Telegram

Pros of tdesktop

• Official desktop client developed by Telegram team
• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• More frequent updates and feature parity with mobile apps

Cons of tdesktop

• Larger codebase, potentially more complex to contribute to
• May have higher system requirements due to Qt framework

Code Comparison

tdesktop (C++):

void MainWindow::showSettings() {
    if (_settings) {
        _settings->showSettings();
    }
}

Telegram (Java):

public void showSettings() {
    presentFragment(new SettingsActivity());
}

Additional Notes

• Telegram is primarily focused on Android, while tdesktop covers desktop platforms
• tdesktop uses C++ with Qt framework, Telegram uses Java for Android
• Both are open-source, allowing community contributions
• Telegram (Android) may have better integration with mobile-specific features
• tdesktop offers a native desktop experience with better performance on computers

Overall, the choice between these repositories depends on the target platform and development preferences. tdesktop is ideal for desktop applications, while Telegram is better suited for Android development.

Pros of Webogram

• Web-based client, accessible from any browser without installation
• Lightweight and faster to load compared to native apps
• Easier to contribute to and modify due to web technologies

Cons of Webogram

• Limited access to device features (e.g., camera, contacts)
• May have slower performance for resource-intensive tasks
• Less secure than native apps due to browser vulnerabilities

Code Comparison

Webogram (JavaScript):

AppMessagesManager.sendText = function (peerString, text, options) {
  if (!angular.isString(text) || !text.length) {
    return $q.reject({type: 'NO_TEXT'});
  }
  options = options || {};
  var messageID = tempID--;

Telegram (Java):

public void sendMessage(TLRPC.User user, String message, MessageObject replyToMsg) {
    if (user == null || TextUtils.isEmpty(message)) {
        return;
    }
    TLRPC.TL_message newMsg = new TLRPC.TL_message();
    newMsg.message = message;

Both repositories implement message sending functionality, but Webogram uses JavaScript and Angular, while Telegram uses Java. Webogram's implementation is more web-oriented, while Telegram's is native Android-focused.

Pros of Telegram-iOS

• Native iOS development using Swift, providing better performance and integration with iOS features
• More frequent updates and active development from the official Telegram team
• Comprehensive documentation and contribution guidelines for developers

Cons of Telegram-iOS

• Limited to iOS platform, reducing cross-platform compatibility
• Larger codebase and potentially steeper learning curve for new contributors
• Stricter adherence to Apple's guidelines, which may limit some features

Code Comparison

Telegram (Android):

public class MainActivity extends Activity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    }
}

Telegram-iOS:

class MainViewController: UIViewController {
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        view.backgroundColor = .white
    }
}

The code snippets demonstrate the basic structure of a main view controller in both projects. Telegram uses Java for Android development, while Telegram-iOS utilizes Swift for native iOS development. The iOS version showcases Swift's concise syntax and iOS-specific conventions, highlighting the platform-specific nature of the repository.

Pros of td

• More comprehensive and flexible API for Telegram functionality
• Better performance and lower resource usage
• Supports multiple programming languages through bindings

Cons of td

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex architecture
• Less user-friendly for simple applications
• Requires more setup and configuration

Code Comparison

td:

auto client = td::Client::create();
auto query = td_api::make_object<td_api::getChats>();
client->send({1, std::move(query)});

Telegram:

TelegramClient client = new TelegramClient(apiId, apiHash, sessionFile);
client.connect();
List<Dialog> dialogs = client.getDialogs();

Key Differences

• td is a lower-level library focusing on core Telegram functionality
• Telegram is a full-featured Android app with a more user-friendly API
• td offers more control and customization options
• Telegram provides a simpler implementation for basic use cases

Use Cases

• td: Ideal for complex Telegram-based applications or integrations
• Telegram: Better suited for quick prototyping or simple Telegram clients

Community and Support

• td: Larger developer community, more frequent updates
• Telegram: Smaller community, but easier to get started with

Pros of Telethon

• Written in Python, making it more accessible for rapid development and scripting
• Comprehensive documentation and examples for easier implementation
• Supports both user and bot accounts, offering more flexibility

Cons of Telethon

• Limited to Python ecosystem, whereas Telegram is a native Android app
• May have slower performance compared to native implementations
• Requires more setup and configuration for basic functionality

Code Comparison

Telethon (Python):

from telethon import TelegramClient, events

client = TelegramClient('session', api_id, api_hash)

@client.on(events.NewMessage(pattern='/start'))
async def start_handler(event):
    await event.reply('Hello!')

client.start()
client.run_until_disconnected()

Telegram (Java):

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    }
}

The code snippets highlight the difference in approach: Telethon focuses on event-driven programming for Telegram interactions, while the Telegram repository contains Android-specific code for the mobile app interface.