SmartTemplates :: Version History

Welcome to the change log / version history of SmartTemplates.
The extension went through a couple of hands of developers, I am trying to keep the latest version up to date in this tried and tested format.
Since Version 0.9.1 we show this page after a successful update of SmartTemplates, but you can also download older releases by clicking on one of the Version numbers below.
Please Contribute to SmartTemplates!

Latest News (01/05/2022) - Thunderbird 115 Compatibility

Prereleases & Prototypes (no warantees!)

Prereleases & Prototypes are currently only released via our Github issue tracker. All latest changes including ongoing work on bugs you have reported can be found on the Change Log of latest version. Older (legacy) versions can be found at addons.thundebird.net The legacy version history (for Thunderbird before version 91) can be found here.

ATTENTION: All Prereleases & Prototypes include the full and locale for the current Build. Other locale can cause trouble as the translation is not over yet!

Change Log

TIP: All dates are displayed in UK format dd/mm/yyyy

 

• Version 4.0 - WIP
  112.* - 115.0

  There will be a brand new version for Thunderbird 115 which is going to be released in Summer 2023 and which has a completely redesigned new user interface "Supernova". There are a number of problems that need to be resolved until then, but if you would like to try out a test version that you can install in the current Thunderbird beta, I recommend that you visit Github issue 213.

  Work in Progess

  • Add working menu items to the new browser_action button
  • Rewrite settings dialog to work in a content tab.
  • Test functionality (change template, insert snippet) from composer
 

• Version 3.17 - 04/05/2023
  91.* - 110.0

  SmartTemplates is fully compatible with the current ESR version of Thunderbird (102.10) - and currently supports up to version 110 beta 4. I am currently working on fundamental changes for Thunderbird 115 which will be released in summer 2023 and has a completely new user interface "Supernova". This requires considerable work of rewriting all elements interacting with the main page (3pane) of Thunderbird (toolbar buttons, template menus) - and also requires rewriting the settings dialog as a content tab. Please fund this work through buying a license.

  SmartTemplates Pro Renewal - SPRING END SALE You can now renew or extend your Pro license for 25% off - [around $7.50 USD saving $2.50!] from May 4th to May 22nd. Click the SmartTemplates panel at the bottom of the Thunderbird window: ...and then click the renewal button. Make sure to catch this occasion while it is up, this is the cheapest way to use all premium features for Thunderbird 102!

  SPRING END SALE- until May 22nd For the next weeks, you can now get a SmartTemplates Pro License for 33% off - [around $10.00 USD saving $5.00] for SmartTemplates Pro Catch this occasion while available, this is the cheapest way to use all premium features for Thunderbird 115. Alternatively, you can buy the standard license here. The license is valid for one full year after purchase, after which it can be extended or upgraded. SmartTemplates needs to be completely rewritten to keep working on a future version of Thunderbird, as the "legacy Add-on" system is gradually replaced with a different technology. Only through funding this work can SmartTemplates survive - it may be the price of a cup of coffee to you - consider whether you think it is worth supporting the many features that SmartTemplates gives you.

  To make a choice - expand the settings dialog: then click the Buy License item from the SmartTemplate License tab on the Options dialog.

  END SPRING SALE - upgrade to Pro for same price as a Standard license You can now upgrade your Standard license to SmartTemplates Pro for 33% off - [pay $6.00 USD saving $3.00] from May 4th to May 22nd. To avail of this offer, you can do either: If your license expires soon or is expired, click the panel at the bottom of the Thunderbird window: ...and then click the renewal / extend button. Or open the SmartTemplates license tab, expand the dialog and click on the button "Upgrade to Pro" or "Renew License". - You can then make the choice for upgrade or extension from the SmartTemplates licensing screen. This will transmit your current license key to the shop site to assure eligibility - make sure to use the link directly for the discount. It will also give you a full year from your license purchase (even if your Standard key is already expired). Make sure to catch this occasion while it is up, this is the cheapest way to use all premium features for Thunderbird 102!

