ToDo: compare active values ghacks vs pyllyukko user.js about user.js

[earthlng]

pref("browser.newtabpage.directory.source", "data:text/plain,{}"); // ghacks: "data:text/plain,"
@Thorin-Oakenpants, @pyllyukko, we should both use "data:,{}" - the code expects a JSON and complains otherwise, and with that format it defaults to "text/plain" and it also sets a charset that way, which again otherwise it can cause a warning in the console.
see: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Basics_of_HTTP/Data_URIs
ie. data:, is the short form for data:text/plain;charset=US-ASCII,

[earthlng]

creates an empty directoryLinks.json file in the appdata/local Mozilla folder
it creates that file with {} in it, but in the profile folder in my case. ie it's not an empty file and the folder is wrong afaik. everything after the comma is the file content. data:text/plain, would write an empty file, but it doesn't because it's not JSON while data:text/plain,{} creates a valid "empty" 2-byte JSON file.
I think this behavior is preferable because it retro-actively overwrites the content of that file, while otherwise, the code fails, produces a warning in the console and doesn't write/overwrite that file at all, if I remember correctly.

We have 5 data:text/plain, and 0 data:text/plain,{} atm!

[Atavic]

• data:,
• data:text/plain,
• data:text/plain;charset=US-ASCII,

[earthlng]

Oh, damn, so only when it's finished huh? Well I saw that too late so I adjusted my script, grabbed both versions latest master and compared them. The result is ... well, a lot of work still to be done....

combined prefs:  520
- 114 matching prefs
- 406 diffs
>   79 missing in ghacks
>  314 missing in pyllyukko
>   13 different values

The 314 are including the 23 parrot prefs.
I can provide a diff whenever one is needed, takes literally seconds to create them.

[earthlng]

I didn't look at the file-content tbh, my script parsed all active prefs, idk if deprecated are in there for pyllyukko's. here is the output: http://pasted.co/b0235e9e

[earthlng]

I see now, your script doesn't discard the status of the pref
No, of course not - you said do a diff of active values and investigate
I can adjust my script if you like, but I need to figure out how to best display that.

[earthlng]

I don't understand why we should use the worst of the 3 possible ways. (see Atavic's comment)
Either use the shortest which sets a default (that I trust mozilla is not gonna change), or make it bullet-proof and use the long version.
Yeah, I read the TBB ticket where they started using it, but they also don't want any console warnings/errors, and tbh it seemed kind of lazy. We shouldn't do something stupid just because TBB also does it. Maybe someone from their team will eventually see our better and improved way and change it in TBB too.
Just my 2 cents

[earthlng]

But they never get used

Then why change them at all? But we do change them (and I think we should) so why not use the best possible way instead of the worst?
I'm not gonna argue anymore. I use the short form in my own user.js. Do what you want.