## TpContact

TpContact — object representing a contact

## Synopsis

    #include <telepathy-glib/contact.h>

                        TpContact;
    enum                TpContactFeature;
    void                (*TpConnectionContactsByHandleCb)   (TpConnection *connection,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             guint n_failed,
                                                             const TpHandle *failed,
                                                             const GError *error,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);
    void                tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle
                                                            (TpConnection *self,
                                                             guint n_handles,
                                                             const TpHandle *handles,
                                                             guint n_features,
                                                             const TpContactFeature *features,
                                                             TpConnectionContactsByHandleCb callback,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GDestroyNotify destroy,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);
    void                (*TpConnectionContactsByIdCb)       (TpConnection *connection,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             const gchar * const *requested_ids,
                                                             GHashTable *failed_id_errors,
                                                             const GError *error,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);
    void                tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id    (TpConnection *self,
                                                             guint n_ids,
                                                             const gchar * const *ids,
                                                             guint n_features,
                                                             const TpContactFeature *features,
                                                             TpConnectionContactsByIdCb callback,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GDestroyNotify destroy,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);
    void                (*TpConnectionUpgradeContactsCb)    (TpConnection *connection,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             const GError *error,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);
    void                tp_connection_upgrade_contacts      (TpConnection *self,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             guint n_features,
                                                             const TpContactFeature *features,
                                                             TpConnectionUpgradeContactsCb callback,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GDestroyNotify destroy,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);
    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_alias                (TpContact *self);
    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_avatar_token         (TpContact *self);
    TpConnection *      tp_contact_get_connection           (TpContact *self);
    TpHandle            tp_contact_get_handle               (TpContact *self);
    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_identifier           (TpContact *self);
    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_presence_message     (TpContact *self);
    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_presence_status      (TpContact *self);
    TpConnectionPresenceType  tp_contact_get_presence_type  (TpContact *self);
    gboolean            tp_contact_has_feature              (TpContact *self,
                                                             TpContactFeature feature);

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----TpContact

## Properties

      "alias"                    gchar*                : Read
      "avatar-token"             gchar*                : Read
      "connection"               TpConnection*         : Read
      "handle"                   guint                 : Read
      "identifier"               gchar*                : Read
      "presence-message"         gchar*                : Read
      "presence-status"          gchar*                : Read
      "presence-type"            guint                 : Read

## Description

TpContact objects represent the contacts on a particular TpConnection.

## Details

### TpContact

    typedef struct _TpContact TpContact;

An object representing a contact on a TpConnection.

Contact objects support tracking a number of attributes of contacts, as described by the TpContactFeature flags. Features can be specified when instantiating contact objects (with `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id()` or `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()`), or added to an existing contact object with `tp_connection_upgrade_contacts()`. For example, a client wishing to keep track of a contact's alias would set TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_ALIAS, and then listen for the "notify::alias" signal, emitted whenever the "alias" property changes.

Note that releasing a TpContact object might release handle references held by calling `tp_cli_connection_call_request_handles()`, `tp_cli_connection_run_request_handles()`, `tp_cli_connection_call_hold_handles()`, `tp_cli_connection_run_hold_handles()`, `tp_cli_connection_interface_contacts_call_get_contact_attributes()` or `tp_cli_connection_interface_contacts_run_get_contact_attributes()` directly. Those functions should be avoided in favour of using TpContact, `tp_connection_hold_handles()`, `tp_connection_request_handles()` and `tp_connection_get_contact_attributes()`.

Since 0.7.18

### enum TpContactFeature

    typedef enum {
        TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_ALIAS,
        TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_AVATAR_TOKEN,
        TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_PRESENCE,
        NUM_TP_CONTACT_FEATURES
    } TpContactFeature;

Enumeration representing the features a TpContact can optionally support. When requesting a TpContact, library users specify the desired features; the TpContact code will only initialize state for those features, to avoid unwanted D-Bus round-trips and signal connections.

`TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_ALIAS` | "alias"
`TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_AVATAR_TOKEN` | "avatar-token"
`TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_PRESENCE` | "presence-type", "presence-status" and "presence-message"
`NUM_TP_CONTACT_FEATURES` | 1 higher than the highest TpContactFeature supported by this version of telepathy-glib

Since 0.7.18

### TpConnectionContactsByHandleCb ()

    void                (*TpConnectionContactsByHandleCb)   (TpConnection *connection,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             guint n_failed,
                                                             const TpHandle *failed,
                                                             const GError *error,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);

Signature of a callback used to receive the result of `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()`.