  Enhancements

  • New %deleteForwardedBody% function removes the body of the original email when forwarding inline. Can be used to process information from automated mails while removing the original information. [issue 236] (This function requires a SmartTemplates Pro license)

  • Insert Snippet now supports inserting contents of a CSS file as style block. [issue 238]
    In the template menus, such items will be marked with a special icon:

    

  • Allow %file()% and %style()% commands to use ../ as part of the relative path to access parent or sibling folders of a file.

    for example:

      %file(../faq.html)%
      %file(../../history/qf-5.16-de.html)%
      %style(../styles/quickfolders-reminder.css)% 

    (See also [issue 237])

  • Improvements in Template Manager: Show Category in the list to simplify navigation. Categories can be used to add submenus to your template menus for easier access to many templates.

    
  • Added pricing section to licensing dialog [issue 232]

  Bug Fixes

  • Corrected the Number of days left in license by rounding up [issue 234]

  Miscellaneous

  • Added Czech translation to licensing dialog
  • SmartTemplates does not trigger "news" unless min ver changes at least. This way test versions can be loaded without always displaying the "News" label on the toolbar / status bar.
   

• Version 3.16 - 06/03/2023
  91.* - 110.*

  Maintenance version 3.16.1

  • Fixed: Forward with Template (a filter rule function added by the FiltaQuilla Add-on) did not send off mails automatically any more. [issue 231]
  • Fixed: Scripts in template %{% %}% - [issue 229]
  • Fixed: %from(addressbook,nickname)% created an error when trying to use CardBook.

  Enhancements

  • Spellchecker will now be activated by %spellcheck()% command - even if the option "spellcheck as you type" is disabled in Composition settings. [issue 223]

  • Added CardBook support (Pro License Feature). You need to install Cardbook 84.6 or higher to retrieve the addresses from it. [issue 50]. Enable this feature on the advanced settings page:

    

    I also added platform switches to chatname, which select a specific chat name based on the what it is for, such as %from(chatname.skype)% You can find all currently supported switches on the variables page under the section 'Address Book Fields' and can be combined with all address-related variables such as %to%, %from%, %cc%, %recipient% or %identity%.

    

  Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: Template Categories containing space characters disrupt the template menus [issue 222]
  • Fixed: bracketName(";") parameter was broken. [issue 219]

  Miscellaneous

  • Removed Service and MailService wrappers to simplify the code and improve performance.
   

• Version 3.15 - 27/11/2022
  91.* - 102.*

  Maintenance Release 3.15.1

  • Minor maintenance fix for text search in variables tab that could break repeated searching using F3.

  Improvements

  • Added backwards search in variables window - press Shift + F3 to search text going up. You can also use the Enter key on the number pad to enter a new search term. This previously closed the SmartTemplates settings window.

    
  • Added optional attributes list to variable %file()% when it is used to include images [issue 216]. You can add additional attributes to with the following syntax:

    %file(img/bargain.png,id=bargainStar,width=192,"alternative text")%
    This will generate the following html code after importing the image data:
    <img
    src="data:img/png;filename=bargain.png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAAN...." id="bargainStar" width="192" alt="alternative text">

  Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a problem with addressbook switch, which can be used with address headers and also %identity% . This was broken by recent changes related to %toclipboard()%. Also added support for the new vCard format. [issue 217]. Example:

    %identity(addressbook,work.title,work.department,work.organization)%

 

• Version 3.14 - 27/10/2022
  78.* - 102.*

  Improvements

  • Added a search field to the variables page. [issue 215]
    

    

    Enter a search term to find any words in the complete variables documentation (including currently collapsed chapters). Push Enter to start the search and F3 to continue to the next match.
  • Added a chapter that documents all clipboard functions in variables tab.
  • Improvement of colors in variables window when using dark themes.
  • Support using toclipboard parameter to copy data to clipboard multiple times in the same template. [issue 210]

  Bug Fixes / Maintenance

  • Fixed header variables with uppercase letters, such as %Message-Id% and %Newsgroups% [issue 211]

  SmartTemplates is fully compatible with Thunderbird 102. If you are having problems with the latest version please check the troubleshooter above.

