Talk about add-ons and extension development.
C-E
Posts: 9Joined: October 31st, 2019, 11:33 am
Posted October 31st, 2019, 11:50 am
I'm completely new to Thunderbird extension programming - so please be patient with me!  I try to set up a very simple extension that implements a button, which when clicked, invokes the message search window. (i.e. does the same as clicking the menu commands "Edit" -> "Find" -> "Search Messages") I was able to build a manifest.json - Code: Select all
{
"manifest_version": 2,
"name": "Search Button",
"description": "Button to invoke message search window.",
"version": "1.0",
"author": "C-E",
"applications": {
"gecko": {
"id": "SearchButton@pharqcon.com",
"strict_min_version": "68.0"
}
},
"background": {
"scripts": [
"background.js"
]
},
"browser_action": {
"default_title": "Search",
"default_icon": "search.svg"
},
"permissions": [
]
}
and a background.js - Code: Select all
function klickaktion() {
var controller = document.commandDispatcher.getControllerForCommand("cmd_search");
if (controller && controller.isCommandEnabled("cmd_search")){
controller.doCommand(command);
}
}
browser.browserAction.onClicked.addListener(klickaktion);
The button works, but I cannot find how to implement the execution of a command. After clicking my search button, the following error is logged in the console: "document.commandDispatcher is undefined" Any help (for bloody beginners) is highly appreciated!
morat
Posts: 3922Joined: February 3rd, 2009, 6:29 pm
Posted October 31st, 2019, 5:16 pm
C-E
Posts: 9Joined: October 31st, 2019, 11:33 am
Posted November 1st, 2019, 12:06 pm
Dear morat, thank you for your reply!
It was not my intension to use legacy code, and I really don't want to create a legacy addon.
I think the manifest.json is okay, i.e. not legacy but according to the current requirements.
So the question is: Which code can be used in background.js which is "current" (not legacy) in order to execute the menu command "Edit" -> "Find" -> "Search Messages"?
(Before I posted my original questions I did a lot of hours internet research, therefore I already knew most of the links you provided, but I could not find an answer to my question.)
C-E
Posts: 9Joined: October 31st, 2019, 11:33 am
Posted November 2nd, 2019, 4:31 am
Dear morat, once again thank you! Really, not possible without creating a legacy or experiment_apis addon? And I thought my "project" could not be smaller and simpler ... (What did the Thunderbird 68 developers do? It sounds to me as if a big computer manufacturer presents his all new notebook pc and says: it has an extension port. And a user asks: Can I connect an external keyboard? Manufacturer: No.) Uff, WebExtension Experiments seem to be quite complicated ... and the crucial point is: "And finally, the implementation. In this file, you’ll put all the code that directly interacts with Thunderbird UI or components."
Where can I find the documentation how to interact with Thunderbird UI or components?
