Firefox/Projects/Extension Manager API: Difference between revisions

(Created page with '= Overview = '''Sprint lead:''' Mossop <br/> '''Reviewers:''' Rob Strong, sdwilsh ;Description :When encountering a blocked or missing plugin, give the user a button to push tha...')
 
 
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= Overview =
__NOTOC__<section begin=overview />The Extension Manager has been extended repeatedly to add new features. There is now large scope for cleanups and improvements with refactoring the core code and APIs as well as integrating the other add-on types into a unified API that the frontend can use to display the UI.<section end=overview />
'''Sprint lead:''' Mossop <br/>
'''Reviewers:''' Rob Strong, sdwilsh


;Description
* Project lead: <section begin=lead />Mossop<section end=lead />
:When encountering a blocked or missing plugin, give the user a button to push that will download and run the plugin installer so they can see their content.
* Project members: Boriss, Unfocused
* Potential reviewers: sdwilsh, bsmedberg, robstrong
* QA contacts: hskupin (lead), tchung


= Goals / Use Cases =
=Status=
* Support a wider range of add-on types managed through the same interface
* Allow application/extension developers to be able to easily query the state of installed items
* Make it easier for applications to replace the add-ons UI with their own implementation
* Simplify the internal code and speed up startup times


= Design =
* IN FLIGHT
The new API is proposed at [[Extension Manager:API Rewrite]]
* Implementation in progress in a user repository
* <onlyinclude>Running performance testing, looks like a minor loss but not unexpected. Going to be getting ready for reviews this week</onlyinclude>


= Bugs =
=Goals=


* {{Bug|461973}}
* Replace extensions.rdf with a sqlite based datastore
* Implement a new API for accessing all types of add-ons
* Implement a type of XPI extensions that can be [[Extension Manager:Bootstrapped Extensions|installed without restarting]]
* Create a clean separation between the UI and the backend of the add-ons manager
* Lay the groundwork for supporting different types of install manifests in XPI extensions
* Lay the groundwork that will help us give startup performance improvements
* Reduce the number of unecessary EM restarts


= Progress =
=Non-Goals=


[22/06/09] - Implemented basic API framework and detection of items that need to be processed during startup.
* Improve startup time
* Make current XPI extensions install without restarts
 
=Timeline/Milestones=
 
* 2009/10: [Complete] [[Extension Manager:API Rewrite|API Design]] complete and reviewed
* 2009/12: [Complete] Implementation usable enough for UI work to proceed
* 2010/03: [Complete] Land on a [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=542910 project branch] to monitor performance impact
* 2010/03: [Complete] [[Firefox/Projects/Extension Manager API/Security Overview|Preliminary security review]]
* 2010/03: Test review with QA
* 2010/03: Land on trunk with near feature parity
* 2010/04: Complete feature parity and additional metadata
* 2010/04: Final security review
 
=Delivery Requirements=
 
* Requires an add-on compatibility changing application version increment
* Requires messaging to add-on and application developers to explain how to switch to the new APIs
* Must be complete before the first beta of the target delivery vehicle
 
=Dependencies=
 
=Testing=
 
* Majority of tests will be xpcshell based with some mochichrome testing for ssl support.
* Existing add-ons manager unit tests will be replaced, ported or no longer applicable to the new API.
* QA have put together a [[QA/Firefox 3.next/Test Plan:AddonsManagerRedesign|test plan]] for manual testing.
 
=Related Projects=
 
* [[Firefox/Projects/Extension_Manager_Redesign|Extension Manager Redesign]] is the work to replace the frontend add-ons UI

Latest revision as of 20:21, 8 April 2010

The Extension Manager has been extended repeatedly to add new features. There is now large scope for cleanups and improvements with refactoring the core code and APIs as well as integrating the other add-on types into a unified API that the frontend can use to display the UI.

  • Project lead: Mossop
  • Project members: Boriss, Unfocused
  • Potential reviewers: sdwilsh, bsmedberg, robstrong
  • QA contacts: hskupin (lead), tchung

Status

  • IN FLIGHT
  • Implementation in progress in a user repository
  • Running performance testing, looks like a minor loss but not unexpected. Going to be getting ready for reviews this week

Goals

  • Replace extensions.rdf with a sqlite based datastore
  • Implement a new API for accessing all types of add-ons
  • Implement a type of XPI extensions that can be installed without restarting
  • Create a clean separation between the UI and the backend of the add-ons manager
  • Lay the groundwork for supporting different types of install manifests in XPI extensions
  • Lay the groundwork that will help us give startup performance improvements
  • Reduce the number of unecessary EM restarts

Non-Goals

  • Improve startup time
  • Make current XPI extensions install without restarts

Timeline/Milestones

  • 2009/10: [Complete] API Design complete and reviewed
  • 2009/12: [Complete] Implementation usable enough for UI work to proceed
  • 2010/03: [Complete] Land on a project branch to monitor performance impact
  • 2010/03: [Complete] Preliminary security review
  • 2010/03: Test review with QA
  • 2010/03: Land on trunk with near feature parity
  • 2010/04: Complete feature parity and additional metadata
  • 2010/04: Final security review

Delivery Requirements

  • Requires an add-on compatibility changing application version increment
  • Requires messaging to add-on and application developers to explain how to switch to the new APIs
  • Must be complete before the first beta of the target delivery vehicle

Dependencies

Testing

  • Majority of tests will be xpcshell based with some mochichrome testing for ssl support.
  • Existing add-ons manager unit tests will be replaced, ported or no longer applicable to the new API.
  • QA have put together a test plan for manual testing.

Related Projects