If an unrecoverable error occurs (for instance, if `connection` becomes disconnected) the whole operation fails, and no contacts or invalid handles are returned.

If some or even all of the `handles` passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()` were not valid, this is not considered to be a failure. `error` will be `NULL` in this situation, `contacts` will contain contact objects for those handles that were valid (possibly none of them), and `invalid` will contain the handles that were not valid.

`connection` : | The connection
`n_contacts` : | The number of TpContact objects successfully created (one per valid handle), or 0 on unrecoverable errors
`contacts` : | An array of `n_contacts` TpContact objects (this callback is not given a reference to any of these objects, and must call `g_object_ref()` on any that it will keep), or `NULL` on unrecoverable errors
`n_failed` : | The number of invalid handles that were passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()` (or on unrecoverable errors, the total number of handles that were given)
`failed` : | An array of `n_failed` handles that were passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()` but turned out to be invalid (or on unrecoverable errors, all the handles that were given)
`error` : | `NULL` on success, or an unrecoverable error that caused everything to fail
`user_data` : | the `user_data` that was passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()`
`weak_object` : | the `weak_object` that was passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle()`

Since 0.7.18

### tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle ()

    void                tp_connection_get_contacts_by_handle
                                                            (TpConnection *self,
                                                             guint n_handles,
                                                             const TpHandle *handles,
                                                             guint n_features,
                                                             const TpContactFeature *features,
                                                             TpConnectionContactsByHandleCb callback,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GDestroyNotify destroy,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);

Create a number of TpContact objects and make asynchronous method calls to hold their handles and ensure that all the features specified in `features` are ready for use (if they are supported at all).

It is not an error to put features in `features` even if the connection manager doesn't support them - users of this method should have a static list of features they would like to use if possible, and use it for all connection managers.

`self` : | A connection, which must be ready ("connection-ready" must be `TRUE`)
`n_handles` : | The number of handles in `handles` (must be at least 1)
`handles` : | An array of handles of type `TP_HANDLE_TYPE_CONTACT` representing the desired contacts
`n_features` : | The number of features in `features` (may be 0)
`features` : | An array of features that must be ready for use (if supported) before the callback is called (may be `NULL` if `n_features` is 0)
`callback` : | A user callback to call when the contacts are ready
`user_data` : | Data to pass to the callback
`destroy` : | Called to destroy `user_data` either after `callback` has been called, or if the operation is cancelled
`weak_object` : | An object to pass to the callback, which will be weakly referenced; if this object is destroyed, the operation will be cancelled

Since 0.7.18

### TpConnectionContactsByIdCb ()

    void                (*TpConnectionContactsByIdCb)       (TpConnection *connection,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             const gchar * const *requested_ids,
                                                             GHashTable *failed_id_errors,
                                                             const GError *error,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);

Signature of a callback used to receive the result of `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id()`.

`requested_ids` contains the IDs that were converted to handles successfully. The normalized form of requested_ids[i] is tp_contact_get_identifier (contacts[i]).

If some or even all of the `ids` passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id()` were not valid, this is not considered to be a fatal error. `error` will be `NULL` in this situation, `contacts` will contain contact objects for those IDs that were valid (it may be empty), and `failed_id_errors` will map the IDs that were not valid to a corresponding GError (if the connection manager complies with the Telepathy spec, it will have domain `TP_ERRORS` and code `TP_ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE`).

If an unrecoverable error occurs (for instance, if `connection` becomes disconnected) the whole operation fails, and no contacts or requested IDs are returned. `failed_id_errors` will contain all the IDs that were requested, mapped to a corresponding GError (either one indicating that the ID was invalid, if that was determined before the fatal error occurred, or a copy of `error`).

`connection` : | The connection
`n_contacts` : | The number of TpContact objects successfully created (one per valid ID), or 0 on unrecoverable errors
`contacts` : | An array of `n_contacts` TpContact objects (this callback is not given a reference to any of these objects, and must call `g_object_ref()` on any that it will keep), or `NULL` on unrecoverable errors
`requested_ids` : | An array of `n_contacts` valid IDs (JIDs, SIP URIs etc.) that were passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id()`, in an order corresponding to `contacts`, or `NULL` on unrecoverable errors
`failed_id_errors` : | A hash table in which the keys are IDs and the values are errors (GError)
`error` : | `NULL` on success, or an unrecoverable error that caused everything to fail
`user_data` : | the `user_data` that was passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id()`
`weak_object` : | the `weak_object` that was passed to `tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id()`

Since 0.7.18

### tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id ()

    void                tp_connection_get_contacts_by_id    (TpConnection *self,
                                                             guint n_ids,
                                                             const gchar * const *ids,
                                                             guint n_features,
                                                             const TpContactFeature *features,
                                                             TpConnectionContactsByIdCb callback,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GDestroyNotify destroy,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);

Create a number of TpContact objects and make asynchronous method calls to obtain their handles and ensure that all the features specified in `features` are ready for use (if they are supported at all).