morat
Posts: 3922Joined: February 3rd, 2009, 6:29 pm
Posted November 2nd, 2019, 8:47 am
Thunderbird Docs http://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Mozilla/ThunderbirdI would create a legacy xul addon for now, then convert it to a legacy bootstrap addon, then later convert it to an experiment_apis addon. I read that a legacy bootstrap addon should be fairly easy to convert to an experiment_apis addon. * manifest.json - Code: Select all
{
"manifest_version": 2,
"name": "Tweaks",
"description": "Personalize Thunderbird.",
"version": "1.0",
"author": "morat",
"icons": {
"32": "chrome/skin/classic/icon32.png"
},
"legacy": {
"type": "xul"
},
"applications": {
"gecko": {
"id": "tweaks@example.com",
"strict_min_version": "68.0"
}
}
}
* chrome.manifest - Code: Select all
content tweaks chrome/content/
locale tweaks en-US chrome/locale/en-US/
skin tweaks classic/1.0 chrome/skin/classic/
overlay chrome://messenger/content/messenger.xul chrome://tweaks/content/overlay.xul
style chrome://messenger/content/customizeToolbar.xul chrome://tweaks/skin/overlay.css
* chrome\content\overlay.xul - Code: Select all
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://tweaks/skin/overlay.css" type="text/css"?>
<!DOCTYPE overlay SYSTEM "chrome://tweaks/locale/overlay.dtd">
<overlay id="tweaks-overlay" xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
<script type="application/javascript" src="chrome://tweaks/content/overlay.js"/>
<toolbarpalette id="MailToolbarPalette">
<toolbarbutton id="tweaks-example-button"
class="toolbarbutton-1"
label="&tweaks.example.label;"
tooltiptext="&tweaks.example.tooltiptext;"
oncommand="Tweaks.example();"/>
</toolbarpalette>
</overlay>
* chrome\content\overlay.js - Code: Select all
var Tweaks = {
init: function () {
},
example: function () {
Services.prompt.alert(window, "Tweaks", document.location.href);
},
};
window.addEventListener("load", function () { Tweaks.init(); }, false);
* chrome\skin\classic\overlay.css - Code: Select all
#tweaks-example-button {
list-style-image: url("chrome://tweaks/skin/example.png");
-moz-image-region: auto;
}
* chrome\locale\en-US\overlay.dtd - Code: Select all
<!ENTITY tweaks.example.label "Example">
<!ENTITY tweaks.example.tooltiptext "This is an example">
note: icon32.png and example.png are in the chrome\skin\classic folder note: replace oncommand="Tweaks.example();" with oncommand="goDoCommand('cmd_search');" to open the Search Messages window
morat
Posts: 3922Joined: February 3rd, 2009, 6:29 pm
Posted November 2nd, 2019, 10:13 am
There is a simple way to test the extension. * open the extensions folder e.g. C:\ThunderbirdPortable\Data\profile\extensions * create a text file and put the path to the Tweaks extension inside e.g. C:\Tweaks note: last character cannot be a newline or space * save the file with the id of the Tweaks extension as its name i.e. tweaks@example.com note: do not use .txt extension * restart the application If the new code changes aren't taking effect, then try using the -purgecaches command line option. More info http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3043597
C-E
Posts: 9Joined: October 31st, 2019, 11:33 am
Posted November 2nd, 2019, 5:00 pm
morat, you are great!!! I made some slight modifications and now it works like a charm ... A special thanks once more to you! (The only thing which I could not properly resolve was an error in overlay.xul regarding the reference to overlay.dtd in <toolbarbutton id="search-button" class="toolbarbutton-1" label="&SearchButton.label;" tooltiptext="&SearchButton.tooltiptext;" oncommand="goDoCommand('cmd_search');"/>
XML Parsing Error: undefined entity but I replaced it by <toolbarbutton id="search-button" class="toolbarbutton-1" label="Search" tooltiptext="Shortcut to 'Edit' -> 'Find' -> 'Search Messages'" oncommand="goDoCommand('cmd_search');"/>)
The following is the working code: /SearchButton/manifest.json - Code: Select all
{
"manifest_version": 2,
"name": "SearchButton",
"description": "Toolbar button to invoke message search window.",
"version": "1.0",
"author": "morat & C-E",
"icons": {
"16": "skin/search.svg",
"24": "skin/search.svg",
"48": "skin/search.svg",
"96": "skin/search.svg"
},
"legacy": {
"type": "xul"
},
"applications": {
"gecko": {
"id": "SearchButton@pharqcon.com",
"strict_min_version": "68.0"
}
}
}
/SearchButton/chrome.manifest - Code: Select all
content SearchButton content/
locale SearchButton en-US locale/en_US/
skin SearchButton classic/1.0 skin/
