153645 - User macro/script for controling browser and record actions,

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(SeaMonkey :: UI Design, enhancement)

Description

[Daniel Wang]

Add support for user macro/script to automate certain actions, such as:
- customize interface (hide personal bar, add some tool buttons,
  zoom to full-screen) on the fly
- handle complex bookmark (attach a macro script to a special field
  of a bookmark to automate frame updateing) so that users can
  bookmark frame-based pages
- handle tabs so that user can remember and recreate a browsing
  seesion
- record user events and save the script to a custom menu item

The script should be based on javascript, and it can be hand coded
or "translated"  from user actions by a translater engine.

It should be up to each module ower to mark a function "unrestricted",
"restricted access", or "forbidden"

All marcro scripts written or recorded by users within the application
should have default access level set to "unrestricted" (can access
unrestricted and restricted access functions without further warning)

by "further warning" I mean warning not built in by module owners.

All macro scripts imported should automatically have "restricted"
access level (the user will be prompted when such script tries to
access restricted access functions.)

The "import macro script" should have the following label: The script
imported will be restricted to certain application functions deemed
safe. You will be prompted when the script tries to access potentially
unsafe functions. If you are not the author of the script, you are
advised to properly test the script before resetting its access level.

A macro script should not be able to test its access level (to prevent
exploit from virus/trojan authors)

There should be an interface for external virus programs

A macro script can be executed from a menu item or a bookmark. A Web
page should never be able to execute a macro script.

The following functions should be "forbidden":
- cookie access
- browsing history access
- bookmark access (but a script should be able to be excuted from a
  bookmark)
- file access (should be reserved to signed java)
- form data access
- access to any other personal information
- read or write to another script (but can execute another script)
- read password form field in a Web page (but can write)

a macro script may be something like (from a frame bookmark):

  with (application) {
     requestAccess();
     curr = getModule(browser.window).openTab('/url/')
     getModule(browser.url);
     curr.window.frames['/name1/'].location.replace('/url2/')
     curr.window.frames['/name2/'].location.replace('/url3/')
        :
     ui = getModule(browser.ui);
     ui.menu.executeByPath('view/fullscreen');
     endAccess();
  } // with (application)

related bugs
25909 [RFE] Frame State Bookmarking (frameset bookmarks)
38521 Preferences Toolbar, for most commonly used prefs
17306 [feature] Ability to move around menu items/toolbar buttons.

Comment 1

[Daniel Wang]

setting 38521 17306 dependency

Comment 2

[timeless]

i don't get it.
userChrome.css
userContent.css
javascript bookmarklets
xpinstall chrome overlays

i don't think there's anything we need to do for you. can you explain why this
bug should live in bugzilla.mozilla.org

Comment 3

[Daniel Wang]

closing silly bug reports by me

Comment 4

[Daniel Wang]

*** Bug 169528 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 5

[Daniel Wang]

.

Comment 6

[Daniel Wang]

chg comp, assignee, & QA to be same as bug 133706
also related: bug 89016

Comment 7

[Alfonso Martinez]

*** Bug 193538 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 8

[Jon Roland]

Since my Bug 193538 has been declared a dupe of this bug, let me explain what I
would want to be able to do with a macro capability.

First, my main use for it would be for email, not the browser. That was how I
classified Bug 193538, and you might want to reconsider calling it a dupe,
although I don't mind having a macro that would cover both applications.

1. Remove duplicate messages. For example, the macro might find messages with
the same key header fields, verify they are duplicates except for the receiver
or forwarder, and delete all but one, that one being defined in the macro in a
way that would distinguish it from the others, and allow for contingencies, so
that, for example, if I got duplicates through e-lists A, B, C, ..., it would
keep the one through B unless there was none through B, in which case it would
keep the one through D, unless .... 

2. Define my own Filter/Move operations with complex boolean and conditional
logic. Could replace the present Filter function altogether, which would become
a set of pre-defined macros, with the Filter UI serving as a macro generator.

3. Do automatic forwarding of messages, based on similar logic.

4. Do automatic replies, such as "out of office until ..."

5. Support mailmerge functions, taking field values from a database file,
inserting them at insertion points in messages, and sending multiple copies of
the message, one to each of a list of recipients taken from an external database
file.

6. Perform complex search and archiving functions on multiple folders.

7. Create email digests of multiple messages.

8. Run an external virus checker against messages, take action depending on the
result of the check.

9. Check incoming email and produce sounds when one comes in that the user was
looking for.

10. Do statistical analyses on messages and produce logs or reports.

This is quite different from Bug 153654 in concept.

Comment 9

[R.K.Aa.]

*** Bug 253712 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***