having pidgin run commands from the im windows?

[EternalOrb@gmail.com]

"""""* Conor Fitzsimons had this to say on [01 Dec 2007, 23:36:37 -0500]:

> > i was just wondering if it was possible... or easy to implement a solution
> > to either use/modify the text replacement plugin... or in some other way,
> > enable a user to type someting like /exit, into an im window and have it
> > either close the window/go away/close pidgin.  and from that then have
> > commands like /join, where you could add other users to the chat (send them
> > an invitation to join)
> > 
> > if there is an easier way to do this, or if it already exists let me know
>   

It sounds like you want to use the command API in purple. Look at the
uses of purple_cmd_register in pidgin source.

We can probably have a 'Command API How-To'. John? :D

Sadrul
"""""

as a branch from the above, 
would it be possible to modify the above suggestion to include not only commands that effect pidgin that the local user enters (see examples above),
but to grab command text, which i would assume needs a specific formatting, that could run commands on a local machine via input from a remote user?
as an example: my roommate and myself constantly torrent, but many times the other is not in the apartment, and has his door locked. well, 
if our torrents are leaching bandwidth to the point that webbrowsing is pointless, it would be a nice thing to simply be able to send the other an IM
(both of us use pidgin) saying something to the tune of "-/- close torrent program", and on our local machines, we could have pidgin configured that 
when it received that message, it would follow a specific set of user defined instructions, namely, close the torrent program.

i must admit, i am not all that familiar with operating systems as of now, i dont begin coursework on them for another term, and i havnt had time to 
keep up with all the changes that all of the pidgin developers have made. so i believe that my question may be completely out of place seeing as
other programs can accomplish the same result. but i do intend to take a look at the command API, now that youve suggested it. 
cant blame a guy for asking though, right?


Cheers-
-Mike J.