It is not an error to put features in `features` even if the connection manager doesn't support them - users of this method should have a static list of features they would like to use if possible, and use it for all connection managers.

`self` : | A connection, which must be ready ("connection-ready" must be `TRUE`)
`n_ids` : | The number of IDs in `ids` (must be at least 1)
`ids` : | An array of strings representing the desired contacts by their identifiers in the IM protocol (XMPP JIDs, SIP URIs, MSN Passports, AOL screen-names etc.)
`n_features` : | The number of features in `features` (may be 0)
`features` : | An array of features that must be ready for use (if supported) before the callback is called (may be `NULL` if `n_features` is 0)
`callback` : | A user callback to call when the contacts are ready
`user_data` : | Data to pass to the callback
`destroy` : | Called to destroy `user_data` either after `callback` has been called, or if the operation is cancelled
`weak_object` : | An object to pass to the callback, which will be weakly referenced; if this object is destroyed, the operation will be cancelled

Since 0.7.18

### TpConnectionUpgradeContactsCb ()

    void                (*TpConnectionUpgradeContactsCb)    (TpConnection *connection,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             const GError *error,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);

Signature of a callback used to receive the result of `tp_connection_upgrade_contacts()`.

If an unrecoverable error occurs (for instance, if `connection` becomes disconnected) it is indicated by `error`, but the contacts in `contacts` are still provided.

`connection` : | The connection
`n_contacts` : | The number of TpContact objects for which an upgrade was requested
`contacts` : | An array of `n_contacts` TpContact objects (this callback is not given an extra reference to any of these objects, and must call `g_object_ref()` on any that it will keep)
`error` : | An unrecoverable error, or `NULL` if the connection remains valid
`user_data` : | the `user_data` that was passed to `tp_connection_upgrade_contacts()`
`weak_object` : | the `weak_object` that was passed to `tp_connection_upgrade_contacts()`

Since 0.7.18

### tp_connection_upgrade_contacts ()

    void                tp_connection_upgrade_contacts      (TpConnection *self,
                                                             guint n_contacts,
                                                             TpContact * const *contacts,
                                                             guint n_features,
                                                             const TpContactFeature *features,
                                                             TpConnectionUpgradeContactsCb callback,
                                                             gpointer user_data,
                                                             GDestroyNotify destroy,
                                                             GObject *weak_object);

Given several TpContact objects, make asynchronous method calls ensure that all the features specified in `features` are ready for use (if they are supported at all).

It is not an error to put features in `features` even if the connection manager doesn't support them - users of this method should have a static list of features they would like to use if possible, and use it for all connection managers.

`self` : | A connection, which must be ready ("connection-ready" must be `TRUE`)
`n_contacts` : | The number of contacts in `contacts` (must be at least 1)
`contacts` : | An array of TpContact objects associated with `self`
`n_features` : | The number of features in `features` (must be at least 1)
`features` : | An array of features that must be ready for use (if supported) before the callback is called
`callback` : | A user callback to call when the contacts are ready
`user_data` : | Data to pass to the callback
`destroy` : | Called to destroy `user_data` either after `callback` has been called, or if the operation is cancelled
`weak_object` : | An object to pass to the callback, which will be weakly referenced; if this object is destroyed, the operation will be cancelled

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_alias ()

    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_alias                (TpContact *self);

Return the contact's alias. This remains valid until the main loop is re-entered; if the caller requires a string that will persist for longer than that, it must be copied with `g_strdup()`.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same non-`NULL` alias as the "alias"

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_avatar_token ()

    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_avatar_token         (TpContact *self);

Return the contact's avatar token. This remains valid until the main loop is re-entered; if the caller requires a string that will persist for longer than that, it must be copied with `g_strdup()`.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same token as the "avatar-token" property (possibly `NULL`)

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_connection ()

    TpConnection *      tp_contact_get_connection           (TpContact *self);

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | a borrowed reference to the "connection" (it must be referenced with g_object_ref if it must remain valid longer than the contact)

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_handle ()

    TpHandle            tp_contact_get_handle               (TpContact *self);

Return the contact's handle, which is of type `TP_HANDLE_TYPE_CONTACT`, or 0 if the "connection" has become invalid.

