#+title: 0.1.3 XMPP Event Model and Library Choice
#+created: [2026-04-14 Tue 15:05]
#+updated: [2026-04-14 Tue 15:20]

* initial research and recommendation
Slixmpp is an MIT-licensed XMPP library for Python 3.11+.

It is a fork of SleekXMPP and uses Rust for some performance-sensitive modules. In practice that means:
- Python app, not Rust app
- usually installable via PyPI wheels
- if wheels are unavailable, cargo may be needed to build the extension module
- maintained enough to be a sane v0 choice

For this bridge, slixmpp is the best MVP pick.

* minimum viable raw xmpp
If we do not use a library, we would need to implement the XMPP client plumbing ourselves:
- TCP + XML stream handling
- SASL auth
- TLS
- stanza parsing/serialization
- MUC join/leave semantics
- keepalive/reconnect handling
- duplicate/self-message suppression rules on top

Pros:
- maximum control
- fewer dependencies
- easier to trim down to exactly what we need

Cons:
- you are writing a mini XMPP client anyway
- more edge cases
- slower to reach a reliable relay
- easier to get auth/reconnect/MUC details subtly wrong

For v0, that trade is not worth it.

* event model we actually need
| event                | use                              |
|----------------------+----------------------------------|
| connect/auth         | establish session                |
| self-presence        | confirm MUC join before relaying |
| groupchat message    | relay input                      |
| presence join/part   | ignore or log only               |
| subject/topic change | optional log only                |
| disconnect/error     | reconnect handling               |

* recommendation
Use slixmpp for the XMPP side.

Why:
- it covers the protocol plumbing we do not want to hand-roll
- it is a straightforward bot/daemon fit
- it lets us focus on bridge behavior, not XML socket mechanics
- it is good enough for a single-room relay MVP

* summary
Use slixmpp unless we deliberately choose to prototype a raw XMPP client first.

The bridge only needs a narrow slice of XMPP. Slixmpp gives us that slice without forcing us to reinvent session management, MUC join semantics, or reconnect logic.