Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 beta 1 released!

This is the first beta release of the next version of Clippings for Thunderbird. It is being made available for testers and early adopters craving the latest and greatest, and are willing to tolerate a few inevitable bugs.

Read on to learn more about what's new in Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0, and how to get it!

What's New

• The Clippings toolbar button in the message compose window has moved from the status bar to the Composition Toolbar. The Clippings toolbar button is no longer available in the main Thunderbird window
• You can now add separators to organize your clippings in the Clippings menu. Separators can be added from Clippings Manager -- right-click on the list of clippings and select Insert Separator from the context menu
• New option to show the shortcut key of a clipping in the Clippings menu. Turn on this setting from the redesigned extension preferences page
• On Linux, the option to minimize the Clippings Manager window when it's inactive is now turned off by default
  
• Sync Clippings enhancements: sync data is now compressed, allowing you to sync more of your clippings; also, improved handling of read-only sync files
• Many behind-the-scenes improvements to ensure compatibility with future versions of Thunderbird
  

Compatibility

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 is compatible with the latest beta release of Thunderbird 128. It is not compatible with Thunderbird 115.x.

The Sync Clippings enhancements require an upgrade of the Sync Clippings Helper app. An announcement of a beta release of the next version of Sync Clippings Helper will be posted here shortly.

How to Get It

IMPORTANT! If you're already using Clippings and want to try the beta release, back up your clippings first before upgrading.

To install this beta release, head over to the Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 beta 1 page on GitHub. Look for the link to clippings-tb-7.0b1.xpi, then right-click on it and select Save Link As, then choose a folder location on your system (for example, the Desktop). Then follow these step-by-step instructions from the Mozilla Support website to install Clippings in Thunderbird.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

If you find a bug, you may file a bug report on GitHub. Please search the issues list first to confirm that your issue has not already been reported.

Monthly update: July 2024

I've been repeatedly postponing the release of the first beta build of Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 due to some additional work that I wanted to get done, and I admit that I've fallen victim to scope creep. But it is now in a state where it's almost ready for release; there are still parts where it feels like it's half finished, but at least it's usable enough for testing. There's just some minor tweaks I'm making to the folder icon that appears in the Clippings menu and Clippings Manager, but that should be it....

Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 will require an upcoming version of the Thunderbird email client. Thunderbird 128 is currently in beta testing (it's available from the Thunderbird website) and a public release is expected very soon.

What about Clippings for Firefox? Work on the next version of Clippings for the Firefox web browser is currently in progress. This new version of the Firefox extension will have most of the same features found in Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 but with a few additional enhancements, including a new Clippings sidebar in the browser window. The first beta build of Clippings 7.0 for Firefox is planned for release in a few weeks -- keep an eye on this blog for the beta release announcement!

The improvements to Sync Clippings that are coming in Clippings 7.0 will require upgrading to a new version of Sync Clippings Helper, so also watch for an announcement of a beta release of this background helper application.

Clippings 6.5.6.1 released!

This update to Clippings 6.5.6 fixes a bug that is occurring on Linux. It is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website.

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be upgraded for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (Tools → Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: On Linux, pasting a clipping with placeholders doesn't work (issue #463)
  

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird 115.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings bug on Linux: Pasting a clipping containing placeholders doesn't work

The latest version of Clippings that was released last week introduced a regression bug where pasting a clipping containing a placeholder doesn't work. This issue is occurring on Linux only, and is being tracked in this GitHub issue.

An update to Clippings 6.5.6 with a fix for this issue is currently under review by the Firefox Add-ons editors. An announcement will be posted here when it's released.

In the meantime, Linux users can work around this issue by downgrading to version 6.5.5, which is available from the Clippings version history page on the AE Creations website. Those who are interested in trying out the update with the bug fix can install a beta release of Clippings 6.5.6.1 from GitHub.

Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3.5 released!

Another minor update to Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 has been released, and is now available from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 requires Thunderbird version 115.

If you already have an older version of Clippings for Thunderbird installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Thunderbird menu, click Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings for Thunderbird in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Minor fixes and improvements
  

Things You Should Know About

• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings for Thunderbird should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings 6.5.6 released!

Another update to Clippings 6.5, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released, and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 6.5 requires Firefox 102 or newer.

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be upgraded for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (Tools → Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: Ampersands (&) don't appear in the Clippings menu for folder names (issue #422)
• Bug fix: On macOS, pasting a clipping using keyboard paste or containing placeholders doesn't work in full-screen browser windows (issue #432)
• Other fixes and improvements
  

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird 115.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Sync Clippings Helper doesn't work on Firefox releases packaged with Snap or Flatpak

There's a known issue affecting Firefox releases that are distributed with Ubuntu 22.04 and Fedora 40; both of these Linux distributions use Snap and Flatpak, respectively, to distribute software packages. Firefox releases that were installed via these package managers are unable to connect to Sync Clippings Helper.

A symptom of this issue is an error that appears when trying to open the Sync Clippings settings dialog from the extension preferences page:

The About dialog also shows that Sync Clippings Helper is not installed, even if it is:

To work around this issue, download Firefox for Linux from the Mozilla website and install that instead of from the default package manager in Ubuntu, Fedora or other affected Linux distributions.

Monthly update: June 2024

Work is progressing well on the next version of Clippings. The work I've done in the last two releases has paid off, making the conversion to Manifest V3 fairly smooth. That means more time can be spent on implementing the same new features from Clippings for Thunderbird, and maybe even fit in one extra enhancement.

