Ukagaka

Ukagaka, (伺か), also known as Nanika (何か) is a catch-all term for Japanese software that provides a pair of talking desktop buddies. They can perform functions such as checking emails, searching the internet, or adjusting the computer's clock, but mainly exist for aesthetic purposes.

Most characters take the form of anime girls, along with a pet or monster; however, they can take the form of anything.

Terminology
The characters talk, usually in Japanese, their speech being shown in speech bubbles. As they talk, they will typically display different facial expressions, known as "surfaces." They may occasionally talk to the user, such as saying certain things relating to the time, or saying goodbye when they close the program, but they mostly talk to each other.

Most of their conversations are lighthearted. Their lines ("fake-AI talk") are generated with a program called "shiori." The character's personality (referred to as a "ghost") depends on it. The character's appearance is its "shell," which contains several surfaces.

To prevent ghosts from repeating the same conversations, the user can update their data via the internet. Currently, most ghosts do not receive regular updates. If the user gives permission, they can talk using a remote script, which is written in the language "Sakura Script." It is possible for multiple users to chat to each other using the Ukagaka system. To communicate with other programs, it uses the protocol Sakura Script Transfer Protocol, or SSTP.

Essentially, the term "Ukagaka" refers to the platform a ghost can run on. Some platforms compatible with Ukagaka are Sakura Script Player (SSP) and CROW. SSP is typically preferred to the original Ukagaka software, as the latter's development has been stalled.

Ukagaka and compatible platforms usually come with their respective default ghosts. Often, more than one ghost is ran on the same platform. Ghosts can be switched out at the user's will, and more than one can be displayed at a time. Ghosts are often stored as .nar (Nanika Archive) files.

Shiori
Each ghost has a different personality, and will talk about different subjects. This is because each ghost has its own shiori. Due to the complexity of creating a shiori from scratch, middleware, such as KAWARI, is often used as a simple way to create a ghost.

Ghosts in Other Languages
While most ghosts are in Japanese, they can be created in other languages. SSP's menu language can be changed, but this will not change the language the ghost speaks.