1345192 - Consider removing gecko-only DataTransfer APIs

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Core :: DOM: Events, enhancement, P3)

Description

[Nika Layzell [:nika] (ni? for response)]

I added usage counters for these in bug 1335859. 

This bug is for tracking either a) potentially removing the counters if usage remains high, or b) removing the APIs completely if their usage is phased out in favor of the standard DataTransfer APIs.

I tried to create a Telemetry Dashboard with all of those counters. You can see it here: https://codepen.io/anon/pen/MpboBV

Comment 1

[Nika Layzell [:nika] (ni? for response)]

I was looking at these counters with Ehsan earlier today, and we saw basically no usage of the main problematic APIs (mozClearDataAt, mozSetDataAt, mozGetDataAt, mozTypesAt, and mozItemCount).

I'm tempted to put these APIs behind a pref (though we'd have to leave them enabled for chrome code), and see what breakage we start running into.

Comment 2

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

We've had these behind prefs for about a year now (since bug 1453153) on nightly. Unfortunately, we removed the usecounters when we added the pref control, so it's not clear what usage looks like...

That said, have we run into any fallout in nightly?

Comment 3

[Anny Gakhokidze [:annyG]]

Hi Boris, I am not aware about any bugs that arose from us disabling these APIs, i.e. I haven't been NI on any bugs related to this. I am assuming we can completely disable it for non-chrome code then?

Comment 4

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

I think it might be worth trying, yes. So just flip the pref on non-nightly?

Comment 5

[Nika Layzell [:nika] (ni? for response)]

Sounds like a plan!

Comment 6

[Anny Gakhokidze [:annyG]]

Attachment: Bug 1345192 - Remove gecko-only DataTransfer APIs for non-chrome code,

Comment 7

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/50e02b060b1b
Remove gecko-only DataTransfer APIs for non-chrome code, r=nika

Comment 8

[Arthur Iakab [arthur_iakab]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/50e02b060b1b

Comment 9

[Kohei Yoshino]

Posted site compatibility note: https://www.fxsitecompat.dev/en-CA/docs/2019/non-standard-datatransfer-apis-have-been-removed/

Comment 10

[Chris Mills [:cmills]]

MDN docs complete for this; see https://app.zenhub.com/workspaces/mdn-sprint-board-5ab3d23fd0f4ea53b0022a61/issues/mdn/sprints/2265#issuecomment-550415012 for the full details.

Let me know if you'd like to see any more changes made. Thanks!