whois command

Synopsis

/whois [nickname[,nickname...]]
/whois server-or-nickname nickname[,nickname...]

Description

whois asks your IRC server for detailed information about a user or users. Common replies include nickname, user@host, realname, server, visible channels and channel status prefixes, away message, and IRC operator status. Some servers also provide account, connection security, idle time, or sign-on time. The server determines which fields are supplied and which channels or addresses it exposes.

With one argument, the conventional form queries the connected server for a comma-separated nickname list. With two arguments, the first selects a remote server, or a nickname whose server should answer, and the second identifies the users to query. These target forms and multi-nickname support depend on the network. A common request for a user's own-server information is /whois nickname nickname, which may obtain idle information unavailable from your local server.

With no arguments, EPIC queries your own nickname. Otherwise it forwards all supplied argument text after WHOIS, without splitting nickname lists, resolving a target server locally, or limiting the number of arguments. There are no client-side options, nickname validation, or quote removal. The whole outgoing line uses the server's encoding.

Output and restrictions

Replies arrive asynchronously as separate numerics. EPIC formats common fields, including 311 user/host/realname, 312 server, 313 operator information, 319 channel list, 301 away message, 330 account, and 338 additional host information. Numeric-specific on hooks and the general numeric hook can handle or suppress normal output. Numeric 318 conventionally ends a WHOIS response. There is no built-in callback option or function return value.

For numeric 317, idle intervals above 59 seconds are displayed as whole minutes, discarding the remaining seconds; shorter intervals use seconds. An optional nonzero sign-on timestamp is displayed using the client's time formatting. The server defines what activity counts toward idle time, so it need not mean time since the last message in every implementation.

A connection is required to send the query. Remote requests may be rejected, rate-limited, or disclose fewer fields, and the absence of a reply is not a reliable offline test. Private or secret channel membership and real addresses can be hidden or revealed according to server policy and requester privileges. Use whowas for retained history rather than current-user information.

Examples

/whois joebob,toejam,junebug
/whois irc.foo.com joebob,toejam,junebug
/whois joebob joebob

These conventionally query several users locally, query them through a specified server, or request JoeBob's own-server information. Server support and visibility rules apply to all three.

Privacy

Do not assume WHOIS is private: servers can log requests or notify targeted users or operators. The realname field is client-supplied text, not verified identity. EPIC registers its own realname using the per-server default or default_realname. At startup the default can come from IRCNAME, NAME, or REALNAME, an existing default setting, the local account's GECOS field, or a username fallback. Inspect the configured value if you do not want account information disclosed. Changing a default affects subsequent registration rather than automatically rewriting an existing connection's realname.

Source

source/commands.c registers whois and implements its branch of the shared whois() handler. source/server.c sends requests and selects registration realnames. source/numbers.c implements reply hooks and formatting; source/irc.c initializes realname defaults.