Text Exchange Functionality (like chat) Question?

[John Patten]

Hi All...

I’m trying to develop a process where multiple stacks register the  
same text individual users type into specific fields. Similar to  
chatting.  For example, It could be one stack with two fields on the  
card. Each user would have the same stack, but only one of the fields  
could be edited. The other field would be locked and just show what  
the text the user of the other stack has typed. I would like this  
exchange of text to happen as close to real-time as possible.

There could be 10 pairs of students using the same stack together (20  
stacks in a room), so there would have to be some kind of session  
control so that only the specific pairs of students receive their  
partner’s text. Maybe a list of students would be available in the  
margin and the students would be required to select another student to  
collaborate with before they start. The students names that are  
selected could be tied to a unique session id that could be used to  
“broadcast” the text back out to the individual stacks. (Not sure how  
to actually do that though...?)

I can envision this 'text-exchange" functionality being useful in all  
kinds of instructional situations in a classroom and I’m thinking  
that, maybe through the process of creating a custom object, this  
functionality could be easily incorporated (drag and drop) into all  
kinds of LiveCode projects.

How could I create that functionality? What is the easiest most  
reproducible strategy?
Should I look at port communications, like others have done with chat  
apps? Flat file text exchanges that are uploaded and downloaded? On- 
Rev or RevServer implementations that take advantage of post and get  
html functionality? …?

A few other requirements; I would like the data to be recoverable at a  
later time by say, the teacher. So what the students type, the data,  
will be stored in a database and retrieved in a report format later  
(each collaborative group would have unique session id). It may also  
need to run a Linux too, we use Netbooks and Ubuntu nbremix in our  
classrooms. Not sure how that might complicate matters...?


Thanks for any ideas in advance!

John Patten
SUSD