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  }

  unless (Bot::Cobalt::Core->has_instance) {
    carp "Tried to retrieve instance but no active Bot::Cobalt::Core found";
    return
  }

  Bot::Cobalt::Core->instance 
}

sub new {
  croak "Bot::Cobalt is a stub; it cannot be constructed.\n"
    . "See the perldoc for Bot::Cobalt::Core";
}

1;
__END__

=pod

=head1 NAME

Bot::Cobalt - IRC darkbot-alike plus plugin authoring sugar

=head1 SYNOPSIS

  ## Set up example confs and a simple ~/.cobalt2rc :
  sh$ cobalt2-installer

  ## Get some assistance:
  sh$ cobalt2 --help
  
  ## Launch in foreground:
  sh$ cobalt2 --nodetach
  
  ## Launch in background:
  sh$ cobalt2

=head1 DESCRIPTION

B<Bot::Cobalt> is the second generation of the C<cobalt> IRC bot, which was
originally a Perl remiplementation of Jason Hamilton's 90s-era C<darkbot>.

Bot::Cobalt provides a pluggable IRC bot framework coupled with a core set of plugins 
replicating classic C<darkbot> and C<cobalt> behavior.

The included plugin set provides a wide range of functionality; see 
L</"Included plugins"> below.

IRC connectivity and protocol details are handled via 
L<POE::Component::IRC>; the bot can 
comfortably manage multiple servers/networks (referred to as 
"contexts").

Bot::Cobalt tries to be friendly to developers. The bridge to 
L<POE::Component::IRC> exists as a plugin and can be easily subclassed 
or replaced entirely; see L<Bot::Cobalt::IRC>.

Plugin authoring is intended to be as easy as possible. Modules are 
included to provide simple frontends to IRC-related 
utilities, logging, plugin configuration, asynchronous HTTP 
sessions, data serialization and on-disk databases, and more. See 
L<Bot::Cobalt::Manual::Plugins> for more about plugin authoring.

=head2 Initializing a new instance

A Bot::Cobalt instance needs its own I<etc/> and I<var/> directories. With 
the default frontend (C<cobalt2>), these are specified in a simple 
'rcfile' for each particular instance.

  sh$ cobalt2-installer

C<cobalt2-installer> will ask some questions, initialize a new rcfile 
for an instance and try to create the relevant directory layout with 
some example configuration files.

You can, of course, run multiple instances with the default frontend; 
each just needs its own rcfile:

  sh$ cobalt2-installer --rcfile=${HOME}/cobalts/mycobalt.rc
  sh$ cobalt2 --rcfile=${HOME}/cobalts/mycobalt.rc

After reviewing/editing the example configuration files, you should be 
ready to try starting your Cobalt instance:

  ## Launch in foreground with verbose debug output:
  sh$ cobalt2 --nodetach --debug
  
  ## Launch in background with configured log options:
  sh$ cobalt2

=head2 Included plugins

The example C<etc/plugins.conf> installed by C<cobalt2-installer> has 
most of these:

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Alarmclock> -- IRC highlight timers

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Auth> -- User authentication

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Games> -- Simple IRC games

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Info3> -- Flexible text-triggered responses

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Master> -- Simple bot control from IRC

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::PluginMgr> -- Load/unload plugins from IRC

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::RDB> -- "Random stuff" databases for quotebots 
or randomized chatter on a timer

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Extras::CPAN> -- Query MetaCPAN and 
L<Module::CoreList>

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Extras::DNS> -- DNS lookups

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Extras::Karma> -- Karma bot

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Extras::Relay> -- Cross-network relay

L<Bot::Cobalt::Plugin::Extras::TempConv> -- Temperature units conversion