Incompatible with Thunderbird 68

[parcelcat]

This extension (as released in the Thunderbird Add-ons site) is incompatible with Thunderbird 68.

The release notes for Thunderbird 68 state:

Add-on support: Add-ons are only supported if add-on authors have adapted them

Thanks for maintaining this extension. I hope all is well.

[biva]

Hello, I'm available for testing if needed! I hope you'll be able to update your great extension :)

[ProfRon]

How can we help get this extension up and running in Thunderbird 68? It's MUCH better than the out-of-the-box Thunderbird search; I've come to rely on it.

I've cloned the repository and found an xpi file in the "beta" directory -- version 1.4beta! I tried it out --- but it doesn't work. Oh well; it said "beta" on it, so I'm not surprised; but I've never hacked a TB Extension before, so I'm not at all sure where to start with debugging...

For the record: Version 1.4beta does more than version 1.3 does -- it changes the way TB looks by rearranging the search input field(s), it opens the "debug extension" tool -- but using the search field doesn't cause TB to search (i.e. to filter the visible emails).

So, where do we go from here?

[jreybert]

I encountered this (see #79). I updated Thunderbird to version 69, and everything is working fine now.

[ProfRon]

Expression-search does not work for me with Version 69.0b4, or Version 70.0.

TB 69 runs, but the search window does not do anything -- it never searches, regardless of what I enter.

Even if it did, Version 69 is a very strange thing right now: The official released version of TB is Version 68, and the beta is at version 70. I tried installing 70 but several other extensions I absolutely need are not yet ready for version 70 e.g. for my work email, I unfortunately need the Exchange provider extensions... So Version 70 is unusable for me, and as a result I couldn't test Expression-Search with 70.

Version 69 is not easy to find. I was going to write that it's "nowhere to be found", but while writing this I found a downloadable version at https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/69.0b4/. I downloaded it and tried it out, and most of my other extensions worked, so it was usable -- but, as noted above, Extension-Search does not search.

By the way, I'm using Archlinux with Gnome (with Wayland). More details available on request.

By the way, it would seem like this issue and issue #79 are redundant, but I'm not sure how we should best deal with that: #79 has been closed, but I can't confirm that that was correct, since it doesn't work with 69 for me, and even if it does for other people (like @jreybert), TB 69 is hardly a solution for most people (IMHO).

[jph108]

Also not working here. And the Contribute link in the Extension panel is broken :-(

[fp66]

Would be glad, too, if Expression Search ran on Tb 68!

[hcdeeken]

Same problem here. TB search without expression search is nearly unusable :-(

[wangvisual]

I'll try to make it work for TB68, and can't promise anything beyond TB68, it seems Mozilla is intend to de-support traditional add-ons.

[wangvisual]

https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/beta/gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi Hope it works.

[jph108]

Thanks. I'm on Thunderbird 68 and have installed the update. I can see the text box but when I enter something to search for, nothing happens, even after I press Enter/Return. I'm on a Mac, TB 68.1.1.

If it would be useful to post anything from the Add-on debugger panel, let me know.

[wangvisual]

In the addons option dialog, enable 'verbose information', then restart TB and check the 'Error Console' (Ctrl+Shift+J) please.

Thanks. I'm on Thunderbird 68 and have installed the update. I can see the text box but when I enter something to search for, nothing happens, even after I press Enter/Return. I'm on a Mac, TB 68.1.1.

If it would be useful to post anything from the Add-on debugger panel, let me know.

[fp66]

I seem to have the same problem (Tb 68.1.1 32-bit on Win 10 64-bit). The Error console doesn't contain any message.

In addition, after entering any character, a delete icon appears in the search box:

[jph108]

Apologies, I am not able to find a 'verbose information' option in the Add-on options, looking on the Mac under "Tools > Add-ons" and then under the gear icon. Would it be under a different path?

I tried enabling all of the error types in the Console window, clearing the Console, and then restarting TB. The log had a lot of errors, but I found some warnings after 'Expression Search: init..." Other errors seem to be from other modules. Please see the attached screenshot. If I can help with additional steps let me know.

[jph108]

I have these two items to additionally report. First, I cleared the log and started typing in the Expression Search box. I got only the warnings below.

Second, at some point it started working, and I don't know what I did there. Then I restarted Thunderbird and it stopped again, and I haven't been able to reproduce that. But perhaps somehow it's a keypress/event related issue.

[niamiot]

Hi, I'm using thunderbird 68.1.1 with windows 10. I'm also facing the issue where a delete icon appears in the search box but search does not work.

I was able to enable 'verbose information'.... but it's not very verbose... I reset the error console just before activate the extension. Here is the log ( sorry it's in french).

From my understanding, there is only 2 references to the extension :

• Expression Search / Google Mail UI startup...
• Expression Search: init...

Hope it helps

[wangvisual]

Try this sequence, disable the addon, enable it again, and restart TB.

