Import on startup not working, Thunderbird 128.13.0esr, QT 6.4.3

[RayCulp]

Description

After migrating my XML templates file to JSON and following the instructions here https://github.com/jobisoft/quicktext/wiki/Centrally-manage-configurations-and-templates, I still cannot get QT to import local templates on startup.

Expected Behavior

Templates are imported from local file

Current Behavior

Templates are not imported

Possible Solution

Could someone please post a working example of the file {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json and a corresponding example templates JSON file? This would make it much easier to troubleshoot the problem because then I could see very quickly where the problem in my files is.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create file {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json with the content described in https://github.com/jobisoft/quicktext/wiki/Centrally-manage-configurations-and-templates
2. Save in one of the prescribed locations, such as ~/.mozilla/managed-storage/{8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json
3. Restart Thunderbird
   Result: Templates are not imported

[RayCulp]

One thing I may have misunderstood:

I thought that instead of entering the path to the local XML templates file in the dialog like we did in previous versions, I now need to include the path to the local JSON templates file (instead of XML) in the file {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json.

Maybe this is wrong. Maybe what I actually need to do is physically copy the templates from the JSON export into the file {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json.

If this is the case, it would be quite unfortunate because the previous XML templates file import on startup ability allowed us to use a number of individually managed template XML files, shared via Nextcloud with anyone in our organization who needed to use them. So for a simplified example, say we have three XML template files:

• purchasing_dept.xml (shared only with the purchasing department)
• sales_dept.xml (share only with the sales department)
• general_purpose.xml (shared with all departments)

If general_purpose.xml needs to be updated for everyone, the current workflow is as follows:

1. File owner imports general_purpose.xml into local storage for editing.
2. File owner makes necessary changes.
3. File owner exports new version of XML file and clears local storage.
4. New XML file version is shared automatically with everyone via Nextcloud
5. Individual users restart Thunderbird and automatically load new version

If the templates now need to be physically copied into the file {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json, the workflow will need to include a step where individual users run a script locally that attempts to replace a portion of the templates stored in {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json. This necessitates some kind of delimiters being present in the file {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json so the script can try to determine which block to replace. This would be a source of errors.

[jobisoft]

I will add options to access nextcloud servers directly and I will also bring back native file system access. I still need time to figure out how to do it the right way. I created #539 as a central point of discussion.

For your case:

• XML is dead. The new format is JSON. Import your existing XML templates and export them as JSON to convert them.
• Import on startup can still read from the local file system, and you could share the converted JSONs as before and let users Import the JSON they need.
• You can also PUSH config+templates+scripts to users by using the {8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json file, which is copied from a central server to the correct location on the users computer (on linux this would be done by Puppeteer or similar tools, I am sure windows has similar tools).

Edit: Corrected wrong statement

[jobisoft]

Feel free to ask if you still have questions.

[jobisoft]

I realized that my statement in #548 (comment) was wrong, default import from file system has been removed.

You are currently unable to create different flavours of {845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json for the different user groups (including the full config, template and script data) and push them as needed via managed storage to the required systems?

[RayCulp]

• XML is dead. The new format is JSON. Import your existing XML templates and export them as JSON to convert them.

This is not a problem at all.

I realized that my statement in #548 (comment) was wrong, default import from file system has been removed.

Just to make sure I understand correctly, this means that my assumption in the original issue description was wrong and my suspicion in my follow-up comment was correct. My original assumption was that the previous method of providing the paths to external template files in the QT dialog window had been replaced by needing to provide the paths to the external template files in the JSON file {845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json, something like this:

{
  "name": "{8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}",
  "description": "Managed storage for Quicktext Thunderbird Add-on",
  "type": "storage",
  "data": {
    "defaultImport": "/path/to/exported/templates.json"
  }
}

This is incorrect. There is actually no longer any way at all to load multiple, modular template files from the file system. What I need to provide in the file {845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json are not the paths to external template files but the actual JSON formatted templates themselves, like this:

{
  "name": "{8845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}",
  "description": "Managed storage for Quicktext Thunderbird Add-on",
  "type": "storage",
  "data": {
    "templates": {
      "texts": [
        [
          {
            "name": "Template 1",
            "text": "This is a sample template. Today's date is [[DATE]].",
            "shortcut": "",
            "type": "text/plain",
            "keyword": "",
            "subject": "",
            "attachments": ""
          }
        ]
      ],
      "groups": [
        {
          "name": "Group 1",
          "protected": false
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

While it is still possible to export templates in JSON format and import them manually, there is no way to automatically load such a JSON export at startup anymore, let alone loading multiple JSON exports.

If my understanding is now correct, then I see at least two issues with this.

• The modularity has been removed. You now have the choice between loading templates from local storage (in the Thunderbird profile), or loading them from the "managed storage" file {845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json . The advantage of using the JSON file is that it can be shared, but it is one single file. It is not modular. If you want to share some templates with some users but not with others, you must edit and customize the file {845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json individually – either manually or using a script.
• This new workflow involves manually creating and editing a JSON file and is therefore more complex and has more potential for errors than the previous one. The previous workflow (export templates to JSON -> provide path to external file -> automatically load at startup) was something a "regular" user could do. The new workflow requires an understanding of JSON syntax and can therefore no longer be performed by a "regular" user.

You are currently unable to create different flavours of {845E3B3-E8FB-40E2-95E9-EC40294818C4}.json for the different user groups (including the full config, template and script data) and push them as needed via managed storage to the required systems?

Yes, I'm sure I can manage this, but as I stated above, the inherent modularity is gone and the process can no longer be performed by a normal user.

Please confirm that I now understand the changes correctly.

[jobisoft]

Please confirm that I now understand the changes correctly.

Yes, your understanding is correct. The defaultImport field, regardless if used in the managed storage config file or in the UI directly, no longer supports local file paths, only http(s):// URLs.

but as I stated above, the inherent modularity is gone and the process can no longer be performed by a normal user.

The modularity use-case was not on my radar, and I am sorry for breaking your workflow. The feedback I got during the beta phase indicated that the solution I found would cover all use-cases. Since that is not the case, I decided to bring back file system import, as I need more time to find a proper solution to this scenario. Please subscribe to the general discussion issue, so you are in the loop when the new approach will be discussed.

Expect a new version with re-enabled file-system-import over the weekend.

[jobisoft]

The general discussuion issue was: #539

[RayCulp]

The modularity use-case was not on my radar, and I am sorry for breaking your workflow. The feedback I got during the beta phase indicated that the solution I found would cover all use-cases. Since that is not the case, I decided to bring back file system import, as I need more time to find a proper solution to this scenario. Please subscribe to the general discussion issue, so you are in the loop when the new approach will be discussed.

Thank you, John. This is very, very considerate of you.

[jobisoft]

Can you test https://github.com/jobisoft/quicktext/releases/tag/v6.4.5 ?

[Ale-Knight]

it worked, but the import of one of the files (xml) (with the same folder name of an existent one), caused to overrite the existent, and load the import.
then i deleted the import and re open thundebird and the folder was missing
tested with thunderbird portable 140.0.1 quicktext 6.4.5

Also, import of json files is working fine! (tested export/import) not working in 6.4.4

Thanks in advance, and sorry for my english!