 

• Version 3.13 - 22/08/2022
  78.* - 104.0

  
  

  Improvements

  • New function %toclipboard("some text")% to copy text to clipboard for use with following SmartTemplate variables that can insert data from the clipboard, such as %clipboard% or %header.prefix(subject,clipboard)%.
  • New toclipboard parameter for address fields such as %from(name)% to copy extracted address parts to clipboard.
  • Improved the parameters bracketMail and bracketName for using with clipboard. These now do not encode the < and > signs anymore.
  • [issue 208] Improved accessibility for settings dialog. Tabs and buttons can now be navigated using keyboard only.

  • After updating, SmartTemplates does not display the tab with version log automatically anymore. The original behavior can be restored on the licenses tab in the new 'Updates' section:

    

    The fully translated "News" screen or a detailed change log (in English) on the support site can also be opened from here.

  Bug Fixes

  • [issue 205] Fixed: After FiltaQuilla automatically forwarded or replied to an email using smarttemplate, the same template had been used in error on a following manual reply in error.
  • [issue 204] Repaired the context menu command to update and replace field variables with content. This will now remove the field and replace it with the current content (without updating the content - to update it just use a left click beforehand).
  • [issue 206] Repaired: %datelocal% - this returned a blank space instead of the localized date.
  • Repaired SmartTemplates icon in "Customize Toolbar" so you can find it easier - you can pull the SmartTemplates settings into the main toolbar for quick access.
  • [issue 209] Support license validation with Exchange accounts (from Tb 102)

  Miscellaneous

  • In Thunderbird 102 we now use the compose-window-init event to more reliably attain headers information from the original email.
     

• Version 3.12.2 - 29/06/2022
  78.0 - 102.*

  SmartTemplates is fully compatible with Thunderbird 102. If you are having problems with the latest version please check the troubleshooter above.

  Maintenance Fixes - Version 3.12.2

  • [issue 197] Expand / collapse / help buttons are now also visible when opening settings from Add-ons Manager
  • [issue 198] Renew license button on left bottom of settings dialog now works as expected

  Enhancements

  • [issue 183] SmartTemplates Pro now supports using "clipboard" as argument for text and header manipulation functions:

    header manipulation - examples

    • %header.set(to,clipboard)% - set the final recipient from the clipboard
    • %header.append(to,clipboard)% - add a recipient from clipboard
    • %header.prefix(subject,clipboard)% - add some subject prefix from clipboard

    Template text and Quote replacements

    • %replaceText(regularExpression,clipboard)% - overwrite placeholder text in template from clipboard
    • %replaceQuotedText(regularExpression,clipboard)% - replace text in the quoted part

    A valid SmartTemplates Pro License is required for this feature to work.

  • [issue 187] SmartTemplates Pro: Support transferring headers / variable results to clipboard

    Use the parameter toclipboard to transfer header contents such as email addresses to the clipboard: %from(mail,toclipboard)%

    Use it when replying or forwarding messages to extract text from the original message body or subject to the clipboard, for example:

      %matchTextFromBody("Please reply until (.*)",1,toclipboard)%
      %matchTextFromSubject("\[Support\] (.*)",1,toclipboard)%

    You can use it for copying the date with dateformat as well: Wrap the format strings in double quotes, and add the parameter toclipboard to force copying the date to clipboard instead of inserting it into the email. Use the additional parameter current to always enforce current time (without that, it will interpret it as the timestamp of the replied to / forwarded original mail) - easier than having to insert the cumbersome %x:=today% at the start of the line.
    Examples:

      %dateformat("A, e/n/Y H:M",toclipboard)%
      %dateformat("A, e/n/Y H:M",current,toclipboard)%

    A valid SmartTemplates Pro License is required for this feature to work.

  • [issue 182] Improved *selection* placeholder in Snippets to better support processing html elements. For example, you can now wrap an image with some HTML to add a shadow with this HTML snippet. Just click on the image in your email and then load the following Smart Snippet:

      <div style="border: 1px solid rgba(80, 80, 80, 0.3); 
      box-shadow: rgba(80, 80, 80, 0.3) 5px 5px 5px; 
      width:max-content;">*selection*</div>

    This will add a nice outline and drop shadow. Another one:

      <span style="background-color: rgb(180,0,0) !important; color: white !important; 
      border-radius: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; padding: 4px 8px;"
      >*selection*</span>

    You can use this to make red "bullets" around numbers or letters referring to screenshot legends. Highlight a number and then select the Smart Template from your Snippet menu and you get this: 12

    There are many more creative way to add functionality to the Thunderbird Composer using the SmartTemplates Snippets button, by using HTML and style rules.

