| LeaveRoom room | Leave the room room |
| Tell player text | Send private message text to player |
| PING | Pings to inform server that the client is alive. Recommended ping spacing is 30 seconds. Server may disconnect clients if pings are not received |
| quit | Sent by client to indicate it is going to quit. Server removes all seeks, abandons (which loses) game if any |
The Client, Login and Register are the only three commands which work while not logged in.
The server to client messages and their format is as below. The list does not include error messages, you're free to poke around and figure out the error messages on your own or look at the code.
| Messages from server | Description |
|---|---|
| Welcome! | Just a welcome message when connected to server |
| Login or Register | Login with username/password or login as guest or register after this message |
| Welcome name! | A welcome message indicating that you've logged in as name |
| GameList Add Game#no player_white vs player_black, sizexsize, original_time, incr, moves half-moves played, player_name to move | Notifies client that a game has started (which the client can observe if it wants) |
| GameList Remove Game#no player_white vs player_black, sizexsize, original_time, incr, moves half-moves played, player_name to move | Notifies client that the game has ended |
| Game Start no size player_white vs player_black your color | Notifies client to start a game. The game no. being no, players' names being white_player, black_player and your_color being your color which could be either "white" or "black" |
| Game#no P Sq C|W | The 'Place' move played by the other player in game number no. The format is same as the command from client to server |
| Game#no M Sq1 Sq2 no1 no2... | The 'Move' move played by the other player in game number no. The format is same as the command from client to server |
| Game#no Time whitetime blacktime | Update the clock with the time specified for white and black players |
| Game#no Over result | Game number no is over. result is one of R-0, 0-R, F-0, 0-F, 1/2-1/2 |
| Game#no OfferDraw | Indicates the opponent has offered a draw |
| Game#no RemoveDraw | Indicates your opponent has taken back his offer to draw |
| Game#no RequestUndo | Request from opponent to undo the last move |
| Game#no RemoveUndo | Opponent removes his undo request |
| Game#no Undo | Undo the last move. Client is supposed to keep track of previous board states and undo to the last state. |
| Game#no Abandoned | Game number no is abandoned by the opponent as he quit. Clients can treat this as resign. |
| Seek new no name boardsize time W\B | There is a new seek with seek no. no posted by name with board size boardsize with time seconds for each player and an optional color choice for seek poster |
| Seek remove no name boardsize time W\B | Existing seek no. no is removed (either the client has joined another game or has changed his seek or has quit) |
| Observe Game#no player_white vs player_black, sizexsize, original_time, moves half-moves played, player_name to move | Start observing the game number no of board size size with original time setting of origin_time seconds where moves half-moves are played and it is player_name's turn to move |
| Shout <player> text | Chat message text from player |
| Joined room room | Indicates you've joined the room room |
| Left room room | Indicates you've left the room room |
| ShoutRoom room <player> text | Message text from player to chat room room |
| Tell <player> text | Private chat message text from player |
| Told <player> text | Confirmation that your message is sent to player. You'll receive this even if player is not logged in |
| Message text | A message from server. Might be used to indicate announcements like name accepted/server going down, etc |
| Error text | An error message |
| Online no | no players are connected to server |
| NOK | Indicates the command client send is invalid or unrecognized |
| OK | Indicates previous command is ok. Clients can ignore this. I might remove this message altogether in future as it serves no real purpose |
##Info for Client developers
Stand alone clients can connect directly to playtak.com at port 10000 (but this communication will not be encrypted)
The defalut Web client runs on playtak.com port 80/443.
telnet to playtak.com on port 10000 to test the commands.
Typical communication is like below
- Connect to server. Server gives welcome message
- Server sends "Login or Register"
- Client replies with login information or registers (If Client registers, password is sent to the mail and it can login with the password)
- Server accepts name or asks for another name if the one provided is invalid or already taken
- Server sends list of seeks with "Seek new" messages and games in progress with "GameList Add" messages
- Client posts seek or accepts existing seek
- If seek is accepted, server removes existing seeks for both the players (sends "Seek remove" for all) and starts game
- Client sends moves, server validates moves and sends the move to other client. If invalid, server sends a "NOK" message.
- Game progresses and ends either in a win/lose/draw or abandonment.
NOTE: https://playtak.com is now being maintained by US Tak Association (https://ustak.org)