Protocols/MSNP/Activities/SDK/Techref/Promo/Variables
Using the MSN Messenger Variables
After an Activity has been added to the Activity directory in MSN®, your application can be started from either the Games or Activities button on the MSN Messenger toolbar.
If you want, you can increase usage of your Activity by directing users to your Activity directly from a Web page. You can accomplish this in either of two ways: by adding script to a Web page that calls an ActiveX® control directly, or by adding a URL link to a Web page. This URL directs the user�s browser to a Web site that the MSN Messenger team controls. For more information about directly starting your Activity through the ActiveX control, see Calling the MSN Messenger Client Directly. For more information about using a URL to start your Activity, see Calling the MSN Messenger Client from a URL.
You can use either of the preceding two methods; however, coding a Web site to control the MSN Messenger client directly is the preferred method because this functionality is built into the client, and the URL that this method uses may change in the future.
In order to take the user directly to your Activity, you need to supply the following two string parameters:
- AppID
- BOT
The AppID variable is a composite of two values: the number that corresponds to your desired market or country (for example, 5129 represents New Zealand) and the number that the MSN Support team assigned to your application in the Activity directory (for example, 126). In this case, the AppID value for your Activity for the New Zealand market would be 5129126.
The BOT variable must be in the following format: someone@example.com.
The two variables, AppID and BOT, are optional, and you can alter the behavior of the called MSN Messenger client by choosing to eliminate either of these two variables. The following table illustrates the behavior observed when either of these two optional variables is passed to the MSN Messenger client (by either method):
AppID variable passed to client?
BOT variable passed to client?
Observed client behavior
No
No
- Presented with the User list from which the user can choose a friend to engage in a game or activity.
- Presented with the Conversation window, from which the user can select which game or activity to share with the other user.
- Offered the opportunity to select the desired game or activity with the other user.
Yes
No
- Presented with the User list from which the user can choose a friend to engage in a game or activity.
- Presented with an invitation (after the Conversation window opens) for the application specified by the AppID variable.
- Offered the opportunity to enjoy the game or activity with the other user (if the other user chose to play the game or participate in the activity).
No
Yes
- Brought into the Conversation window with another user whose e-mail address was specified by the BOT parameter.
- Presented with the Conversation window, from which the user can select which game or activity to share with the other user.
- Offered the opportunity to select the desired game or activity with the other user.
Yes
Yes
- Brought into the conversation window with another user whose e-mail address was specified by the BOT parameter.
- Presented with an invitation (after the Conversation window opens) for the application specified by the AppID variable.
- Offered the opportunity to enjoy the game or activity with the other user (if the other user chose to play the game or participate in the activity).