Firefox: No Longer Sync Tags (upon Firefox Quit)

Starting with Version 2.9.3 of BookMacster and Synkmark, the default *Simple Syncers* will no longer perform a sync whenever Firefox is quit, and when Version 2.9.3 is first launched, it will remove any such trigger on Firefox quit from any document currently syncing with Simple Syncers.  As a result, Tags will no longer be automatically synced between a Firefox and Synkmark or a BookMacster Collection.

The feature to so sync when Firefox quit was added in Version 2.3 (2017-04-10).  This was done because Mozilla's new WebExtensions interface, which we needed to start using since support for the old one was being removed, did not yet support syncing bookmark Descriptions, Keywords, Separators and Tags, and the only way to do this was to use our quick direct method which bypasses the extension.

Since then,

• Mozilla has added support for Separators the WebExtensions and our current BookMacster Sync extension uses this.
• Keywords has been redefined by Mozilla so it is no longer used for bookmarks.
• Descriptions has been or will soon be completely removed from Firefox.

That leaves Tags as the only reason why we should sync Firefox on quit.  However, because

• The quick direct method which we use to sync Firefox after it has been quit has never been supported by Firefox.
• Some new bugs in it have appeared recently.
• On the horizon we see this method may require a major redesign.
• Very few people use tags.

We plan to soon remove the
quick direct method of syncing.

If and when Firefox supports syncing of Tags in their current
WebExtensions interface, we could properly sync Tags as we do Separators.  I would submit a patch to Firefox myself if I thought there was much chance that such a patch would be accepted.  However, judging from the lack of any action in the relevant Mozilla Bug after three years of discussion, and its status of NEW and Unassigned, it appears more likely that Firefox Tags will also be eliminated, or just be left do die.  Whatever the outcome, we need to move on from our quick direct sync.

Until we remove the
quick direct syncing method, BookMacster or Synkmark Version 2.9.3 or later  users who want their BookMacster Collection Tags synced with their Firefox tags may use either of these two workarounds…

Workaround 1.  Quit Firefox and sync manually with menu > File > Import from / Export to > Firefox

Workaround 2.  (BookMacster only) Re-add this trigger after switching from
Simple to Advanced syncers…

•  Open the Collection in BookMacster.
•  View the tab Settings > Syncing.
•  Select the Advanced tab at the top.
•  Select the first syncer (which has comment
Import changes from Clients whenver feasible – Export to all ).
•  Add a Trigger with attributes
Browser Quit and Firefox.