Using Emacs as an IRC client

I just found out that I can emacs as my IRC client with ERC which is great. However, there are a couple of issues that I am wondering if Emacs supports: the first is that the message prompt is terminal style, which means that it keeps moving as I receive messages. Is there a way to replicate the interface of other IRC clients where there is a separate frame for inputing messages? The second issue is that it seems that receiving files from an XDCC server does not work. Is there some special configuration for it to work?

If you customize the ERC group, you should find most of the options you're looking for in Erc Modules. The dcc option is definitely available, but not enabled by default. Not sure what you mean about the entry frame, but the scrolltobottom option (also not enabled by default) might help. You can also try other Emacs-based irc clients if ERC doesn't provide the options you want. The Emacs Wiki lists nine.

This is one of the roughest possible solutions, and FYI I'm using emacs 26.3/erc 5.3. ERC only automatically scrolls if you have point on the input line. Since each buffer/window pair has its own value of point, you can have one window with point in the messages for a chronological view, and one with point on the input line for sending input and/or seeing the latest messages scroll by. It wouldn't be too hard to automatically keep the two windows synchronized if you switched to a different channel. And you might need to prevent yourself from closing the chronological window because then you'd lose that value of point.

As a side question how does ERC perform over Circe? I've been using circe successfully for years and wondered which one is 'better'. The issue that both have is the lack of IRCv3 support.

I cannot comment on the ERC bit, but the IRCv3 part seems to be a lack of intersection between people who want it and people who can make it happen. Some minor quibbles aside (yes, better ZNC integration would be nice), I don't really have a need for IRCv3 support beyond basic SASL integration.

I think that's true. For my side IRCv3 would help with better playback and interaction with newer networks such as matrix. I've been using clients based on the Communi Framwork that do this quite well.

Yep, this solves both my issues. Thanks!