Init Chat Engine – Real-Time, Community, Extensible

Init Chat Engine is a clean and minimal frontend chatbox plugin, designed for homepage or site-wide communication with comprehensive administrative controls. This plugin is the core user system behind the Init Plugin Suite – optimized for frontend-first interaction, extensibility, and real-time gamification. GitHub repository: https://github.com/brokensmile2103/init-chat-engine Key Features: Frontend Experience:

• Built with 100% REST API and Vanilla JS
• No jQuery, no bloat – blazing fast
• Fully embeddable via [init_chatbox] shortcode
• Guest messaging support (optional)
• Smart polling system (adaptive 3.5–10s based on activity, up to 20s when the chatbox is scrolled out of view)
• Browser notifications when new messages arrive
• Scroll-up to load history, scroll-down to auto-scroll
• Optimistic sending & "new message" jump button
• Clean UI with customizable themes
• Template override supported (chatbox.php) Administrative Control:
• Complete Settings Panel - Basic, Security, and Advanced configurations
• Message Management - Search, view, delete messages with pagination
• User Moderation - Ban/unban users by IP or user ID with expiration
• Rate Limiting - Prevent spam with configurable message limits
• Word Filtering - Block messages containing prohibited words
• Statistics Dashboard - View chat activity, user engagement, and trends
• Cleanup Tools - Automatic and manual cleanup of old messages
• Custom CSS Support - Full styling customization options Security & Moderation:
• IP-based and user-based banning system
• Configurable rate limiting (messages per minute)
• Word filtering with custom blocked word lists
• Message moderation queue (optional)
• Automatic cleanup of old messages and expired bans
• Admin override capabilities Multilingual Ready:
• Translation-ready with full .pot file included
• Vietnamese translation included
• Easy to translate to any language Perfect for community-based sites, forums, fanpages, manga readers, SaaS dashboards, customer support, or any interactive chat widget.

1.3.6 – August 1, 2026

• Enhancement: relative timestamps ("x minutes...") now also cover weeks, months, and years for older messages — previously capped at "x days"
• Change: dropped the "ago" suffix from relative timestamps to keep the UI compact (e.g. "2 hours" instead of "2 hours ago"), matching the convention used by most modern social apps. Translators: the minutes_ago / hours_ago / days_ago JS i18n strings were renamed to unit_minutes / unit_hours / unit_days / unit_weeks / unit_months / unit_years — please update custom translations accordingly
• Performance: polling now also accounts for whether the chatbox is actually scrolled into view (via IntersectionObserver), not just whether the browser tab itself is focused/visible. If the chatbox is off-screen elsewhere on a long page, polling backs off further (up to 20s) and resumes instantly once it's back in view
• No changes to database schema or REST API response shape

1.3.5 – August 1, 2026

• Fix: timestamps ("x minutes ago") could get stuck on "now" indefinitely (or show hours-old immediately after posting) on any site whose timezone setting differs from UTC. Caused by created_at_iso being computed from a local-time string without converting to true GMT first — now uses get_gmt_from_date() for a correct absolute timestamp. Only affects the new client-side timestamp feature below; does not affect message content, delivery, or ordering
• Performance: removed a redundant DB query that ran on every single poll request to refresh message timestamps (previously fetched + recomputed 50 rows every 3.5–10s per connected client)
• Performance: relative timestamps ("x minutes ago") are now computed client-side and refreshed locally every 60s, no extra network round-trip
• Performance: throttled the last_activity stat write so it's persisted at most once per minute instead of on every poll request, reducing DB write load on busy sites
• Performance: polling now pauses entirely (instead of just backing off) after 10 minutes of inactivity on a hidden/unfocused tab, and resumes instantly on focus
• Performance: replaced the single-column idx_is_deleted index with a composite (is_deleted, id) index on the messages table — the composite index already covers every query the old one did, so keeping both only added write overhead. Existing sites are migrated automatically (old index dropped, new one added); new installs get the new index directly
• Performance: added object caching (wp_cache_*) to GET /messages — polling requests with no new messages now skip the database entirely, and initial page loads share a single cached query across all visitors instead of querying per visitor. Effectiveness depends on your host providing a persistent object cache (see FAQ)
• Fix: TRUNCATE-based "delete all messages" and the automatic daily cleanup cron did not invalidate any cache before this release, so admin-side stats/message list and (now) the frontend cache could show stale data after those actions. Both now invalidate all related caches
• Fix: the REST /admin/moderate delete action did not invalidate any cache before this release
• Tuned adaptive polling range to 3.5–10s (previously 2–12s) to match documented behavior and reduce request volume
• No changes to REST API response shape used by third-party integrations, except the internal updated_messages field (undocumented, poll-only) has been removed

