Cinch::Helper can't get instances of Channel and User objects

[noraj]

https://github.com/cinchrb/cinch/blob/master/docs/common_tasks.md told me that I can use User('user').send("Hello!")

but I get an error

/home/user/.gem/ruby/2.3.0/gems/cinch-2.3.3/lib/cinch/user_list.rb:42:in `find_ensured': undefined method `isupport' for nil:NilClass (NoMethodError)
    from /home/user/.gem/ruby/2.3.0/gems/cinch-2.3.3/lib/cinch/helpers.rb:57:in `User'
    from irc.rb:10:in `block in <main>'
    from /home/user/.gem/ruby/2.3.0/gems/cinch-2.3.3/lib/cinch/bot.rb:355:in `instance_eval'
    from /home/user/.gem/ruby/2.3.0/gems/cinch-2.3.3/lib/cinch/bot.rb:355:in `initialize'
    from irc.rb:3:in `new'
    from irc.rb:3:in `<main>

Used with this code :

require 'cinch'

bot = Cinch::Bot.new do
  configure do |c|
    c.server   = "irc.server.org"
    c.nick     = "bot_name"
    c.channels = ["#channel"]
  end

  User('username').send("!command")

  on :message, /^regex)/ do |m,challenge|
    # some stuff
    m.reply "!command answer}"
  end
end

bot.start

find_ensured does the same error with Channel("#channel").

[dominikh]

User('username').send("!command") executes in the Bot.new block, i.e. when you load the file, not when the bot is connected. As there is no connection yet, this will fail in many ways.

[noraj]

all I put after bot.start is not executed.

For example

require 'cinch'

bot = Cinch::Bot.new do
  configure do |c|
    c.server   = "irc.server.org"
    c.nick     = "bot_name"
    c.channels = ["#channel"]
  end

  on :message, /^regex)/ do |m,challenge|
    # some stuff
    m.reply "!command answer}"
  end
end

bot.start
User('username').send("!command")
# all stuff here, cinch or ruby command, won't be executed

[Defman21]

Because bot.start is thread-locking (its waiting for incoming messages). I'd suggest to try Cinch plugins or create Threads

[noraj]

That would have been great if Cinch has this feature out of the box. I don't understand that Cinch can reply to message with on :message but can't directly send message to a user.

Plugin doc is empty since 2012. ANd this example doesn't help me to understand how to send a message (not just replying) with a plugin.

Create a thread is more a workaround than a solution.

[noraj]

I find a way. For example waiting for a special private message or on :connect:

on :private, /^send_target/ do
    candy  = Cinch::Target.new("target-user", bot)
    candy.send("message")
  end

This will be nice to write someting like this in the doc.