  • [issue 185] Simplified and modernized SmartTemplates Settings - Accounts dropdown and toolbar buttons:

    

    The accounts dropdown often showed squashed buttons at the top right due to long labels, also the icons were confusing - I have decided to streamline this by taking the following steps:

    • removed the "Advanced" label and using the widely used [...] icon to expand dialog to advanced settings
    • used monochrome scalable svg icons for most of the toolbarbutton
    • removed the account name from the account label - the identity name should be enough. If you need to add it back (or additional info such as the account id) you can right-click the "Account:" label
    • reduced space between buttons to save even more space

  • [issue 189] Support multiple spellcheck languages with %spellcheck()% command - for example:
    use %spellcheck(en,de)% to enable combined English / German dictionary checking.
  • v3.12.1: Improved button appearance when "Renew License" is possible

  Bug Fixes / Maintenance

  • [issue 186] Fixed various issues in bracketMail parameter in %to% / %from% etc:

    • You can now use bracketMail without the parentheses: %to(name,bracketMail)% this will default to wrapping the email in the standard of angled brackets: <mail@domain.com>
    • Fixed: Explict delimiters given as bracket parameters should not repeat on all following fields.
      For example, %to(bracketName({;}),mail)% will generate "{Fred} mail@domain.com" and not the faulty "{Fred} {mail@domain.com}"
    • When using deferred fields (e.g. when using %to(bracketMail)% within a write template), angle brackets used to be encoded twice leading to an output of "&lt;mail@domain.com&gt;" instead of the expected "<mail@domain.com>" when the user clicks to update the field.
    • Using multiple bracketMail functions could lead to only the last [[ optional section ]] to be removed as expected. See related [issue 192]
  • Compatibility changes for Thunderbird ESR 102:
    Increased minimum version number
    Fixed notifications
    Fixed setting focus in composer
    Stabilized code when reading external signatures or including files
    Fixed menu spacings for Templates in reply / write / forward / Snippets buttons.
    

  • [issue 184] Ongoing work: Move template processing into background script

    In order to use ComposeScripts and allow integration of SmartTemplates with other mail extensions (not just legacy) all template / string processing and the insertion into Composer need to be moved into the background script. The new code will be implemented on the current ESR branch (currently 91, soon to be 102) but not activated until it is ready.

    Once the main parser runs within background we are an essential step closer to conversion to a native API mail extension [mx] without legacy code and without requiring full permissions to the user's PC. However it is likely that things like UI integration (3 buttons in composer toolbar), full access to external files, access to certain MIME headers etc. might then still not possible with non-experimental Add-ons.

 

• Version 3.11 - 18/03/2022
  78.* - 91.*

  Enhancements

  • [issue 172] Modifiy text in body of forwarded mail [inline]. This now works in the functions: %deleteQuotedText()%, %replaceQuotedText()%, %deleteQuotedTags()%, %replaceQuotedTags()%. Read the full documentation here.

    These have to be called with a quote level parameter of "0" from the template and then they can be used to delete or replace text or HTML parts from the original mail.

    Limitation: the string parameters cannot contain double quotes ", the percent sign % or parentheses ( ) .

  • [issue 173] Auto-Forward / Auto-Reply with template - implement triggering template from filter (using FiltaQuilla) this requires the Add-on FiltaQuilla version 3.4 or later.

    In order to use this feature, open Filtaquilla settings and enable the "forward with SmartTemplates" option on the actions page:
    
    One can then add the new action on any message filter:
    
    For detailed documentation refer to the article on the premium features page.

  • [issue 174] %suppressQuoteHeaders% command to suppress all quote headers - the ones inserted by Thunderbird automatically (usally along the lines of "on 12/03/2020 John Doe wrote:") and also any of the replacement ones configured in SmartTemplates account settings.
  • New Greek translation by StratosL (Work in Progress)

  Bug Fixes

     

• Version 3.10.2 - 07/02/2022
  78.* - 91.*

  Enhancements + Fixes in version 3.10.2

  • [issue 171] Bugfix: Empty Examples tab in SmartTemplates Settings Dialog - this was caused by Thunderbird 91 enabling multi-process browsing which doesn't allow remote iFrames. Examples are now loaded in a browser element instead.