1.3.4 – April 7, 2026

• Fixed bulk delete and single message delete not working due to stale object cache
• Added init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_clear_message_cache() to properly invalidate message list, total count, and stats cache after every delete action
• Fixed nonce variable conflict between single action handler and cleanup handler that could cause cleanup verification to fail silently
• Added Screen Options support for configurable messages per page (default: 20, range: 5–200)
• Per-page preference is saved per user via user meta — does not affect other admins
• Replaced WordPress screen option API with direct POST handler for reliable save behavior
• No changes to database schema, REST API, or existing chat flow

1.3.3 – March 30, 2026

• Added expand/collapse support for pinned message content in banner
• Allows viewing full pinned message without jumping to original message
• Stores full message content via dataset to avoid additional queries or requests
• Updated pinned banner to use absolute positioning to eliminate layout shift (CLS)
• Ensures stable layout when banner appears or updates
• Refined animation and interaction for smoother realtime UX
• No changes to API, database, or existing chat flow

1.3.2 – March 30, 2026

• Introduced Pin Message feature for chat moderation (admin only)
• Allows pinning a single message to the top of the chat box (auto-replaces previous pin)
• Added hover-based Pin/Unpin button on messages for admins with dynamic state handling
• Implemented pinned message banner with jump-to-message and highlight animation
• Added REST endpoints: POST /pin and DELETE /pin (nonce-verified, admin only)
• GET /messages now includes pinned_message for real-time sync across clients
• Pin state cached (5 minutes) with immediate invalidation on update
• Uses existing database (init_chatbox_stats) — no schema changes required
• Fully translation-ready via InitChatEngineData.i18n
• Fully backwards-compatible and does not affect existing chat flow

1.3.1 – March 26, 2026

• Performance optimization: added object caching for frequently called checks
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_has_messages() now cached (24 hours) to reduce redundant DB queries during render
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_user_banned() now uses 10-minute cache with multi-key strategy (user ID + IP)
• Implemented proper cache invalidation on ban/unban actions to ensure real-time accuracy
• Added negative caching to eliminate repeated queries for non-banned users
• Internal optimization only — no UI or database changes
• Improves scalability and reduces database load under high traffic chat environments

1.3.0 – March 2, 2026

• Introduced new Minimum Account Age Requirement (Security setting)
• Administrators can now require users to have an account older than X days before participating in chat
• Rule only applies when guest chatting is disabled (login required mode)
• Fully integrated across backend and frontend:
• REST /send endpoint now enforces account age validation via centralized security check
• Shared reusable function init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_account_age_requirement() ensures single source of truth
• Frontend UI enhancement:
• Chat input is automatically disabled (pointer-events: none; opacity: 0.6) when account is too new
• Context-aware warning message displayed directly under the input area
• No impact on guest mode — public chats remain unaffected when guests are allowed
• Backwards-compatible with existing settings and database schema
• Security-focused enhancement to mitigate spam, clone accounts, and coordinated war activity

1.2.9 – February 13, 2026

• Overhauled User Ban System with timezone-aware logic and optimized detection flow
• Fixed timezone inconsistency across ban creation, validation, and display layers
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_ban_user(): now uses DateTime with WordPress timezone for precise expires_at calculation
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_user_banned(): replaced NOW() (GMT) with current_time('mysql') for accurate expiration checks
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_render_banned_message(): switched to date_i18n() to prevent double timezone conversion
• Improved ban detection priority — user accounts are now checked first, IP fallback only when user is not banned
• Prevents trivial IP-based bypass when logged-in users are banned
• Guest users (no user_id) continue to rely on IP-only detection
• Eliminated redundant dual-condition SQL queries (user_id OR ip_address) in favor of sequential checks
• Ban expiration timestamps now remain consistent across creation → validation → display (e.g., 48-hour ban created at 8:57 AM expires exactly at 8:57 AM, not 3:56 PM)
• Enhanced WP_DEBUG logging with detailed timestamp comparisons for admin troubleshooting
• Fully backwards-compatible with existing ban records and database schema
• Internal security hardening only; no UI or frontend behavioral changes

