Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

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LehA64
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Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by LehA64 » 2020-12-02, 19:54

I got a Microsoft Teams invitation to my mailbox, sent from Google Calendar. On Interlink the message displays a lot of HTML code instead of proper message. I also happen to have old Thunderbird 52.9.1 available, and it behaves similar. Detailed application and system information can be found from the end of this message.
I viewed the message on webmail and on Android tablet, and those will view the message without extra HTML code.

Screenshot from Interlink
Image

Same message on Webmail
Image

Same message on Huawei mail app running on Android 7
Image

Application Basics

Name: Interlink
Version: 52.9.7634
User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:4.7) Goanna/20201125 Interlink/52.9.7634
Profile Directory: Open Directory

(Local drive)
Application Build ID: 20201125163207
Enabled Plugins: about:plugins
Build Configuration: about:buildconfig
Memory Use: about:memory
Profiles: about:profiles

Xubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS with latest updates

BR,
Juha

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by LehA64 » 2020-12-02, 20:24

The view displaying HTML code is shown regardless of the used "View Message body as" options, "Original HTML", "Simple HTML" or "Plain Text".

When using "View All Body Parts", the following views are shown from (EDIT:) top to bottom:
- Plain text
- The HTML version shown like Webmail shows it, no HTML code on message
- The HTML version with HTML code visible is shown
Last edited by LehA64 on 2020-12-02, 20:47, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by LehA64 » 2020-12-02, 20:43

I tried to forward the invitation to myself, but only the plain text like shown below appears to the edit window and is sent on "Original HTML" mode.


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Kutsu: Pohj XXX us @ XX.YY.20XX 18:00 - 20:30 (EET) (XXX@XXX.XX)
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 2020 17:42:13 +0000
From: XXXX@somemail.com
Reply-To: XXXX@somemail.com
To: XXX@xxx.xxx, YYY@yyyy.xxx

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by LehA64 » 2020-12-02, 20:54

Seems like this is about some add-on. Safe mode works fine.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by Moonchild » 2020-12-02, 21:00

According to RFC 5545 that defines the iCalendar format, any comment fields can only contain plain text. So if someone fills it with HTML text then that's an error on the inviter's behalf.
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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by LehA64 » 2020-12-02, 21:03

Found the add-on, it's the Lightning 5.4 Calendar. If I have that disabled, everything is shown correctly, like on Webmail.
The "View Message Body As" works fine too.

Now the question is from where to find Calendar. Is there working one that replaces the Lighting 5.4 from Thunderbird?

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by LehA64 » 2020-12-02, 21:42

The Lightning version included on Interlink, Version=5.4.9.7634, BuildID=20201125163207 did not help compared to the Thunderbird-based version (Version=5.4, BuildID=20170321161200). That's something I have to live with then :P In any case I need calendar, and the invitation works as is.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by Bilbo47 » 2020-12-04, 19:35

For better or worse, previously text-only fields are being populated with HTML. The shift under discussion here is inside iCal/.ICS files. I won't be surprised by finding HTML inside Contact/.VCF files also. This same shift happened with email many years ago. Now as then, someone will get around to writing an updated RFC. When that happens, the "reference dictionary" (RFCs) will eventually catch up to actual, real-world usage.

So here we have ICS files with HTML that go beyond the "rules" outlined in that RFC. Whether this is an "error" depends on whether the file 'intends' to follow that RFC or not. The file has a VERSION: attribute. If that attribute's value (2.0, 2.1, whatever) matches the RFC but the actual file format does not, then yes the file's failure of internal consistency is certainly an error. But if the file announces its non-compliance with that RFC, by explicitly stating a VERSION value not covered by that RFC, then no; the file is intentionally extending the feature-set of ICS, and abandoning that particular RFC as obsolete. In such case it would yes be an error to not-document the expanded feature-set via an RFC-like publication.

Regardless of attention to RFCs, leveraging the trend toward using HTML in addition to plaintext, for the purpose of enhanced functionality that benefits end-users, is an "error" only in the technical sense of "not-following the dictionary".

Perhaps in this scenario a stopgap approach would be to produce a text-only/RFC-compliant iCal for each iCal that is produced in HTML/rogue format. Then include/attach both versions in the email message, each in the appropriate MIME part. RFCs for email already tell email readers how to parse email messages and display either the text-only version or the HTML version.

A real solution is for Lightning-etc to correctly render any HTML, even in contexts where text is expected. I mean, Interlink and Thunderbird already *do* HTML rendering. Yes, rendering has to disallow scripting and otherwise prevent security failures. Because of course outside forces want to delete UXP projects from existence, by any means possible.

Progress, or at least change that some people like, cannot be prevented by the non-existence or non-relevance of an RFC. Our choices as developers are to either become compatible with trends that are positive overall, or deprive our users of the obvious benefits from those trends.