    Note that the examples are pulled from the support site and as such are always in English only. For time reasons, the support site pages cannot be localized.
  • [issue 170] Added a method to view license extension sooner than 1 month before expiry of Pro license. If you need to extend your license by another year before it expires, you can click the valid date in Settings / SmartTemplates license tab to open the licensing screen to extend it:
    

  Enhancements

  • [issue 154] Support pushing Esc to close template change confirmation. Also removed non-functional buttons from this dialog.
  • [issue 166] Implemented: %recipient% should use reply-to header if present when replying.
  • [issue 150] Removed nag screen which pops up after trial date is expired.

  Bug Fixes

  • [issue 167] Fixed: BCC list entry not expanded with empty "To:" address. Here is an example for a template that could be used for creating new list mails and replying whil having a list of undisclosed recipients. Note that a list with the correct name (in this example the name "undisclosed") must exist in the address book:

    %header.set(to,"")%
    %header.set(bcc,"Undisclosed <undisclosed>")%
    %header.prefix(subject,"[List Main Topic] ")%
    <p>Dear friends,</p>
    <p>%cursor%</p>
    %sig(none)%
  • [issue 168] Fixed: custom background and text colors ignored in composer when writing new mails. This could lead to problems especially when using dark themes.
 

• Version 3.9 - 09/12/2021
  74.* - 91.*

  Please note that SmartTemplates is compatible with the latest version of Thunderbird (91.4) - if you get a message that says otherwise after updating from earlier versions (Tb68 or Tb78) or if SmartTemplates cannot be enabled with the blue slider, simply remove it and reinstall it via "Find more Add-ons" on the Extensions tab of Add-ons Manager:

  First try if you can enable SmartTemplates using the slider:
  

  If this doesn't work, then removing the Add-on via Thunderbird the Add-ons Manager will still retain your settings:
  

  In the Search box, enter the term SmartTemplates, and press the Enter key:
  

  Then click on the Add to Thunderbird button:
  

  Click to read instructions for reinstalling:

  
  

  Enhancements

  • [issue 164] SmartTemplates Pro Feature: Added *selection* placeholder for inserting HTML snippets (fragments).

    Example:
    <code class="html">&lt;*selection*&gt;</code>

    If you highlight the text "div" in composer and then load the above template, it will insert a HTML code tag which looks like a HTML tag:
    <code class="html">&lt;div&gt;</code>
    This can also be used to generate styled containers such as headings, boxes, callout containers etc. I highly recommend adding an external stylesheet using the %style()% variable.

  • [issue 161] remove text shadow in html edit boxes for dark themes - this makes the text better readable.

  Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: [issue 162] Main toolbar - template dropdowns - items in category submenus don't trigger composer.
  • Fixed: [issue 139] Duplicate template inserted when replying to own email - Tb Conversations Add-on!
  • Fixed: [issue 155] Reply template applied twice in thunderbird 91.2.0.
  • Fixed: [issue 163] With Cardbook installed, SmartTemplates statusbar icon may not be shown.

  Miscellaneous

  • Minor fixes with separators in template menus.
 

• Version 3.8 - 22/10/2021
  74.* - 91.*

  Please note that SmartTemplates is compatible with the latest version of Thunderbird (91.2) - if you get a message that says otherwise after updating from earlier versions (Tb68 or Tb78) or if SmartTemplates cannot be enabled with the blue slider, simply remove it and reinstall it via "Find more Add-ons" on the Extensions tab of Add-ons Manager:

  First try if you can enable SmartTemplates using the slider:
  

  If this doesn't work, then removing the Add-on via Thunderbird the Add-ons Manager will still retain your settings:
  

  In the Search box, enter the term SmartTemplates, and press the Enter key:
  

  Then click on the Add to Thunderbird button:
  

  Click to read instructions for reinstalling:

  
  

  Enhancements

  • [issue 151] New single variable %recipient% for final recipient to replace %to% / %from% in all compose case templates. This makes it easier to reuse the same template for writing / replying / forwarding and is also less confusing, as it does not "change perspective" as %to% does!

