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edits
Changes
Added removal of binary add-ons in mozilla53
'''Ask Questions, Get Help''': Developers are encouraged to ask for help and advice in the mozilla.dev.apps.thunderbird newsgroup. (see [[Thunderbird/CommunicationChannels#If_you.27re_a_developer|Communication Channels]] Please check this document and ask questions in a forum before filing a bug report. Also, if you target version is 60, test and fix your add-on using [https://getthunderbird.com version 60 release], not nightly builds or beta.
'''Legacy, pre-version 57 add-ons''' - '''Thunderbird 57-60 (and Seamonkey) <u>still support</u> legacy add-ons'''(except binary add-ons, see [[#Removed_in_mozilla53|below]]), but all add-on authors must check to see whether code changes are needed. The complexity of the add-on determines how it is affected - many add-ons are not heavily affected, some not affected at all. '''Some add-ons do not need any code changes, and some only trivial or minor refactoring or name changes. Some need to adapt to changed interfaces. Some only need changes to startup and intialization, others may need more extensive changes.''' A non-exhaustive list of of things to be modified is below. Every beta from 57 to 60 delivered changes. So for example if your add-on is compatible with beta 58 you may still need to make further changes. Example changes to version 59 involve {{bug|1414398}} default preferences, and {{Bug|1419145}} menu to access add-on options and tab options.
'''Why''': Firefox platform have disabled "legacy" add-ons in Firefox 57 (that is, all add-ons not based purely on [[WebExtensions]]), so Mozilla removed some core interfaces which are also used by Thunderbird. However, unlike Firefox, Thunderbird has not killed legacy add-ons, because the Thunderbird team lessened the impact of those changes on Thunderbird add-on developers, where possible.
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== Removed in mozilla53 ==
Binary add-ons are no longer supported by the Mozilla platfrom since Thunderbird 53. (Binary add-ons were already discontinued in Firefox 41, [https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/05/04/dropping-support-for-binary-components/ see here].) Further reading: [https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/tb-planning/2016-November/004964.html tb-planning post] of November 2016, [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1314955 bug 1314955] which removed the feature from the Mozilla platform. It is however still possible to install the "binary component" separately. As an example, check how Enigmail installs and communicates with both GPG and the pEp engine.
== Removed interfaces in mozilla57 ==
