addon modifications for electrolysis

[buggyj]

tiddlyfox will have to be substantially restructured to work with the new firefox multi-process architecture.
Doomsday (so to speak) has been pencilled in for firefox 36, which will be release around Feb.

[Jermolene]

Ouch. How will TiddlyClip fare? I'm nervous that TiddlyFox needs a very complete overhaul; it was written with cobbled together example code that must now be very out of date.

[buggyj]

The architectural changes for tiddlyfox will involve splitting the functionality between framescipts (a copy will need to be installed in each tab) and a background script, probability in each window. Inteactions with pages go in the framescript and the background handles interaction with the file system. There needs to be a bit of extra logic for interprocess comms and some boilerplate code for software updates.
The addition to the tools menu would need to be handled programmatically (or just removed).

At present there are issues with updating framescripts - the restartless mechanism was badly thought out, and at present doesn't work with framescripts.

The above assume that you would used the 'low level' apis, there is also the addon sdk which is abstracted from these details somewhat, but I don't know if it has the functionality that tiddlyfox needs (and I don't think it works with the new architecture yet).

Tiddlyclip already uses framescipts, but some (more) of the functionality will have to move from the background script to the framescripts - whether the apis I used will work with the multiprocess architecture is not clear - there is no documentation for this. In general the lack of (relevant) documentation is a real pain.

[Jermolene]

There needs to be a bit of extra logic for interprocess comms

What's the preferred mechanism for a frame script to talk to a background script?

The addition to the tools menu would need to be handled programmatically (or just removed)

Removed, I think. I would like to add a preferences/options window, though.

[buggyj]

There is a messagemanger module for handing comms between framescripts and background
To add options, and be compatible with fennec, we have to use inline options:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Fennec/Extensions/Options

[buggyj]

I have had a look at the addon sdk and feel that tiddlyfox could be rewritten to use the addon sdk apis. - the advantage is that this should (hopefully)make tiddlyfox compatible with pre-electrolysis and electrolysis versions of the browser and also allow it to work with the android version.

[Jermolene]

Hi @buggyj that would be pretty good. I'm hoping to pick up TiddlyFox over the next few weeks - the impending electrolysis release is a useful spur :)

[buggyj]

The latest from electrolysis is that it will be after ff version 40 - towards the end of the year
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Electrolysis/Meetings/2015-01-08

[Jermolene]

Hi @buggyj phew, that's a relief 😄, gives us a bit more time to prepare

[buggyj]

@Jermolene I am just finishing off the needed electrolysis changes for tiddlyclip, and will shortly have a look at what needs to be done for tiddlyfox.

[gerv]

If a rewrite is being done, it also needs to take account of the fact that from 57 (in November) Firefox will only support WebExtensions: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions .

Can the developers of TiddlyFox let us know their plans here?