computer science

List of IRC commands

List of IRC commands is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of IRC commands rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of all Internet Relay Chat commands from RFC 1459, RFC 2812, and extensions added to major IRC daemons. Most IRC clients require commands to be preceded by a slash ("/").

Key takeaways

List of IRC commands belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of IRC commands to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of IRC commands from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of all Internet Relay Chat commands from RFC 1459, RFC 2812, and extensions added to major IRC daemons. Most IRC clients require commands to be preceded by a slash ("/"). Some commands are actually sent to IRC bots; these are treated by the IRC protocol as ordinary messages, not as /-commands. Conventions used here: Angle brackets ("<" and ">") are used here to indicate a placeholder for some value, and are not a literal part of a command. Square brackets ("[" and "]") are used to indicate that a value is optional.

User commands

ADMIN Syntax:

ADMIN [<target>] Instructs the server to return information about the administrators of the server specified by <target>, where <target> is either a server or a user. If <target> is omitted, the server should return information about the administrators of the current server.

AWAY Syntax:

AWAY [<message>] Provides the server with a message to automatically send in reply to a PRIVMSG directed at the user, but not to a channel they are on. If <message> is omitted, the away status is removed. Defined in RFC 1459.

CNOTICE Syntax:

CNOTICE <nickname> <channel> :<message> Sends a channel NOTICE message to <nickname> on <channel> that bypasses flood protection limits. The target nickname must be in the same channel as the client issuing the command, and the client must be a channel operator. Normally an IRC server will limit the number of different targets a client can send messages to within a certain time frame to prevent spammers or bots from mass-messaging users on the network, however this command can be used by channel operators to bypass that limit in their channel. For example, it is often used by help operators that may be communicating with a large number of users in a help channel at one time. This command is not formally defined in an RFC, but is in use by some IRC networks. Support is indicated in a RPL_ISUPPORT reply (numeric 005) with the CNOTICE keyword

CPRIVMSG Syntax:

CPRIVMSG <nickname> <channel> :<message> Sends a private message to <nickname> on <channel> that bypasses flood protection limits. The target nickname must be in the same channel as the client issuing the command, and the client must be a channel operator. Normally an IRC server will limit the number of different targets a client can send messages to within a certain time frame to prevent spammers or bots from mass-messaging users on the network, however this command can be used by channel operators to bypass that limit in their channel. For example, it is often used by help operators that may be communicating with a large number of users in a help channel at one time. This command is not formally defined in an RFC, but is in use by some IRC networks. Support is indicated in a RPL_ISUPPORT reply (numeric 005) with the CPRIVMSG keyword

CONNECT Syntax:

CONNECT <target server> [<port> [<remote server>]] (RFC 1459) CONNECT <target server> <port> [<remote server>] (RFC 2812) Instructs the server <remote server> (or the current server, if <remote server> is omitted) to connect to <target server> on port <port>. This command should only be available to IRC operators. Defined in RFC 1459; the <port> parameter became mandatory in RFC 2812.

DIE Syntax:

DIE Instructs the server to shut down. This command may only be issued by IRC server operators. Defined in RFC 2812.

ENCAP Syntax:

:<source> ENCAP <destination> <subcommand> <parameters> This command is for use by servers to encapsulate commands so that they will propagate across hub servers not yet updated to support them, and indicates the subcommand and its parameters should be passed unaltered to the destination, where it will be unencapsulated and parsed. This facilitates implementation of new features without a need to restart all servers before they are usable across the network.

ERROR Syntax:

ERROR <error message> This command is for use by servers to report errors to other servers. It is also used before terminating client connections. Defined in RFC 1459.

HELP Syntax:

HELP Requests the server to display the help file. This command is not formally defined in an RFC, but is in use by most major IRC daemons.

INFO Syntax:

INFO [<target>] Returns information about the <target> server, or the current server if <target> is omitted. Information returned includes the server's version, when it was compiled, the patch level, when it was started, and any other information which may be considered to be relevant. Defined in RFC 1459.

INVITE Syntax:

INVITE <nickname> <channel> Invites <nickname> to the channel <channel>. <channel> does not have to exist, but if it does, only members of the channel are allowed to invite other clients. If the channel mode i is set, only channel operators may invite other clients. Defined in RFC 1459.

ISON Syntax:

ISON <nicknames> Queries the server to see if the clients in the space-separated list <nicknames> are currently on the network. The server returns only the nicknames that are on the network in a space-separated list. If none of the clients are on the network the server returns an empty list. Defined in RFC 1459.

JOIN Syntax:

JOIN <channels> [<keys>] Makes the client join the channels in the comma-separated list <channels>, specifying the passwords, if needed, in the comma-separated list <keys>. If the channel(s) do not exist then they will be created. Defined in RFC 1459.

KICK Syntax:

KICK <channel> <client> :[<message>] Forcibly removes <client> from <channel>. This command may only be issued by channel operators. Defined in RFC 1459.

KILL Syntax:

KILL <client> <comment> Forcibly removes <client> from the network. This command may only be issued by IRC operators. Defined in RFC 1459.

KNOCK Syntax:

KNOCK <channel> [<message>] Sends a NOTICE to an invitation-only <channel> with an optional <message>, requesting an invite. This command is not formally defined by an RFC, but is supported by most major IRC daemons. Support is indicated in a RPL_ISUPPORT reply (numeric 005) with the KNOCK keyword.

LINKS Syntax:

LINKS [<remote server> [<server mask>]] Lists all server links matching <server mask>, if given, on <remote server>, or the current server if omitted. Defined in RFC 1459.

LIST Syntax:

LIST [<channels> [<server>]] Lists all channels on the server. If the comma-separated list <channels> is given, it will return the channel topics. If <server> is given, the command will be forwarded to <server> for evaluation. Defined in RFC 1459.

LUSERS Syntax:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of IRC commands

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of IRC commands claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of IRC commands before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of IRC commands ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of IRC commands

In research: List of IRC commands appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of IRC commands in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of IRC commands is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing commands, IRC, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of IRC commands outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of IRC commands in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of IRC commands means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain List of IRC commands out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of IRC commands in simple terms?

This is a list of all Internet Relay Chat commands from RFC 1459, RFC 2812, and extensions added to major IRC daemons. Most IRC clients require commands to be preceded by a slash ("/").

Why does List of IRC commands matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of IRC commands?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of IRC commands.