The Journey of a Legacy Add‐On Evolving into a Pure WebExtension - jobisoft/quicktext GitHub Wiki

Quicktext has been a reliable companion for Thunderbird users for over 20 years, providing a powerful tool to enhance the email experience. However, as the add-on ecosystem has progressed, there have been significant changes in how add-ons function.

The Transition to the WebExtension Technology

In the past, add-ons operated with full system privileges, giving them almost limitless functionality. However, with the introduction of the WebExtensions technology, this model shifted. WebExtensions ensure better compatibility with future Thunderbird updates but also introduce some constraints: not only are they limited in how the can alter Thunderbird's UI, add-ons must also request specific permissions, providing users with greater transparency about what an add-on is doing.

When Firefox moved to WebExtensions, it discontinued support for legacy add-ons, which resulted in many beloved extensions being retired. The Thunderbird team, however, chose a different path: they continue to allow legacy extensions, but users are prompted to grant "full-access" permission before installation.

Quicktext’s Evolution

Quicktext is currently undergoing a multi-year transition to fully adopt the WebExtension technology. This process is documented on GitHub:

• https://github.com/jobisoft/quicktext/issues/439
• https://github.com/jobisoft/quicktext/issues/451

With the release of Version 6 for Thunderbird 140, roughly 80% of Quicktext's code has already been migrated. However, there are still a few key elements that remain tied to the legacy system:

• Legacy XML Configuration: The system still reads old XML configuration files from the user's disk and converts them to WebExtension local storage. Will be removed in the next Milestone release.
• Quicktext Manager: Currently built using XUL, this component will be rewritten in HTML for the Milestone 3 release.
• FILE Tag Support: The add-on still supports reading files directly from the user's disk. This will be addressed in Milestone 4 with a proxy add-on.
• Quicktext Toolbar: The toolbar currently modifies Thunderbird’s UI beyond what WebExtensions can handle. This will be handled in Milestone 5.

Looking Ahead

As Quicktext continues its journey toward becoming a pure WebExtension, the goal is to retain the core features that users have loved for years while embracing the future of Thunderbird’s add-on ecosystem.

Stay tuned for continued updates and improvements as Quicktext evolves into its next chapter!