jPFChat Help Topics

Most users who open this help screen are doing so because they've encountered one of a few known issues. We're addressing the most common ones here.

Please remember that we did NOT write phpFreeChat (www.phpfreechat.net).  We wrote the interface that allows phpFreeChat to be used inside of Joomla.  Many issues that users write us about are not jPFChat issues.  They are issues with the Chat script itself.   We've got NO input, control over or ability to influence the development of the phpFreeChat script.  Please visit their website for information or issues specific to their chat script.

There are two main issues we keep hearing about over and over and over....

Usernames:   If usernames are not being picked up, please remember that jPFChat will only recognize users who were logged into Joomla BEFORE they came into the chat room.   If they were in the Chat Room at ANY TIME prior to logging into Joomla, then the cache will recognize them as the "connection" they were before logging in.   This is a phpfreechat shortcoming that we haven't created a workaround for yet.

jPFChat doesn't Load:   This is MOST LIKELY due to a MooTools javascript library conflict.   Joomla 1.5.x includes a native MooTools javascript library, and MANY templates load it even if it's not actually being used.   Some Joomla 1.0.x templates use it.   In addition, many Modules for both Joomla versions load MooTools as well.   If the MooTools library is loaded... then jPFChat will NOT function properly... especially in the Internet Explorer browser.  FireFox seems to work OK in some cases, but there have been reports of odd behavior even if jPFChat does actually load up.    Please don't write us about MooTools.  We are completely and fully aware of the conflict... we're working on a possible fix... and there are several possible short-term workarounds already posted on the www.jpfchat.com website.  Read the articles about it there.