Much as I can't stand the idea of Micro$oft/Gooble abusing/ignoring widespread standards and effectively taking over/destroying the standards process (for exmple MS Outlook), my softwares still need to be compatible with their data formats, else my customers would think I have bugs, and then find other products that *are* compatible.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by Moonchild » 2020-12-04, 22:23

Bilbo47 wrote:
2020-12-04, 19:35
This same shift happened with email many years ago.
Argue the point as you might, HTML e-mail is well-defined as a separate part of a multipart message. You cannot compare it to simply breaking with an established file format standard that doesn't allow HTML to be used in specific fields.

There is no "intention" involved. If you attach an ics file it has to adhere to the file format specification or you are doing proprietary things with an open format (not that it's something new for Microsoft to do, though, as it's the "extend" part of embrace-extend-extinguish) but you cannot fault a client for adhering to the specification which is in this case to treat the field as text, not html. The problem is also not that it offers html as an addition (like e-mail), but that it is used instead of what is specified for the fields in an interchange format. If it was some format used only internally then it would be different but it is not -- an ics file is to interchange appointment/calendar data and therefore should never go beyond the spec.

Example: What if I were to compress PNG files with some other-than-established algorithm (not even necessarily proprietary, it can be a standard one, just not specced for png image use) because my own image editor/viewer supports it? Would that be an OK use of the PNG file format too? Nope. Well, this isn't any different.
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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by New Tobin Paradigm » 2020-12-04, 23:15

Here is the question at hand, If I create a public repo for the calendar extension will any one of you add this spec breaking proprietary bullshit to it?

Because as it stands, Lightning is best effort based on community involvement. If not then I won't bother and we can consider this RESOLVED WONTFIX.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by Bilbo47 » 2020-12-05, 02:24

These points are all reasonable. Yet:
There is no "intention" involved.
We cannot know this without looking at the raw file. If it includes a "new" VERSION value, or anything else out-of-spec, especially anything that confounds proper parsing/display, then any standard viewer may conceivably refuse to handle the file - simply because it is non-standard. This approach follows the "rules" but fails to fulfill the viewer's stated purpose, because it pretends the data doesn't exist.

As for the PNG spec, it has been through a few different versions. Encoders and decoders write and read the files using whatever byte markers effectively serve as a VERSION indicator. The softwares know about whatever "versions" of the PNG format that they know about, and they are incompatible with newer versions of the format. For example two viewers here display the same picture differently; one shows the image correctly while the other shows a wrong color palette. Is one viewer out of date? Was the file itself encoded "wrong"? Does the answer depend on which one existed first? Sure, the answer depends partly on how well the standard was followed, according to whichever version was in effect at the time. A standard that does not evolve is a dead standard.

Our PNG example here makes my point: writing non-standard data files and non-standard viewers is exactly how standards are eventually advanced; those "violations" of the previous standard are *necessary* steps in the process of advancing any standard.
create a public repo for the calendar extension
Yes, hereby requesting some form of access please.
  1. Without this, I'm not aware of how community involvement could happen, considering the IL repo was recently taken non-public, as far as I understand it.
  2. Lightning has a functionality failure I need to investigate, related to synchronizing with server-side calendarware such as Horde/RoundCube/gCal which are also accessible by web interface.
  3. I cannot promise anything about making the calendar render HTML within iCal invitations. Obviously would have to look for references within other open sources. I've "built" about _one_ stupid-simple XUL dialog, just to bullheadedly prove it was possible. Not sure if I can repeat that feat, nor whether that is even relevant to modifying Lightning.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by New Tobin Paradigm » 2020-12-05, 07:48

Well I have no real investment in Lightning. But you all like it so I will rework it as a git submodule so that you guys can do things with my build assistance.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by New Tobin Paradigm » 2020-12-05, 17:24

I have split out the calendar to its own repo.

https://repo.palemoon.org/binaryoutcast/calendar

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by New Tobin Paradigm » 2020-12-22, 10:53

Well so much for community development.. No word since I split calendar to its own repository. And people wonder why I treat my projects more like Netscape than Mozilla.

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Re: Teams invitation shows HTML code on Interlink

Unread post by Bilbo47 » 2020-12-29, 04:20

I see what you mean. But I wouldn't expect any progress on starting a project in a new language (XUL) at this time of year. Like, I'm still wrestling with existing features (see other post) and setting up a new install of Windows that might be worthy of trying to compile an Add-On. Unfort any new stuff has to wait until I do some SSD cloning to support my downstream channel. You know how it goes ... I get the new big disk, they get my six-month old small disk, as a replacement for the dying five-year old disk that I gave them last year.

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