AIM Client - TOC2 Protocol Implementation

A chat client implementation based on the reverse engineering of AOL's legacy TOC2 protocol.

This project focuses on studying low-level networking, binary data handling, and modernizing legacy codebases.

Technical Highlights

• Low-Level Networking: Engineered the TCP/IP communication layer using raw java.net.Socket and I/O Streams, bypassing high-level frameworks to demonstrate granular control over data packets.
• Binary & Text Protocol: Manually handled binary framing (SFLAP) and text-based command parsing from the legacy protocol.
• Clean Architecture: Refactored legacy patterns (Java 1.4 era) into modern Java 21 standards, strictly separating Connection, Messaging, and UI layers.
• Concurrency: Utilized Threads and Lambdas for asynchronous message processing.
• Automated Testing: Built a comprehensive JUnit 5 test suite covering proprietary encryption ("roasting"), packet framing, and command parsing.

Features

• Secure Login: Implementation of the proprietary "Roasting" password encryption algorithm.
• Instant Messaging: Sending and receiving Direct Messages (IM).
• Social Features: Chat Room management and Buddy List synchronization.

Tech Stack

• Java 21
• JUnit 5
• Java Sockets (java.net)
• Maven

How to Run

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/cgmarquess/aim-client.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

cd aim-client

3. Run tests to validate the protocol logic:

mvn test

4. Run the application:

mvn exec:java

Developed by [Gabriel Marques] - [LinkedIn]