Changes to Extension Packaging

[TheOneKEA]

As per bsmedberg's request in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=283352 , here's a thread explaining the creation of the new chrome manifest files and the removal of several properties from the install.rdf file.

Beginning with Firefox 1.1, extensions should specify all of their chrome packages in a single plaintext manifest file, chrome.manifest in the root of the extension. Get more information about this file format. If chrome.manifest is missing, the extension manager will generate one from the old em:file property and contents.rdf files.

Code: Select all

content mypackagename jar:chrome/myjarfile.jar!/content/
locale mypackagename en-US jar:chrome/myjarfile.jar!/locale/English/
locale mypackagename fr-FR jar:chrome/myjarfile.jar!/locale/French/
skin mypackagename classic/1.0 jar:chrome/myjarfile.jar!/skin/classic/


(comma removed from link by alanjstr 2006-02-28)

[jgbishop]

The bug link should be: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=283352

Yours had a comma in it, which resulted in an invalid link.

[asqueella]

additionally, this has been posted already

[TheOneKEA]

Ah, but did the creator of the other thread PM a staff member asking for teh sticky?

[TheOneKEA]

EDIT:

Here's an example chrome.manifest file for TBP.

Code: Select all

content tabprefs jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/content/
locale tabprefs en-US jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/en-US/
locale tabprefs cs-CZ jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/cs-CZ/
locale tabprefs de-DE jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/de-DE/
locale tabprefs el-GR jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/el-GR/
locale tabprefs es-AR jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/es-AR/
locale tabprefs es-ES jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/es-ES/
locale tabprefs fi-FI jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/fi-FI/
locale tabprefs fr-FR jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/fr-FR/
locale tabprefs it-IT jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/it-IT/
locale tabprefs ko-KR jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/ko-KR/
locale tabprefs nl-NL jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/nl-NL/
locale tabprefs pt-BR jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/pt-BR/
locale tabprefs pt-PT jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/pt-PT/
locale tabprefs ru-RU jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/ru-RU/
locale tabprefs sl-SI jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/sl-SI/
locale tabprefs sv-SE jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/sv-SE/
locale tabprefs zh-CN jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/zh-CN/
locale tabprefs zh-TW jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/locale/zh-TW/
skin tabprefs classic/1.0 jar:chrome/tabprefs.jar!/skin/classic/


[jedbro]

TheOneKEA, have you tested this on a new nightly? (Just asking before I do the same for my extensions).
Cheers
-Jed

[Ihoss]

so you don't need the install.rdf file anymore?

[TheOneKEA]

No. The 20050228 build that daihard made refuses to start, so I can't test any of my new XUL/JS. At best, it will probably be the end of the week before I get a working 1.2.9 build out the door.

so you don't need the install.rdf file anymore?

You still need install.rdf; the <em:file> predicate has been obsoleted however, replaced with the new manifest files.

[mcm_ham]

additionally, this has been posted already

It doesn't matter much if it's been posted twice, we're just spreading the word. TheOneKEA I have now PM'd a couple of moderators to make one of our posts a sticky.

[Ihoss]

hmm, now they have changed the installation procedure 3 times! (js, rdf and now manifest)

[mcm_ham]

TheOneKEA, have you tested this on a new nightly? (Just asking before I do the same for my extensions).
Cheers
-Jed

You'll find that with the latest build that it creates the chrome.manifest file automatically from the old <em:file> tags in install.rdf and from the chrome.rdf file anyway. Specifying your own just gives you more control.

hmm, now they have changed the installation procedure 3 times! (js, rdf and now manifest)

It's because of Bug #278534. I think the number of bugs the new scheme fixes was worth it. Especially Bug #246209 chrome.rdf should use relative jar locations.

[Moonwolf]

have you tested this on a new nightly?

Tested the latest version of EMbuttons on today's build (with all contents.rdf files removed) and it worked like a dream first time.

[bsmedberg]

Just to clarify, I put in a decent amount of backwards-compatibility code so that if you want to keep using <em:file> and contents.rdf, you can; the old 1.0 format will still work for the forseeable future. The new format is a lot simpler, and I hope easier for extension authors to understand and harder to screw up ;)

[DerManoMann]

What about extensions that work fine the way they are at the moment.

Can we keet the <em:file> section in install.rdf to be backwards compatible and still add chrome.manifest (perhaps with more than install.rdf covers)?

[mcm_ham]

Yes, that is what Bug #283352 solved.