commands API
The commands API first appeared in Thunderbird 66. It’s more or less the same as the Firefox commands API.
Use the commands API to add keyboard shortcuts that trigger actions in your extension, for example opening one of the action popups or sending a command to the extension.
Manifest file properties
[commands]
(object)
A dictionary object defining one or more commands as name-value pairs, the name being the name of the command and the value being a CommandsShortcut. The name may also be one of the following built-in special shortcuts:
_execute_browser_action
_execute_compose_action
_execute_message_display_action
Example:
"commands": {
"toggle-feature": {
"suggested_key": {
"default": "Ctrl+Shift+Y",
"linux": "Ctrl+Shift+U"
},
"description": "Send a 'toggle-feature' event"
},
"_execute_compose_action": {
"suggested_key": {
"default": "Alt+F5"
},
"description": "Open the compose action popup"
}
}
Functions
update(detail)
Update the details of an already defined command.
Parameters
detail
(object)
The new details for the command.
name
(string)
The name of the command.
[description]
(string)
The description for the command.
[shortcut]
(string)
An empty string to clear the shortcut, or a string matching the format defined by the MDN page of the commands API to set a new shortcut key. If the string does not match this format, the function throws an error.
reset(name)
Reset a command’s details to what is specified in the manifest.
Parameters
name
(string)
The name of the command.
getAll()
Returns all the registered extension commands for this extension and their shortcut (if active).
Events
onCommand
Fired when a registered command is activated using a keyboard shortcut. This is a user input event handler. For asynchronous listeners some restrictions apply.
Parameters for onCommand.addListener(listener)
listener(command, tab)
A function that will be called when this event occurs.
Parameters passed to the listener function
command
(string)
The details of the active tab while the command occurred.
Types
Command
object
[description]
(string)
The Extension Command description
[name]
(string)
The name of the Extension Command
[shortcut]
(string)
The shortcut active for this command, or blank if not active.
CommandsShortcut
KeyName
Definition of a shortcut, for example Alt+F5. The string must match the shortcut format as defined by the MDN page of the commands API.
string