[jph108]

I have tried this with mixed success. It will stay working for some time, and then stop working. I have not be able to consistently reproduce what causes it to stop. However, I notice that when it is working, "Expression Search..." appears in the text box, but when not working, the text box is blank.

[niamiot]

Try this sequence, disable the addon, enable it again, and restart TB.

It works at the second attempt..... Hope it will continue working as long as possible....

Notice that I have 2 "Expression Search...<Ctrl+>" hints in the search box

[ProfRon]

Tried the version from git, and it seriously broke Thunderbird. TB starts, but the main TB window is totally blank, none of the button icons work, only ctl-Q works.

Details: TB 68.1.1 (64 Bit) under arch linux with everything updated. Expression-Search is the file gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi taken from github (here).

I've tried running thunderbird from a command line shell, and while this doesn't help, it does allow me to capture some debug information that might not have otherwise been visible. See attachment.

thunderbird.expression-search.script.txt

I later tried running TBird with all my other add-ons disabled, to see if there's an incompatibility between any of them ... but even with only ExpressionSearch, I still got basically a totally broken TB.

Any suggestions as to how to get better debugging information?

[niamiot]

Following update : At TB relaunch, the extension stop working. I manage to catch the following trace in error log ()

[riedel]

For me the latest git version (b195f5977dfd53841783873a1e31b794ebbc8c79) is simply not working, but with none of the issues above. For me the search field just doesn't do anything when hitting enter (only shift enter opens the normal search correctly stripping off the search modifiers).

Both options and the hint appear to be OK!

The only error I get on the console when editing the preferences dialog is

preference is null esPrefDialog.js:32
    onSyncFromPreference chrome://expressionsearch/content/esPrefDialog.js:32
    anonymous chrome://global/content/preferencesBindings.js line 391 > Function:3
    setElementValue chrome://global/content/preferencesBindings.js:395
    updateElements chrome://global/content/preferencesBindings.js:517
    _add chrome://global/content/preferencesBindings.js:51

(However, e.g. setting the position seems to have the desired effect.)

When disabling/enabling I get the following error: expression search already loaded, return es.js:35

Further I got this error (however, I cannot reproduce it)

TypeError: this._fireCommand is not a function es.js:462:16

[biva]

Hello @wangvisual , did you make any progress? I'd love to see you back :)

[ateliernz]

i miss this as well

[kavousan]

Same here.

[jph108]

It's a really valuable timesaver. :-)

[myelement88]

https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/beta/gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi Hope it works.

Try this sequence, disable the addon, enable it again, and restart TB.

It's not pretty as i do have the same issue as shown in the picture below.

BUT it got the extension up and running again. So thank you!

[kavousan]

https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/beta/gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi Hope it works.

Try this sequence, disable the addon, enable it again, and restart TB.

It's not pretty as i do have the same issue as shown in the picture below.

BUT it got the extension up and running again. So thank you!

Thanks; I only have the option to remove, not to disable the addon. TB 68 on on Win10 Pro 64-bit.

[myelement88]

https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/beta/gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi

Thanks; I only have the option to remove, not to disable the addon. TB 68 on on Win10 Pro 64-bit.

You have to download the extension from the link. Then drag & drop it into the extensions tab in Thunderbird.

[daniel-lo]

drag'n'drop not working in 68.2.0 .. TB complains about incompatibility

[ProfRon]

@daniel-lo -- I don't get a complaint about compatibility. Are you sure you're using the version from github and not from the TB Add-ons site?

But as to the older comments above about disabling and enabling: if I do that, it just doesn't search (or do anything but take input). If I restart TB, TB breaks completely. I have a screenshot here which shows (1) what I mean by "broken" -- the TB window is almost but not quite completely empty and (2) a "caught exception" traceback of sorts, for what it's worth (does this count as two birds with one stone?).

As mentioned above, this is all under Archlinux, everything updated -- which means TB 68.2.0 meanwhile, using the xpi file from the "beta" directory from github, as linked above.

[daniel-lo]

@ProfRon .. had already tried that .. same thing.

[ateliernz]

https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/beta/gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi

Thanks; I only have the option to remove, not to disable the addon. TB 68 on on Win10 Pro 64-bit.

You have to download the extension from the link. Then drag & drop it into the extensions tab in Thunderbird.

I installed beta version from this link [edit: and restarted TB]. The add-on is not greyed out anymore, and the input field shows up. Entering search strings however doesn't turn into results...

Macos 10.14.6 TB 68.2.0 Expression Search 1.4Beta

[myelement88]

https://github.com/wangvisual/expression-search/blob/master/beta/gmailui-1.4-tb.xpi

Thanks; I only have the option to remove, not to disable the addon. TB 68 on on Win10 Pro 64-bit.

You have to download the extension from the link. Then drag & drop it into the extensions tab in Thunderbird.

I installed beta version from this link [edit: and restarted TB]. The add-on is not greyed out anymore, and the input field shows up. Entering search strings however doesn't turn into results...