  • [issue 142] New feature to insert html Smart snippets within Composer.
    To get started, add the new "Insert Snippet" button to composer:
    

    You can add fragments here by opening files and adding them to the list, just like the HTML template files for the cases "write", "reply" and "forward". This list will be shared globally across all these cases:
    

  • [issue 147] Added category submenus to structure template lists.
    Type a category into the field and update the menu item to make the template appear in a new submenu:
    

  Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: [issue 148] Regression: Saving / Loading account templates from settings dialog didn't work without Pro License.
  • Fixed: [issue 149] If no %cursor% is entered, HTML template may be truncated / reformatted at the end
  • Fixed: [issue 139] Double template inserted when replying to own email.
  • Fixed: [issue 153] Recipient Names which are only 1 Character long are dropped
  • Fixed: [issue 156] When FORWARDING, %quotePlaceholder% doesn't position forwarded mail text correctly
  • Fixed: [issue 158] Could not switch spell checker language with %spellcheck()% command.
  • Fixed: displaying trial date on license tab.

  Miscellaneous

  • Removed "workaround" experimental APIs (notifications, accounts)
  • Removed obsolete "Shim" code
 

• Version 3.7 - 20/08/2021
  74.* - 91.*

  Enhancements

  • [issue 127] Make SmartTemplates compatible with Thunderbird 91:
    • Replaced deprecated fixIterator function.
    • Replaced Array types where necessary.
    • Fixed sliding notifications in composer and icons in all sliding notifications.
    • Fixed about:config dialogs. These are used for adding hidden settings that do not have dedicated User Interface, such as the Debug Settings. Typically they are displayed by right-clicking on an option in the settings dialog.
      
  • [issue 118] New variable %clipboard% to insert clipboard contents - this will be inserted as HTML if copied from a HTML source such as a webpage or a Word Document. You can also insert HTML source code which will be converted to HTML.
  • Splash screen: this is now not shown immediately on update anymore; instead the Statusbar panel and main toolbar button will turn blue and show the splash screen once when clicked.
    To read it later again, click on the About SmartTemplates tab, and then the first button "Show changes + news". This shows you a quick overview of what's new localized in 19 different languages:
    
    Also simplified contents: removed message about permissions.

  Bug Fixes

  • Removed Utilities.openLinkExternally and replaced with messenger.windows.openDefaultBrowser
  • Fixed "Buy License" button at bottom of Settings window
  • Fixed: [issue 143] Template Files - Toolbar buttons missing
  • Only display standard license upgrade special offer when within the reduction period.

• LEGACY VERSIONS
  

  Changes for all older versions are documented here.

My other Extensions - highly recommended

QuickFolders (Thunderbird / Postbox / SeaMonkey)

Takes the pain out of working with many mail folders; has currently 20,000 users and is 3rd of all top rated message reading extensions.

quickFilters (Thunderbird / Postbox / SeaMonkey)

Quickly generate mail filters on the fly, by dragging and dropping mails and analyzing their attributes.

Zombie Keys (Thunderbird / Postbox / SeaMonkey)

Zombie Keys (Firefox)

Enter accents, diacritics, diaeresis, umlauts, ligatures etc. with keyboards of various countries (us,uk,ie,fr,it,ru,de,sv) - via easy to remember shortcuts or menu. Also supports all textboxes of the application (such as search, filters).

Menu On Top (Thunderbird : Windows only!)

Moves the Thunderbird menu bar to the top. Choose from a selection of visual styles. It is convenient to have the menu on top of the tabs like Firefox; this is also a good area for placing "global" toolbar buttons like Navigation or get mail.

You have questions / comments about SmartTemplates? Please feel free to

Attributions:
Flagset by Matthias Slovig under CC, see: http://flags.blogpotato.de/
Fugue Icons (or based on) by Yusuke Kamiyamane under CC, see: http://p.yusukekamiyamane.com/
Noia Icons (or based on) by Carles Carbonell Bernado under LGPL, see: http://carlitus.deviantart.com/