overlay chrome://messenger/content/messenger.xul chrome://SearchButton/content/overlay.xul
style chrome://messenger/content/customizeToolbar.xul chrome://SearchButton/skin/overlay.css
/SearchButton/content/overlay.js - Code: Select all
var SearchButton = {
init: function () {
},
example: function () {
Services.prompt.alert(window, "SearchButton", document.location.href);
},
};
window.addEventListener("load", function () { SearchButton.init(); }, false);
/SearchButton/content/overlay.xul - Code: Select all
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://SearchButton/skin/overlay.css" type="text/css"?>
<!DOCTYPE overlay SYSTEM "chrome://SearchButton/locale/en_US/overlay.dtd">
<overlay id="tweaks-overlay" xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
<script type="application/javascript" src="chrome://SearchButton/content/overlay.js"/>
<toolbarpalette id="MailToolbarPalette">
<toolbarbutton id="search-button" class="toolbarbutton-1" label="Search" tooltiptext="Shortcut to 'Edit' -> 'Find' -> 'Search Messages'" oncommand="goDoCommand('cmd_search');"/>
</toolbarpalette>
</overlay>
/SearchButton/skin/overlay.css - Code: Select all
#search-button {
list-style-image: url("chrome://SearchButton/skin/search.svg");
-moz-image-region: auto;
}
/SearchButton/skin/search.svg http://pharqcon.bplaced.net/dl/search.svg/SearchButton/locale\en_US/overlay.dtd - Code: Select all
<!ENTITY SearchButton.label "Search">
<!ENTITY SearchButton.tooltiptext "Shortcut to 'Edit' -> 'Find' -> 'Search Messages'">
If you want to try this extension, you can download the .xpi (packed into .zip) from here: http://pharqcon.bplaced.net/dl/SearchButton.zip
C-E
Posts: 9Joined: October 31st, 2019, 11:33 am
Posted November 3rd, 2019, 11:42 am
Dear morat, you were right (and I tend to say: as always), "angle brackets" like "<" and ">" cannot be used in the strings of the .dtd-file. I updated my extension and also added a German locale (as I am German). So this is the final extension: http://pharqcon.bplaced.net/dl/SearchButton.zipOnce again thank you very much for your help ... greatly appreciated! P.S. The remaining question is, how to realize this extension without legacy code, but that seems really complicated. I for myself decided not to update Thunderbird anymore until it may become really necessary.
morat
Posts: 3922Joined: February 3rd, 2009, 6:29 pm
Posted November 9th, 2019, 7:25 am
C-E
Posts: 9Joined: October 31st, 2019, 11:33 am
Posted November 21st, 2019, 4:37 pm
I just learned that "without legacy code" is not correct.
The following is a statement from a Thunderbird insider:
"Just to make sure that everything is clear now:
1. We had up to now full power legacy addons, which have access to all core methods (Services.* and much more).
2. legacy addons are to be deprecated
3. the new addon type is called webextension
4. We no longer can use core methods with webextensions, but only what is available as webextensions API (from firefox) and mailextensions API (from thunderbird)
5. This of course removes a lot of functionality as we do not have web/mailextensions for all the nice things we could do with core methods
6. For the time being we are allowed to create our own mailextension APIs as so called experiments to regain the missing features
7. The implementation.js of such an experiment has again access to all core methods
8. Over the next 2 years, we as addon authors and the core developers need to create as much mailextensions API as needed and merge them into core
9. At some day, experiments will be disabled and access to core methods will be not allowed anymore - before this day comes we need to make sure to have all the functionality we once had with legacy addons available via mailextension APIs"
and
"That is why a few weeks ago it was announced that Thunderbird will also stop supporting legacy extensions with TB72.
That would mean, most of the addons will not work anymore, because we do not have all the webextensions API we need.
That is why we are allowed to use experiments. It must be clear, that simply stuffing your legacy code into an experiment will fix the problem
now, but that will stop working as soon as the transition is complete and experiments are disabled (they are already disabled in firefox)."
Or, simplified and in a nutshell: Put your legacy code in the implementation.js of a webextension experiment and it should work with Thunderbird 68.
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