This article's lead sectionmay be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(December 2011)
The Mork format was used in most Mozilla-based projects, including the Mozilla browser suite, SeaMonkey, Firefox, and Thunderbird. In Firefox, it was used for browsing history data and form history data. In Thunderbird, it is still used for many things, such as address book data (.mab files) and the mail folder summaries (.msf files).
Criticisms
Mork has many suboptimal properties. For example, despite the aim of efficiency, storing Unicode text takes three or six bytes per character.
The file format has been severely criticized by Jamie Zawinski, a former Netscape engineer. He has lambasted the ostensibly "textual" format on the grounds that it is "not human-readable",[3] bemoaned the impossibility of writing a correct parser for the format,[4] and referred to it as "...the single most braindamaged file format that I have ever seen in my nineteen year career".[4]
In response, McCusker stated that the problems with Mork resulted from "conflicting requirements" and that he merely fixed scalability issues in bad code he "inherited".[5]
The Register lambasted the Mork database with their article "Why has Thunderbird turned into a turkey?" [6]
Obsolescence
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2015)
The replacement system, used for storing all user configuration data, is called MozStorage. MozStorage is based on the SQLite database. Beginning with Firefox 3.0, Firefox uses it for its history, form history and bookmark data. The storage engine was also included in Firefox 2.0, but only for use with extensions.[7]
Mork was completely removed from Firefox in 2011.[8][9]
Plans existed for Mork to be replaced with MozStorage in Thunderbird 3.0.,[10] but as of 2011 still used the Mork file format. As of 2012, SeaMonkey used Mork for at least its POP and IMAP mail folders indexes.
Grammar as mentioned in the above syntax description
Mork structure
Mozilla Wiki Mork page (including links to tools for reading Mork documents)
January 30, 2023
mork, file, format, this, article, lead, section, short, adequately, summarize, points, please, consider, expanding, lead, provide, accessible, overview, important, aspects, article, december, 2011, mork, computer, file, format, used, several, email, clients, . This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article December 2011 Mork is a computer file format used by several email clients and web browsers produced by Netscape and later Mozilla Foundation It was developed by David McCusker 1 with the aim of creating a minimal database replacement that would be reliable flexible and efficient and use a file format close to plain text 2 MorkFilename extension mab msf datDeveloped byNetscape later Mozilla FoundationType of formatDatabaseStandardNone reference implementation WebsiteMozilla Developer Center Contents 1 Usage 2 Criticisms 3 Obsolescence 4 Software that handles Mork files 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksUsage EditThe Mork format was used in most Mozilla based projects including the Mozilla browser suite SeaMonkey Firefox and Thunderbird In Firefox it was used for browsing history data and form history data In Thunderbird it is still used for many things such as address book data mab files and the mail folder summaries msf files Criticisms EditMork has many suboptimal properties For example despite the aim of efficiency storing Unicode text takes three or six bytes per character The file format has been severely criticized by Jamie Zawinski a former Netscape engineer He has lambasted the ostensibly textual format on the grounds that it is not human readable 3 bemoaned the impossibility of writing a correct parser for the format 4 and referred to it as the single most braindamaged file format that I have ever seen in my nineteen year career 4 In response McCusker stated that the problems with Mork resulted from conflicting requirements and that he merely fixed scalability issues in bad code he inherited 5 The Register lambasted the Mork database with their article Why has Thunderbird turned into a turkey 6 Obsolescence EditThis section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information December 2015 The replacement system used for storing all user configuration data is called MozStorage MozStorage is based on the SQLite database Beginning with Firefox 3 0 Firefox uses it for its history form history and bookmark data The storage engine was also included in Firefox 2 0 but only for use with extensions 7 Mork was completely removed from Firefox in 2011 8 9 Plans existed for Mork to be replaced with MozStorage in Thunderbird 3 0 10 but as of 2011 still used the Mork file format As of 2012 SeaMonkey used Mork for at least its POP and IMAP mail folders indexes Software that handles Mork files EditThe original Mozilla MorkReader CPP Mozilla Mork Perl mork converter Python See also EditBerkeley DBReferences Edit Mork What Is It MDC Developer mozilla org 2007 09 16 Retrieved 2009 08 19 Mork Why MDC Developer mozilla org 2007 09 16 Retrieved 2009 08 19 Zawinski Jamie mork pl Perl program to extract metadata from a Mork database jwz org Retrieved 2009 08 19 a b Bug 241438 please make history dat easier to parse i e not Mork Bugzilla mozilla org Retrieved 2009 08 19 erys resume netscape mork jwz Internet Archive 2005 05 25 Archived from the original on 2005 05 25 Retrieved 2009 08 19 Why has Thunderbird turned into a turkey www theregister co uk Paul Ryan 2006 04 30 Features cut from Firefox 2 Arstechnica com Retrieved 2009 08 19 Remove Mork from Mozilla Central Mork to be removed from Firefox 7 Thunderbird 3 Planning Wiki mozilla org 2009 08 10 Retrieved 2009 08 19 External links EditMcCusker s description of the syntax Grammar as mentioned in the above syntax description Mork structure Mozilla Wiki Mork page including links to tools for reading Mork documents Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mork file format amp oldid 956133572, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,