SmartTemplate4
Latest news: for Thunderbird 68, SmartTemplate⁴ has successfully added a file templating system.
This replaces Stationery which is not supporting Thunderbird 68 anymore. If you are still using
Thunderbird 60.8 or an earlier verison at this stage, you can read the documentation below. To move
forward into 2020, check out the "template files" feature in SmartTemplate⁴ instead:
How to use Template Files (instead of Stationery Ad-on)
You select an external template via a dropdown on the reply / write or forward button:
- In Account, select "Template Files"
- Click "Select Template File from disk"
- [Optional step] change the title
- Click Add, to add to the Write / Reply or Forward list.
You can add a list of external HTML templates, integrated into the Write / Reply and Forward buttons, just like
with Stationery, by selecting the item Template Files from the accounts drop down:
Note: when using an external template file (just like with Stationery), then the account specific quote header
and template are ignored. If you need any SmartTemplate⁴ variables, you can insert them directly in the
HTML template file.
Official Stationery page: Stationery for Thunderbird
What is Stationery?
From version 0.9.3 onwards, SmartTemplate⁴ supports integration with the Stationery addon.
This is made possible through some changes that Arivald, the owner of the Stationery extensions kindly added,
and is available from version 0.8 of Stationery.
Stationery is an addon that allows adding "outlook-style" stationery to your emails.
What's more, it can be very well used to create powerful mail templates for repetitive tasks
such as sending out standard mails or replies; one thing that is missing in its functionality is
the ability to add in a variety of mail header based variables, this is where SmartTemplate⁴ comes in.
Stationery uses HTML files as templates for mail. It allows using different templates in replies / forwarded mail
and makes it possible to select the template using a simple click on a chevron beside the reply button:
Stationery also adds a handy html editing pane to the composer window; this alone makes it worth installing,
as it allows both simplifying and learning the html behind your email compositions:
How does SmartTemplate⁴ improve Stationery?
With the new global option "Support Stationery addon", SmartTemplate⁴ is now able to replace variables
from within Stationery files, like it does in your SmartTemplate⁴ settings. Once a user selects a Stationery template,
the (identity-based) template of SmartTemplate⁴ will be ignored, and it will instead do its replacement
work on the template provided by Stationery. This means you can now use all variables that you have been
using from within SmartTemplate⁴, also within the Stationery.
To enable stationery support, go to Stationery Options, Global Settings and activate the option "Support Stationery addon":
We believe this is a very powerful feature which will benefit the users of both addons.
I am already using it on a daily basis for replying to support mails.
How do I use SmartTemplate⁴ with Stationery?
You can use pretty much all variables directly in your stationery files. When you select a Stationery
during writing or replying to mail, then the SmartTemplate⁴ templates which are bound to the account identity of
your current email will be temporarily ignored. This means you do not need any special settings in quote / template as your Stationery
file supplies everything.
Instead SmartTemplate⁴ will search and replace the special
header variables in the Stationery itself. This turns Stationery into a full blown templating application.
Additionally, you can use the following powerful variables to control the content and behavior of your Stationery Template:
%sig(HTML)% / %sig(Text)% = Inserts Signature (will be read from Account Settings). Your signature may also contain other variables.
If you want st4 to replace variables in the signature, make sure to enable the option Process signature in
SmartTemplate⁴'s advanced settings:
%cursor% = Controls where your cursor will go when the email body gets the focus%quotePlaceholder% = Use this to determine where the text of the replied to mail should go.
Note that this can also be used by just selecting some text from the original email and then hitting reply:
only the selected portion will be quoted. Also, if you write a new email, the variable will simply be removed
(as there is nothing to quote).
%quoteHeader% = From version 0.9.4 we will support injecting the (processed) contents of our quote header box into the
body of the Stationery. Interestingly the variable will only be filled in the cases reply and forward, and will simply
be removed when writing a new email. This way you can use the same stationery for all cases.
ATTENTION:
You cannot use %quotePlaceholder% or %quoteHeader% in SmartTemplate⁴ directly; it is only allowed in your Stationery files.
For a more complete list of variables that you can use in your Stationery, please read the variables page.
Example of a Stationery with SmartTemplate⁴ variables
Here is an example of a Stationery I use when I write support email. The quoted text is automatically inserted into the inner
container via %quotePlaceholder%. Also, %subject% is used to show the conversation title
in the top. Note that the signature (green box) is injected into the stationery using the %sig(HTML)% / %sig(Text)% variable. The signature
itself also contains SmartTemplate⁴ variables (%identity(name)%).
We hope you enjoy this new and powerful features of SmartTemplate⁴.
Please, leave some feedback at the Mozilla Addons Page - spread the word so more people start using it!
