# YouTube Chat Listener (Version 2) - Project Progress Log

This document chronicles the key steps, findings, and decisions made during the development and research phases of the YouTube Chat Listener (Version 2) project.

## Initial State

*   Existing `youtube_chat_terminal` project used YouTube Data API v3 polling.
*   Concerns about API quota exhaustion led to the conception of `youtube-chat-webhook-v2`.

## Research Phase - Initial Plan (gRPC Misconception)

*   **Goal:** Find a quota-friendly, compliant solution.
*   **Initial Hypothesis:** `liveChatMessages.streamList` (gRPC) was believed to be the ideal solution.
*   **Action:** A detailed "Deep Research Plan" was outlined in `README.md` and `DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md`.
*   **Finding:** Subsequent research (via `google_web_search`) revealed that `liveChatMessages.streamList` (gRPC) is **not publicly available** for the YouTube Data API v3. This was a critical correction to the initial understanding.

## Research Phase - Revised Plan (Focus on Sustainability & `pytchat`)

*   **Goal:** Identify a sustainable, quota-friendly, compliant, open-source, Linux-compatible method for real-time YouTube Live Chat, explicitly ruling out API quota increases.
*   **Revised Strategy:** Shifted focus to:
    *   Deep dive into YouTube's web client communication.
    *   Re-exploration of YouTube Data API v3 (creative use).
    *   Community solutions and open-source projects.
    *   Re-evaluation of third-party services.
*   **Action:** `README.md` and `DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md` were updated to reflect this revised plan.

## Experimental Implementation - `pytchat` Exploration

*   **Objective:** Experiment with `pytchat` as a direct (but risky) solution for zero-quota live chat fetching.
*   **Action:** Installed `pytchat` and created `pytchat_listener.py` for basic chat fetching and display.
*   **Status:** `pytchat_listener.py` is working as expected.
*   **Internal Mechanism Analysis of `pytchat`:**
    *   **Endpoint:** `POST https://www.youtube.com/youtubei/v1/live_chat/get_live_chat` (internal, undocumented API).
    *   **Authentication/Session:** Relies on mimicking browser headers (`User-Agent`), `visitorData` (extracted from previous responses), dynamically generated `clientVersion`, and `httpx.Client`'s automatic cookie handling.
    *   **Continuation Token:** Complex, encoded parameter generated using custom Protocol Buffers-like encoding and timestamps.
    *   **Channel ID Discovery:** Performs lightweight scraping of YouTube's `embed` or `m.youtube.com` pages using regex.
    *   **Implications:** Highly fragile (subject to breaking), **critical compliance risk** (violates YouTube's Terms of Service).
*   **Action:** `DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md` was updated with these findings.

## Next Steps

*   Proceed with "Integration with `rich` Display" as outlined in `DEVELOPMENT_PLAN.md`.
*   Continue with other phases of the revised research plan, keeping the compliance and fragility risks of `pytchat` in mind.