need some help with chat program

[3pj6b7Xj]

well actually, the chat program doesn't even exists...

I was interested in making a little chat program in either basic C++ or windows. However, I have no idea where to start or what header to include. My idea is the following.

Have 1 pc host a chat session.
Allow another PC to connect to the chat to send and receive data.

I did some searching on google and all I can come up with is winsock_2.h or something like that but the examples given are intense for even the simplest of tasks but this is not new to me after writing some C++ code for windows programs.

I just need a push in the right direction, if someone can point me to the correct documentation where I can learn to do simple things first and then move on to more advance stuff, that would help.

I don't want to use other people's code because that really doesn't explain the implementation of the headers they are using.

My ultimate goal with this, is to eventually, create a client server application that others PCs can connect to with another application that talks to the server application to send or receive information, not anything critical, personal or sensitive in nature.

thanks guys.

[kbw]

Have 1 pc host a chat session.
Allow another PC to connect to the chat to send and receive data.

That's a good place to start.

You need to think about what would that chat server have to do. So write down a few scenarios and the computer communications that would need happen. In UML terms, these are called Use Cases.

Once you've written down the scenarios and interactions (use cases), you've got your requirements. You'll then have a clearer idea of what needs to be built. Don't get distracted by winsock and all that stuff yet.