I've seen reference to BNLS a few times and have seen it in the source for several bots, but I'm still unclear as to exactly what it is. Yes, I tried searching the forums but the results I got back weren't exactly what I was looking for.

http://www.valhallalegends.com/yoni/BNLSProtocolSpec.txt
Will help you with the answers you seek, and if not than never ask again.

I saw that, there's plenty of 'how' but no 'why'.

It's a 3rd party authentication server (e.g. it does the authentication work for your bot). You need a BNLS account to use it, however.

Moonshine:

Thank you for the simple, direct answer :) I know, eventually I'd have stumbled across it, but I don't see why people feel the need to reply with "Here, look at this". Like asking someone what time it is and they get pissy and tell you to go down the street and look at the bank when they have a watch on their wrist.

What's the advantage to messing with BNLS instead of doing all the authentication and junk in your own program? I'm assuming there's an advantage, I see dozens of registration requests in the other forum. :-X

Because most people are lazy, and dont want to take time. Like me :D

[quote author=Lycaon link=board=17;threadid=7153;start=0#msg64177 date=1086716298]
What's the advantage to messing with BNLS instead of doing all the authentication and junk in your own program? I'm assuming there's an advantage, I see dozens of registration requests in the other forum. :-X
[/quote]

Don't have to spend time figuring out all the hashing/other various functions on your own

BNLS allows you to connect without your users having to configure hash files. (pretty basic, but still beyond the "average joe" computer user.) It also allows you to log in using Warcraft III. (This can be done without BNLS with a much greater degree of work.)

Thanks :P

I hope those functions are on the forums somewhere, cause I'm going to waste some time looking for them. :P