1.2.8 – November 11, 2025

• Hotfix: fixed Load More (history pagination) message order becoming inconsistent
• API (before_id): changed ORDER BY id from ASC → DESC
• Frontend (Load More): removed .reverse(), now directly prepend() using API DESC order
• Frontend (Initial load): unchanged — reverse initial batch then append() (old → new)
• Frontend (Realtime / after_id): unchanged — API returns ASC, frontend append()
• Result: timeline in the DOM remains strictly old → new
• Minimal change — no DB schema changes, no UI changes

1.2.7 – November 10, 2025

• Fixed Load More / Pagination logic returning messages in reversed order
• API now consistently outputs messages in chronological ASC order across:
• Initial load
• History pagination (before_id)
• Realtime polling (after_id)
• No frontend sorting required — FE only append/prepend based on mode
• Ensures smooth timeline continuity when fetching older batches
• Internal change only; does not affect DB schema or UI behavior

1.2.6 – October 20, 2025

• Overhauled Word Filter Engine with hardened validation lifecycle
• Default strategy is now aggressive substring detection (catches https://, domains, encoded text, spam links, etc.)
• Fully respects existing Security settings:
• Enable Word Filtering toggle
• Blocked Words textarea (one per line, supports Unicode)
• Word Filter Exceptions (role-based whitelist: Administrators always bypass)
• Introduced new developer extension hooks (no new UI options):
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_word_filter_strategy — switch filter logic (substring, word, regex)
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_blocked_words — modify blocked word list programmatically
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_bypass_filter — bypass filtering based on custom logic (VIP, IP ranges, etc.)
• init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_word_block_hit — event fired when a blocked word triggers
• Improved unicode normalization and internal cleanup of blocked-word lists (removes empty lines and #comments)
• Fully backwards-compatible — no disruption to existing settings or workflows
• Strengthened message security layer; prevents all major spam patterns (URL, Discord invite, Telegram link, obfuscated characters)

1.2.5 – October 18, 2025

• Added new “Delete All Messages” button under Quick Actions in the management panel
• Feature permanently removes all chat messages from the database with a single click
• Protected by full security stack: admin-only capability, nonce verification, and SQL transaction safety
• Resets all chat statistics (total_messages, messages_today, active_users_today, etc.) post-deletion
• Includes detailed WP_DEBUG logging for admin audit trail (who, when)
• UX-consistent with existing “Run Cleanup Now” button — executes instantly without JS dependency
• Designed as a “nuclear cleanup” option for administrators managing public chat environments
• No other functional or visual changes; this update focuses solely on administrative maintenance tools

1.2.4 – October 18, 2025

• Rebuilt FX Keyword Engine for per-message precision and zero-DOM overhead
• Replaced global TreeWalker scanning with on-demand inline FX application during message render
• Introduced new internal helpers: getCompiledFXRules() and applyFXInMessageContainer()
• Rules are now compiled once and reused, ensuring stable performance even with large message histories
• Removed redundant functions initChatboxReplaceFXKeywords(), safeReplaceFXKeywordsInDOM(), and runFXIfHasMessages()
• Eliminated repeated DOM traversals after message batch rendering (initial load, polling, or history fetch)
• Maintained full compatibility with external runEffect() logic and FX_KEYWORDS data structure
• Improved keyword detection accuracy using unified regex alternation with named groups
• Achieved significant runtime gains — messages now apply FX instantly upon creation
• Internal optimization only; no visual or behavioral changes for end users

1.2.3 – October 14, 2025

• Added safe integration hook for cross-plugin Init FX Engine keyword replacement
• Chat engine now auto-invokes external DOM keyword highlighter (replaceFXKeywordsInDOM) only when new messages are loaded
• Added conditional wrapper with typeof check to prevent errors if the external plugin is not active
• Introduced new internal helper: safeRunFX() for async idle execution (avoids blocking UI on message bursts)
• Implemented new scoped function initChatboxReplaceFXKeywords() — optimized DOM scanning limited to .init-chatbox-text only
• Rewrote FX keyword parser with TreeWalker for deep text traversal and regex stability
• Eliminated duplicate link generation and ensured idempotent behavior (no double replacements)
• Performance improved significantly when many messages are rendered or refreshed in batch
• Internal enhancement only — no UI changes; improves plugin compatibility and runtime stability