In the meantime, a minor release of Clippings 6.5 and Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 will be out soon, which contains a few bug fixes, such as one for a macOS-specific issue where I was able to find a suitable fix that was less complicated than a larger UI revamp that I originally had in mind. Proving that keeping it simple is the way to go!

Read Next 1.1.5 released!

An update to Read Next 1.1, the reading list extension for Firefox from AE Creations, has been released and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Read Next 1.1 requires Firefox 102 or newer.

If you already have an older version of Read Next installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (Tools → Add-ons), click on the entry for Read Next in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fixes and improvements 

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Read Next should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3.4 released!

A minor update to Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 has been released, and is now available from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 requires Thunderbird version 115.

If you already have an older version of Clippings for Thunderbird installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Thunderbird menu, click Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings for Thunderbird in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Added special handling of import files created from future versions of Clippings

Things You Should Know About

• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings for Thunderbird should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings 6.5.5 released!

An update to Clippings 6.5, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released, and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 6.5 requires Firefox 102 or newer.

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be upgraded for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (Tools → Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Added special handling of import files created from future versions of Clippings
  
• Minor fixes and improvements
  

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird versions 102 and 115.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Monthly update: May 2024

Much progress has been made on the next version of Clippings for Thunderbird, and I plan on releasing the first beta build to testers and early adopters soon. Separators in the Clippings menu, compressed sync data, and user interface improvements are just a few things to look forward to in Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0!

In the meantime, minor updates to Clippings, Clippings for Thunderbird and Read Next will be coming in mid-May, at around the same time that Firefox 126 is due to be released. After that, I'll be switching my focus to Clippings for Firefox, beginning with migrating the extension to Manifest V3 (MV3) which is expected to be a fairly large effort. Most of the new features and improvements that are coming in Clippings for Thunderbird 7.0 will also be included.

Working on these projects take a lot of time, effort and motivation to bring them to fruition for you and thousands of users around the world. Show your support for my work by making a donation through Liberapay or PayPal. Your generosity is very much appreciated!

Clippings 6.5.4 released!

An update to Clippings 6.5, the Firefox extension from AE Creations that lets you save frequently-entered text for later pasting into web page forms, has been released, and is now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website. Clippings 6.5 requires Firefox 102 or newer.

If you already have Clippings installed, it will be upgraded for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (Tools → Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: Error when redoing new clipping creation by drag 'n drop into Clippings Manager (issue #443)

Things You Should Know About

• Thunderbird Users: This version of Clippings is designed for Firefox and is not compatible with Thunderbird. Get Clippings for Thunderbird, which is compatible with Thunderbird versions 102 and 115.
  
• Some features may not be available when Firefox is in Private Browsing mode, or if the browser privacy settings are too restrictive.
• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3.3 released!

A minor update to Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 has been released, and is now available from Add-ons for Thunderbird and the AE Creations website. Clippings for Thunderbird 6.3 requires Thunderbird version 115.

If you already have an older version of Clippings for Thunderbird installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (from the Thunderbird menu, click Add-ons), click on the entry for Clippings for Thunderbird in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Bug fix: Error when redoing new clipping creation by drag 'n drop into Clippings Manager (issue #161)

Things You Should Know About

• If you want to use Sync Clippings, download and install the Sync Clippings helper app. More information and download links can be found on the Sync Clippings page on the AE Creations website.

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Clippings for Thunderbird should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Monthly update: April 2024

April is a busy month for me, with work continuing on the next version of Clippings for Thunderbird which also includes new features for Sync Clippings. I will be coming back to the current versions of Clippings and Clippings for Thunderbird to release a minor update with a bug fix for Clippings Manager.

Panic Button 5.0 was released last week. It has only been localized in Polish, but contributions for other languages are always welcome. If you'd like to help, go to the Crowdin project for Panic Button.

Panic Button 5.0 released!

Panic Button is the Firefox extension from AE Creations that quickly hides your browser windows from curious eyes with a click of a button. Panic Button 5.0 is the newest version of this extension, and it's now available from Firefox Add-ons and the AE Creations website.

If you already have an older version of Panic Button installed, it will be updated for you if automatic extension updates are enabled. Otherwise, open Add-ons Manager (Tools → Add-ons), click on the entry for Panic Button in the list of installed extensions, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Check for Updates.

What's New

• Improvements to some of the built-in Panic Button icons
• Enhanced keyboard navigation in the extension preferences page, Change Icon dialog, and the Restore Session page
• Other behind-the-scenes improvements to ensure compatibility with future versions of Firefox

Things You Should Know About

• Panic Button 5.0 requires Firefox 115 or newer. 
  
• Panic Button won't work if Firefox is set to "Never remember history" in Privacy & Security settings.
• The Hide and Replace action is unable to restore any browser tabs displaying Firefox pages such as Add-ons Manager and Firefox Settings.
• Any downloads in progress will continue in the background if clicking the Panic Button to hide or minimize all windows. If Close All Windows was selected in extension preferences as the Panic Button action, downloads in progress will be canceled.
  

Help and Support

Questions and comments about Panic Button should be posted to the AE Creations Help and Support forums, now hosted on Groups.io.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Crowdin contributor jeleniogorzanin for translating Panic Button into Polish!

If you are fluent in English and another world language and would like to help update or add a new translation, consider contributing a translation in Crowdin. Localizations in other languages are always welcome, and will be added in future releases.