# $EPIC: channel,v 1.6 2001/11/27 22:06:33 anders Exp $
Synopsis:
   channel [-invite|<channel list> [<key>]]
   window channel "-invite|<channel list> [<key>]"

About channels:
   Channels are the most important part of IRC.  A "channel" is a place where
   one or more people can congregate and talk to each other.  Each channel
   has a name, and there are an almost limitless number of channels available.
   Channels are shared amongst all of the servers of a network.  Each network
   has a different set of channels than every other network.

   You can join a channel with the JOIN (or CHANNEL) command.  The
   JOIN command takes one argument, which is the name of the channel that
   you want to join.  If you do not know the name of a channel, then you can
   try joining the #irchelp channel to get started.

   Channels "exist" as long as there is one person in them.  When the last 
   person leaves a channel, the channel "goes away".  When the first person
   join a channel, the channel is "created".  The creator of a channel becomes
   the channel operator.  Whenever you join a channel, you become a "member" 
   of that channel.  Channel operator privilege can be shared amongst all of
   the members of the channel.

   Network channel names always begin with the # character.  Channels that
   exist only on your server always begin with the & character.  Some networks
   have channels that do not allow the MODE command and those channels
   always begin with the + character.

   Channel names can be up to 200 characters in length (though most channel 
   names are 1 to 10 characters long), and can contain any character except
   SPACE, BELL, NUL, CR, LF, and the comma.

   Some networks permit you to restrict your channel to only users from a 
   certain host pattern.  On those networks, you append to the channel name
   the colon character (':') followed by a hostmask.  Only users with hostnames
   that match the hostmask will be permitted to join your channel.

   You may join more than one channel at a time by separating the list of 
   channels you want to join with commas.

   If a channel requires a "key" to enter, provide the channel key as the
   second argument to the JOIN command.  Try to avoid joining more than
   one channel at a time if any of the channels have a key, as not every 
   server can handle this correctly.  Joining each channel with a key 
   separately will work the best.

   You cannot always join every channel all of the time.  A channel's mode
   may restrict you from joining it.  If the +k mode (key) is set, then you 
   must use the key (password) to join.  If the +i mode (invite-only) is set, 
   then you must be INVITEd by a channel operator to join.  If the +l mode 
   (limited membership) is set, and the number of members in the channel has 
   reached the limit, then you cannot join.  If a +b mode (ban) has been set 
   for your hostmask, then you cannot join.  On some networks, if a +e mode
   (exception to ban) has been set for your hostmask, you can join even if 
   there is a +b mode for your hostmask.  Please read the MODE help file
   for more detailed information about channel modes.

Description:
   If you do not use any arguments, the JOIN command will show you a
   list of all of the channels you have joined and the information that
   is known about those channels.

   If you do use arguments, the first argument must be a comma separated
   list of channels you want to join.  If any of your channels require a
   key (the channel mode +k is set) then you must specify that key as the
   second argument.  Care should be taken when joining multiple channels
   with keys at the same time because not all networks do it the same way.

   If you specify one channel, then that channel will be made the current
   channel in the window you do the /JOIN in (as if you did a /WINDOW CHANNEL).
   CAUTION!  If you specify more than one channel, none of them will be made 
   the current channel.

Options:
   -invite   You will join the last channel to which you were INVITEd.

Examples:
   To join channel #irchelp (or create it if it does not exist):
      /channel #irchelp

   To join channel #blah that has the key "foobar":
      /channel #blah foobar

   To join more than one channel at once:
      /channel #foo,#bar,&blah

   To join a channel that only German users may join: (on some networks)
      /channel #blah:*.de

   To join channel #blah if you have been invited to it (either will
   work, although the first is better, since channel names may contain
   characters that your terminal can't display):
      /channel -invite
      /channel #blah

Aliases:
   CHANNEL and //JOIN are identical to WINDOW CHANNEL when provided
   an argument.  CHANNEL and //JOIN are identical.  The JOIN
   alias is a friendly front end to the CHANNEL command.

See Also:
   bind(4) switch_channels; invite(1); mode(1); on(5) join;
   window(4) channel