Macos 10.14.6 TB 68.2.0 Expression Search 1.4Beta

Here comes in the "trick" with disabling and re-enabling the extension. After re-enabling restart Thunderbird, as it will tell you to do so. After that the extension should work. At least it does on my machine (WIN10 ENT X64)

After that i had to play around with the extension itself to not display the regular search (to not display two search fields). Also i changed the search bar position into the title bar because of some weird positioning. As already said i does not look pretty but it works for now...

EDIT: If you want to use this extension DON'T upgrade to TB 68.2.1.

[ateliernz]

Here comes in the "trick" with disabling and re-enabling the extension. After re-enabling restart Thunderbird, as it will tell you to do so. After that the extension should work. At least it does on my machine (WIN10 ENT X64)

After that i had to play around with the extension itself to not display the regular search (to not display two search fields). Also i changed the search bar position into the title bar because of some weird positioning. As already said i does not look pretty but it works for now...

That works :) how can i move the position of the expression search bar? [edit: at the right in the bottom bar you'll find the search magnifier icon of Expression Search including the settings menu]

[kavousan]

Fix confirmed; order restored. Many thanks!

[daniel-lo]

@kavousan maybe it fixes it for a few but not all of us. Re-enabling needs an istalled plugin first. I cannot install.

[fp66]

Hoping for a working version for TB 68.2.1 ...

[LatinSuD]

Here comes in the "trick" with disabling and re-enabling the extension. After re-enabling restart Thunderbird, as it will tell you to do so. After that the extension should work. At least it does on my machine (WIN10 ENT X64)

Also i changed the search bar position into the title bar because of some weird positioning. As already said i does not look pretty but it works for now...

Exact same case. To change the location of the bar i went to about:config and enabled "move2bar" option. Update: If do this then it breaks TB the next time i start it. In order to fix it I need to start with addons disabled, disable move2bar option and start again.

[LRN]

The disable-enable-restart trick does allow me to quicksearch messages (still having this weird two-part entry as other people did, but that is mostly cosmetic).

More troubling (for me) is the fact that regex message filtering (Tools -> Message Filters) does not function anymore. When i create a filter and select "Subject (Regex)" as a condition, there's no entry widget to type in the regular expression.

Nothing appears in the error console (with verbose errors enabled) when i open the filters dialog and work with it. Maybe something appears at startup, but it's impractical to try to figure out which log entries are from the expression search extension.

[dominix]

Thanks. I'm on Thunderbird 68 and have installed the update. I can see the text box but when I enter something to search for, nothing happens, even after I press Enter/Return. I'm on a Mac, TB 68.1.1.

If it would be useful to post anything from the Add-on debugger panel, let me know.

I confirm the same behavior on Linux ubuntu / Thunderbird 68. 1.4 install correctly but do not filter.

regards.

[toehold]

Not working with Thunderbird 68.2.1 under Ubuntu 18.04.3; How can I help testing?

[Inserm-CRI-LBI]

Same here, it installs but does not work (thunderbird 68.3, addon 1.4 or 1.3, Windows10). Too bad as it makes thunderbird nearly unuseable without it. I have come to rely on it a lot. What can I do to help ?

[jph108]

My hat is off to wangvisual for creating such a fantastic and indispensable Add-on. I think I would switch away from TB without this.

On October 6 above, wangvisual wrote: "I'll try to make it work for TB68, and can't promise anything beyond TB68, it seems Mozilla is intend to de-support traditional add-ons."

Considering this indication that the Add-on may no longer be supported, and with the greatest compliments and gratitude to the author for creating such a useful tool, and understanding that supporting an Add-on is a lot of work, I have opened an Enhancement Request in the Mozilla bug database asking if they will incorporate this functionality into TB itself. This is a long-shot, but perhaps they will pick it up.

If anyone would like to add a comment in support of this idea, you can do so at the link below. (You will need to create an account on Bugzilla if you don't have one already.)

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1602071

[jph108]

PS - if you open the Details panel on the above page, there is a Vote button. And at the bottom of the page, a checkbox if you want to get CC'd to follow the bug.

[Inserm-CRI-LBI]

Great idea jph108, upvoted on bugzilla; fingers crossed !

[biva]

@jph108 I already tried (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1599519) but Mozilla prefers to keep the very old bug https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=538821

[baraapro]

Not working here on 68.3.0 (x32) WIN 10. disable-enable-restart didn't do the trick. it installs but search not working. any update on this?

[Inserm-CRI-LBI]

@baraapro I think the best course of action at this point is to upvote the issue on bugzilla https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=538821, but without commenting (considered poor etiquette over there), and keep the fingers crossed ...

[kavousan]

I voted; it only has 10 votes. :-(

[baraapro]

i just did too. 14 votes so far. but that's about it. our best shot for now is for the developer of this addon to fix it.

by the way, i'm seeing too many addons lately being offered for a yearly fee (5$ or something) which i assume many of us are willing to pay, and it helps developers maintain the project.