One of the parts of Thunderbird most in need of an overhaul is the address book back-end. Among other reasons, it uses a proprietary database format <https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Archive/Mozilla/Message_Summary_Database#Mork_-_the_Good.2C_the_Bad.2C_and_the_Ugly> that has past its use-by date. We've started walking the road towards a new back-end, and I wanted to share with you what that road looks like, as I see it. (Note that this isn't really the place to start talking about your hopes and dreams for a new address book, as there is a lot of work to do before we get there. I have a few interesting ideas myself, but you'll have to wait and see what they are.) *Stage one* Goal: stop using Mork for new address books Steps: 1. Create a new non-Mork directory provider that passes as many tests as possible (just landed, bug 1572324 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1572324>) 2. Enable this provider for newly-created address books, behind a pref (same bug) * Creating the pref "mail.addr_book.newDirType" and setting it to 101 will mean any /new/ address books use the JS provider instead of the Mork provider. * Use any other value (except 2, the default), and you're gonna have a bad time. 3. Use the provider for the default address books in new profiles (bug 1576525 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1576525>) ETA: Thunderbird 70 *Stage two* Goal: migrate existing Mork address books to the new provider Steps: 1. Create a migration mechanism 2. Enable it behind a pref ETA: Thunderbird 71 *Stage three* Goal: enable new provider for all users ETA: Thunderbird 72 or 73 *Stage four* Goal: remove Mork from the tree Note this also requires rewriting the message summary database and the message folder cache (see bug 453975 and friends <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showdependencytree.cgi?id=453975&hide_resolved=1>) before the next ESR. ETA: Not before the next Thunderbird ESR *Further goals (not before stage three) * * Replace the address book manager (nsIAbManager, nsIAbDirFactory and others) with something much less complicated * Overhaul many of the other interfaces and remove much of the cruft * *Make all address book APIs asynchronous by default* * Start doing new, more interesting things with the address book *Other issues* * Mork isn't the only address book provider, there's also LDAP and the OS X system address book provider. (There is also a provider for Outlook Express but I believe it's long dead.) We can't break these providers so they'll need to be updated too.

On 26 Aug 2019 02:27, Geoff Lankow wrote: > Mork isn't the only address book provider, there's also LDAP and the > OS X system address book provider. (There is also a provider for > Outlook Express but I believe it's long dead.) We can't break these > providers so they'll need to be updated too. IIRC, we can tap into Outlook's address book, not Outlook Express. Details here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Using_Outlook_and_OE_contacts_with_Thunderbird_or_Mozilla_Mail Jörg.

On 26-Aug-19 9:57 AM, Geoff Lankow wrote: > > *Other issues* > > * Mork isn't the only address book provider, there's also LDAP and > the OS X system address book provider. (There is also a provider > for Outlook Express but I believe it's long dead.) We can't break > these providers so they'll need to be updated too. > Not to put to fine as point on it,  I still use it.  On windows 10 if I type Windows key + R and contacts it shows me a contacts folder  and those contacts are included in the Thunderbird address book.  I also have a people app,  but all it ever does is open and just disappear so I have never worked out if they are the same thing but online searches indicate not.  But I just used contacts to sync contacts from my pre-smart samsung phone. Matt

Okay, that's good to know. And not good because it means more work. :-) GL On 29/08/19 00:07, Matt Harris wrote: > On 26-Aug-19 9:57 AM, Geoff Lankow wrote: >> >> *Other issues* >> >> * Mork isn't the only address book provider, there's also LDAP and >> the OS X system address book provider. (There is also a provider >> for Outlook Express but I believe it's long dead.) We can't break >> these providers so they'll need to be updated too. >> > Not to put to fine as point on it,  I still use it.  On windows 10 if > I type Windows key + R and contacts it shows me a contacts folder  and > those contacts are included in the Thunderbird address book.  I also > have a people app,  but all it ever does is open and just disappear so > I have never worked out if they are the same thing but online searches > indicate not.  But I just used contacts to sync contacts from my > pre-smart samsung phone. > > > Matt > > _______________________________________________ > Maildev mailing list > Maildev@lists.thunderbird.net > http://lists.thunderbird.net/mailman/listinfo/maildev_lists.thunderbird.net