1.2.2 – October 7, 2025

• Hotfix Release: removed redundant ban check inside [init_chatbox] shortcode
• Eliminated secondary init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_user_banned() call (already handled by shortcode controller)
• Prevented duplicate banned-message rendering and minor timezone mismatches
• Simplified shortcode logic for better maintainability and consistency with ban middleware
• No user-facing behavior change — internal backend cleanup only

1.2.1 – October 7, 2025

• Added role-based word filter exceptions in Security settings
• New UI option: “Word Filter Exceptions” allows selecting user roles that can bypass blocked-word restrictions
• Default exempt role: Administrator (others can be toggled via checkboxes)
• Enhanced backend sanitization with strict role validation against existing WordPress roles
• Updated message validation logic: users in exempt roles can send blocked words without triggering filter
• Preserves security for guests and non-exempt roles (still subject to normal word filtering)
• Improved localization: added Vietnamese translations for all new settings strings

1.2.0 – October 2, 2025

• Introduced new filter init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_enrich_message_row for extending message rows with custom user metadata
• Enables themes/plugins to attach extra flags (roles, VIP status, moderation rights, etc.) without touching core logic
• Improves flexibility and forward-compatibility of the chat engine API, allowing richer integrations and UI features downstream

1.1.9 – October 1, 2025

• Added optional support for user profile links in chat messages
• Introduced profile_url field in API responses for registered users
• Provided frontend hook (initChatEngineMessageElementHook) to linkify display names if desired
• Feature is opt-in only; by default, names remain plain text for backward compatibility

1.1.8 – September 13, 2025

• Hardened /send security for logged-in users: strictly validate X-WP-Nonce and block cross-site POST attempts
• Sanitized inputs on the server before storage: apply wp_strip_all_tags() to both message and display_name (logged-in and guest paths)
• Rejected empty or non-visible messages: now fails fast on whitespace-/zero-width-/control-character–only content
• Enforced length limits server-side (pre-insert) to prevent oversized payloads; behavior matches UI constraints
• Kept output defense-in-depth: responses continue to use wp_kses_post() for message rendering
• Tightened server-side anti-abuse: permission callback rate-limit check remains authoritative (in addition to any client throttling)

1.1.7 – September 13, 2025

• Updated URL auto-linking logic to only apply when the link matches the current site domain
• Prevented external or mismatched-domain links from being auto-converted into <a> tags
• Reduced risk of spammy or malicious links being injected into formatted content
• Maintained full support for existing markdown-style text formatting features
• Improved overall content safety and formatting reliability

1.1.6 – September 1, 2025

• Updated codebase to fully comply with WordPress Coding Standards (WPCS)
• Refactored inline documentation and formatting for better readability and maintainability
• Improved code consistency to align with official WordPress best practices
• Minor internal cleanups to enhance long-term stability

1.1.5 – August 4, 2025

• Enhanced text formatting logic with smarter boundary detection for markdown-style syntax
• Improved formatting rules to require whitespace boundaries OR string start/end positions
• Fixed formatting conflicts in code identifiers (e.g., init_live_search no longer formats "live")
• Resolved mathematical expression formatting issues (e.g., 1*2*3 = 6 no longer bolds "2")
• Updated regex patterns to use OR logic: format when either start OR end has whitespace boundary
• Enhanced support for edge cases like *start* and *end* now properly formats both words
• Maintained strict content validation: no spaces immediately after opening or before closing markers
• Added comprehensive capture group handling for multiple regex patterns
• Improved formatting accuracy while preserving backward compatibility
• Enhanced user experience with more intuitive and predictable text formatting behavior

1.1.4 – August 3, 2025

• Added extensible hook system for enhanced message formatting and customization
• Introduced window.initChatEngineFormatHook for custom text formatting (supports sticker display and theme extensions)
• Added window.initChatEngineMessageElementHook for post-processing message elements after creation
• Enhanced message rendering pipeline to support external plugins and theme customizations
• Improved integration capabilities with Init Manga sticker system and other theme features
• Maintained backward compatibility while providing flexible extension points for developers
• Optimized hook execution with proper error handling to prevent chat interruptions