This handle is referenced using the Telepathy D-Bus API and remains referenced for as long as `self` exists and the "connection" remains valid.

However, the caller of this function does not gain an additional reference to the handle.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same handle as the "handle" property

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_identifier ()

    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_identifier           (TpContact *self);

Return the contact's identifier. This remains valid for as long as `self` exists; if the caller requires a string that will persist for longer than that, it must be copied with `g_strdup()`.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same non-`NULL` identifier as the "identifier" property

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_presence_message ()

    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_presence_message     (TpContact *self);

Return the contact's user-defined status message, or an empty string. This remains valid until the main loop is re-entered; if the caller requires a string that will persist for longer than that, it must be copied with `g_strdup()`.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same non-`NULL` message as the "presence-message" property

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_presence_status ()

    const gchar *       tp_contact_get_presence_status      (TpContact *self);

Return the name of the contact's presence status, or an empty string. This remains valid until the main loop is re-entered; if the caller requires a string that will persist for longer than that, it must be copied with `g_strdup()`.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same non-`NULL` status name as the "presence-status" property

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_get_presence_type ()

    TpConnectionPresenceType  tp_contact_get_presence_type  (TpContact *self);

If this object has been set up to track `TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_PRESENCE` and the underlying connection supports either the Presence or SimplePresence interfaces, return the type of the contact's presence.

Otherwise, return `TP_CONNECTION_PRESENCE_TYPE_UNSET`.

`self` : | a contact
Returns : | the same presence type as the "presence-type" property

Since 0.7.18

### tp_contact_has_feature ()

    gboolean            tp_contact_has_feature              (TpContact *self,
                                                             TpContactFeature feature);

`self` : | a contact
`feature` : | a desired feature
Returns : | `TRUE` if `self` has been set up to track the feature `feature`

Since 0.7.18

## Property Details

### The `"alias"` property

      "alias"                    gchar*                : Read

The contact's alias if available, falling back to their "identifier" if no alias is available or if the TpContact has not been set up to track `TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_ALIAS`. This is never `NULL`.

This alias may have been supplied by the contact themselves, or by the local user, so it does not necessarily unambiguously identify the contact. However, it is suitable for use as a main "display name" for the contact.

Default value: NULL

### The `"avatar-token"` property

      "avatar-token"             gchar*                : Read

An opaque string representing state of the contact's avatar (depending on the protocol, this might be a hash, a timestamp or something else), or an empty string if there is no avatar.

This may be `NULL` if it is not known whether this contact has an avatar or not (either for network protocol reasons, or because this TpContact has not been set up to track `TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_AVATAR_TOKEN`).

Default value: NULL

### The `"connection"` property

      "connection"               TpConnection*         : Read

The TpConnection to which this contact belongs.

### The `"handle"` property

      "handle"                   guint                 : Read

The contact's handle in the Telepathy D-Bus API, a handle of type `TP_HANDLE_TYPE_CONTACT` representing the string given by "identifier".

This handle is referenced using the Telepathy D-Bus API and remains referenced for as long as the TpContact exists and the "connection" remains valid.

However, getting this property does not cause an additional reference to the handle to be held.

If the "connection" becomes invalid, this property is no longer meaningful and will be set to 0.

Default value: 0

### The `"identifier"` property

      "identifier"               gchar*                : Read

The contact's identifier in the instant messaging protocol (e.g. XMPP JID, SIP URI, AOL screenname or IRC nick - whatever the underlying protocol uses to identify a user). This is never `NULL`.

Default value: NULL

### The `"presence-message"` property

      "presence-message"         gchar*                : Read

If this contact has set a user-defined status message, that message; if not, an empty string (which user interfaces may replace with a localized form of the "presence-status" or "presence-type").

This may be an empty string even if the contact has set a message, if this TpContact object has not been set up to track `TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_PRESENCE`. It is never `NULL`.

Default value: NULL

### The `"presence-status"` property

      "presence-status"          gchar*                : Read

A string representing the presence status of this contact. This may be a well-known string from the Telepathy specification, like "available", or a connection-manager-specific string, like "out-to-lunch".

This may be an empty string if this TpContact object has not been set up to track `TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_PRESENCE`. It is never `NULL`.

Default value: NULL

### The `"presence-type"` property

      "presence-type"            guint                 : Read

The TpConnectionPresenceType representing the type of presence status for this contact.

This is provided so even unknown values for "presence-status" can be classified into their fundamental types.

This may be `TP_CONNECTION_PRESENCE_TYPE_UNSET` if this TpContact has not been set up to track `TP_CONTACT_FEATURE_PRESENCE`.

Default value: 0

## See Also

TpConnection