To package the extension

First create a directory structure in custom/ that corresponds to your site name. Use "sogo-demo" as an example. You can do so by doing:

% cp -a custom/sogo-demo custom/mysite

Then customize the following files:

• custom/mysite/defaults/preferences/site.js
• custom/mysite/chrome/content/sogo-connector/global/extensions.rdf

If you want to force-push preferences upon each startup, modify:

• custom/mysite//chrome/content/sogo-connector/general/custom-preferences.js

To build the extension, do:

% make distclean
% make build=mysite

Logging

For development enable debug messages

Taken from: http://brainflush.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/mozilla-thunderbird-extension-development-environment-setup/

javascript.options.showInConsole = true. Logs errors in chrome files to the Error Console.

nglayout.debug.disable_xul_cache = true. Disables the XUL cache so that changes to windows and dialogs do not require a restart. This assumes you’re using directories rather than JARs. Changes to XUL overlays will still require reloading of the document overlaid.

browser.dom.window.dump.enabled = true. Enables the use of the dump() statement to print to the standard console. See window.dump for more info. You can also use nsIConsoleService from privileged script.

javascript.options.strict = true. Enables strict JavaScript warnings in the Error Console. Note that since many people have this setting turned off when developing, you will see lots of warnings for problems with their code in addition to warnings for your own extension. You can filter those with Console2.

You can do so automatically by setting these preferences in site.js:

pref("javascript.options.showInConsole", true);
pref("nglayout.debug.disable_xul_cache", true);
pref("browser.dom.window.dump.enabled", true);
pref("javascript.options.strict", true);

Making the standard output console visible

Taken from: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/window.dump?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=DOM%3Awindow.dump

On Windows, you will need a console to actually see anything. If you don't have one already, closing the application and re-opening it with the command line parameter -console should create the console. On other operating systems, it's enough to launch the application from a terminal.

Debugging and changing code without restart Thunderbird

Setting breakpoints to stop inside JS code of a plugin using JavaScript Debugger Venkman does not work. Instead, install plugin Workspace for Thunderbird -> http://antennasoft.net/robcee/

Place all your code, you want to test, there and execute it. You can even defined functions there. If you cannot override an existing JS function, you have to rename it.

Other notes

Command line parameter for starting Thunderbird in DEVEL mode: -purgecaches -console -no-remote -P dev

More useful hints for developers: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Setting_up_extension_development_environment

Migrating to Thunderbird v68 from previous versions

First of all, SOGo Integrator is no longer needed. All SOGo Integrator preferences have been renamed to "sogo-connector". For example:

sogo-integrator.disable-calendaring

was renamed to:

sogo-connector.disable-calendaring

Here is the list of renamed preference keys:

sogo-integrator.autocomplete.server.urlid
sogo-integrator.disable-calendaring
sogo-integrator.disable-send-invitations-checkbox

All SOGo Connector preferences:

sogo-connector.autoComplete.commentAttribute
sogo-connector.autoComplete.delay
sogo-connector.contacts.categories
sogo-connector.identification.use_email_address
sogo-connector.sogo-prefix