1.1.3 – August 01, 2025

• Advanced request management system with AbortController to prevent duplicate API calls
• Real-time timestamp updates: message timestamps now refresh automatically (e.g., "5 minutes" → "6 minutes")
• Enhanced network error handling with exponential backoff and smart retry mechanism
• Improved connection stability for slow/unstable networks with intelligent polling intervals
• Request deduplication system prevents message loading conflicts and UI inconsistencies
• Network status monitoring with automatic reconnection when connection is restored
• Better error recovery with consecutive error tracking and adaptive polling frequency
• Performance optimizations: reduced unnecessary API calls and improved memory management
• Enhanced user experience with clearer loading states and connection status indicators
• Robust offline/online detection with proper fallback handling for network interruptions

1.1.2 – July 30, 2025

• Complete dark mode system overhaul with comprehensive theme support
• Enhanced CSS variables system with dedicated light/dark theme variable sets
• Full component coverage: dark mode now applies to all elements (messages, inputs, buttons, scrollbars, modals)
• Smart theme detection: auto-detect system dark mode preference with @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark)
• Improved color contrast and accessibility with proper contrast ratios for dark theme
• Smooth theme transitions with 0.3s transition animations when switching between themes

1.1.1 – July 29, 2025

• Resolved infinite scroll loop bug causing chat interface crashes
• Fixed load more button toggle conflicts in middle scroll positions (50-200px from top)
• Implemented debounced scroll handling with 100ms stabilization timer
• Added scroll direction tracking to prevent unnecessary auto-load triggers
• Improved scroll zone boundaries: auto-load (<30px), manual button (30-200px), hide (>300px)
• Enhanced state management to prevent redundant UI updates and layout thrashing
• Added proper timer cleanup on page unload to prevent memory leaks
• Optimized scroll performance with passive event listeners and reduced DOM queries
• Fixed scroll button visibility logic to prevent flickering during rapid scrolling
• Strengthened error handling for edge cases in scroll position calculations
• Added support for utility classes (uk-hidden, hidden, .ice-hidden)
• Automatic CSS framework detection and appropriate hide/show class usage
• Fixed character counter not working for guest users due to duplicate ID names
• Improved "Load more" button display logic to be more generous but still safe (expanded zone to 400px)
• Faster UI response time: reduced debounce to 80ms, auto-load delay to 150ms

1.1.0 – July 29, 2025

• Major admin panel upgrade with tabbed interface (Basic, Security, Advanced)
• Added full message management system with search and pagination
• Introduced user ban/unban system with support for IP and user restrictions
• Built statistics dashboard with activity charts and engagement metrics
• Implemented rate limiting control (messages per minute) to prevent spam
• Added word filter system with custom blocked word list
• Included auto/manual cleanup tools for old messages
• Redesigned admin UI with professional styling and responsive support
• Added connection status indicators and improved error handling
• Introduced REST API endpoints for admin moderation actions
• Implemented caching and nonce verification for all admin operations
• Added full settings validation and sanitization
• Full i18n support with .pot file and Vietnamese translation included

1.0.3 – July 20, 2025

• Added support for inline message formatting: *bold*, _highlight_, ~strike~, ^mark^, and italic
• Reused highlight style .init-fx-highlight-text from Init FX Engine (no duplicated CSS)
• Improved message rendering with safe HTML output
• Removed redundant escapeHTML() call to enable formatting
• Minor refactor of formatting logic

1.0.2 – July 19, 2025

• Added user avatar rendering with fallback support
• Introduced blinking document title when new messages arrive
• Added anti-spam cooldown and click-lock on send button
• Refined guest name workflow and improved avatar integration
• Enhanced message HTML structure and cleaned up code

1.0.1 – July 19, 2025

• Implemented smart polling system with adaptive intervals
• Added browser notification API support for new messages
• Improved scroll behavior and scroll-to-bottom logic
• Enhanced typing state detection and guest name handling
• Fixed message prepending offset issue and made UI tweaks

1.0.0 – July 18, 2025

• Initial release
• Core chat functionality using REST API (no WebSocket)
• Guest messaging support with basic identity system
• Admin settings for message limits and guest permissions
• Shortcode support with template override
• Scrollable history with smooth auto-scroll
• Optimistic message sending with fallback retry