The IRCv3 Working Group is an organization chartered to prototype, develop, and test changes to the IRC client protocol, building upon the core specifications defined in RFC1459 and RFC2812.
According to the IRCv3 website, the working group has already developed several extensions that are backwards-compatible with older IRC clients and servers. Current features include standardized account login using SASL to speed up registration and authentication, providing account information of other clients for advanced client features, and optional metadata that can be attached to messages for easier extension development.
Additional capabilities now available include instant away notifications to alert users when others go offline or return, displaying the actual time a message was received to improve history playback from IRC bouncers, and grouping related messages to simplify their display to users.
The working group is actively developing new features in its pipeline. These include standardized account registration and verification to allow clients to provide better interfaces, giving clients a standardized way to recognize, access, and view chat history provided by bouncers or servers, and providing a mechanism for clients to automatically detect, move to, and maintain secure connections.
The group is also working on Unicode support for nicknames and channel names to improve the chat experience for international users, and client avatars for display in graphical clients.
All IRCv3 specifications are available on the working group’s specifications page, with most of the development work conducted on the organization’s GitHub repository. The working group maintains a discussion channel at #ircv3 on Libera.Chat for those interested in participating or learning more about the project. A FAQ page addresses common questions about IRC and the IRCv3 Working Group.
Key facts
- IRCv3 WG develops backwards-compatible extensions to the IRC protocol
- Current features include SASL authentication, message metadata, away notifications, message timestamps, and message grouping
- In development: Unicode nicknames/channels, account registration standards, chat history access, secure connection detection, and client avatars
- Development work primarily conducted on GitHub repository