Privacy Lists

XEP-0016: Privacy Lists

What is?

Privacy is a method for users to block communications from particular other users. In XMPP this is done by managing one's privacy lists.

Server-side privacy lists enable successful completion of the following use cases:

How can I use it?

The API implementation releases three main public classes:

  1. Right from the start, a client MAY get his/her privacy list that is stored in the server:
// Create a privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Retrieve server privacy lists_
PrivacyList[] lists = privacyManager.getPrivacyLists();

Now the client is able to show every PrivacyItem of the server and also for every list if it is active, default or none of them. The client is a listener of privacy changes.

  1. In order to add a new list in the server, the client MAY implement something like:
// Set the name of the list_
String listName = "newList";

// Create the list of PrivacyItem that will allow or deny some privacy aspect_
String user = "tybalt@example.com";
String groupName = "enemies";
ArrayList privacyItems = new ArrayList();

PrivacyItem item = new PrivacyItem(PrivacyItem.Type.jid, user, true, 1);
privacyItems.add(item);

item = new PrivacyItem(PrivacyItem.Type.subscription, PrivacyItem.SUBSCRIPTION_BOTH, true, 2);
privacyItems.add(item);

item = new PrivacyItem(PrivacyItem.Type.group, groupName, false, 3);
item.setFilterMessage(true);
privacyItems.add(item);

// Get the privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Create the new list._
privacyManager.createPrivacyList(listName, privacyItems);
  1. To modify an existent list, the client code MAY be like:
// Set the name of the list_
String listName = "existingList";
// Get the privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Sent the new list to the server._
privacyManager.updatePrivacyList(listName, items);

Notice items was defined at the example 2 and MUST contain all the elements in the list (not the "delta").

  1. In order to delete an existing list, the client MAY perform something like:
// Set the name of the list_
String listName = "existingList";
// Get the privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Remove the list._
privacyManager.deletePrivacyList(listName);
  1. In order to decline the use of an active list, the client MAY perform something like:
// Get the privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Decline the use of the active list._
privacyManager.declineActiveList();
  1. In order to decline the use of a default list, the client MAY perform something like:
// Get the privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Decline the use of the default list._
privacyManager.declineDefaultList();

Listening for Privacy Changes

In order to handle privacy changes, clients SHOULD listen manager's updates. When a list is changed the manager notifies every added listener. Listeners MUST implement the PrivacyListListener interface. Clients may need to react when a privacy list is modified. The PrivacyListManager lets you add listerners that will be notified when a list has been changed. Listeners should implement the PrivacyListListener interface.

The most important notification is updatedPrivacyList that is performed when a privacy list changes its privacy items.

The listener becomes notified after performing:

// Get the privacy manager for the current connection._
PrivacyListManager privacyManager = PrivacyListManager.getInstanceFor(myConnection);
// Add the listener (this) to get notified_
privacyManager.addListener(this);

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