getNick (1)

The getNick message is sent to a peer to request their current public nickname. It is part of the initial information exchange that occurs after a friend connection is established. A node that receives this message is expected to respond with a nick message.

This message can also be used by a bot to request the nickname of a specific third-party user within a group chat it manages.

Core Data Types

• IxiBytes: See IxiBytes Encoding.

Payload Structure

The payload is optional and specifies the address of the user whose nickname is being requested.

Field	Data Type	Min	Max	Description
targetAddress	IxiBytes	0	*	Optional. The address of the user whose nickname is being requested. If this field is empty or omitted, the message is a request for the recipient's own nickname. This field is primarily used by bots.

Behavioral Notes

• Standard Request: A user's client sends a getNick message with an empty payload to a contact to ask for their nickname.
• Bot Request: A bot may receive a request from a user to identify another user in a chat. The bot would then send a getNick message to the target user, including their address in the targetAddress field.
• Response: Upon receiving a getNick message, a node MUST respond with a nick message containing the current nickname.
• Timing: This request is typically sent after a handshake is fully completed (handshakeStatus == 3), but may be sent at any time to refresh contact information.