Add Thunderbird WebExtension API compatibility data

[jobisoft]

What would you like to see added to BCD?

Mozilla Thunderbird is a mail client, sharing the same code base as Mozilla Firefox. Thunderbird supports add-ons using WebExtension APIs similar to Firefox.

I propose adding Thunderbird as an additional vendor and include it in the WebExtension API compatibility chart.

How impactful do you think this enhancement will be?

Developers would become aware, that they can create WebExtensions for Thunderbird or even run Firefox WebExtensions in Thunderbird. The compatibility data would help to identify which APIs are supported by Thunderbird.

Do you have anything more you want to share?

Thunderbird has already started to work on the to-be-added browser-compatibility-data:
https://github.com/thunderbird/webext-compat-data

The work to create and maintain the data will be covered by MZLA staff (MZLA Technologies Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mozilla Foundation)

[jobisoft]

Answers to the requirements listed in the Addition of Browsers section:

a compelling downstream-consumer story (e.g., MDN or caniuse express an interest, or someone is planning to do something with the data that might plausibly grow BCD's reach)

We hope the added data will be rendered by MDN. The data will also be used by developers to properly lint Thunderbird add-ons. Currently, our very own add-on repository addons.thunderird.net is not able to correctly lint uploaded add-on's.

reviewers (e.g., two or more people with interest and ability to test data relating to new and existing releases, or at least one reviewer acting on behalf of the vendor)

This will be me, a full-time employee of MZLA. We are in the process of hiring an additional developer to join me.

a release process allowing BCD to publish stable release information in a browsers/ file (containing release notes with version numbers and dates)

I am confident we can create a process which provides the required information. We already have a semi-automated process to generate enriched schema files for the public to - for example - generate & update TypeScript definitions.

documentation (e.g., how to get and test a feature in that browser, links to resources that might help with it, etc.)

We currently have our full documentation at https://webextension-api.thunderbird.net/en/stable/