[question] How to keep W.A.R. working on Legacy Firefox

[Azazello]

Hi mental! This is a question/search for info, NOT a request to change the script... (maybe)

Amongst several browsers that I use, one is rotyam1's version of Firefox with Greasemonkey 3.11 - with W.A.R. version 1.6.6.9. This legacy version is based on Fx 45ESR+  {yes, I'm a bad boy, enough of that, let's move on!}  
(but had some v115 code incorporated last year: "...update ESR base to 115..." - https://rtfreesoft.blogspot.com/2023/09/...30902.html )

I noticed several months ago that I can no longer auto-update the script via GM3.11 - nor manually.

This has happen with a few other scripts, so I update them manually. I did the same here, copy/pasted (using Notepad++) 1.6.7.0 - and the script doesn't work :-- no highlighted or icon'ed links, no popup window showing links be scanned, not even a context menu option for W.A.R. I also restarted the browser - no luck.

In other scripts the developers started to use newer javascript syntax and features, so it was understandable that their scripts would no longer work with Legacy. That's fine, that's life. I'm not asking that the script become stale by supporting way outofdate browsers.

But this is weird to me because when I diff the versions I don't see what could be significantly different to cause this stoppage. There's very little that changed between the versions, 1.6.6.9/1.6.7.0 so it's even more confusing.

So my questions: Do you know what's causing the breakage? And if so-- how can I manually modify the script to run?

Again, I'm not asking that such changes should happen in the main versions of the script; instead, I'll do my own local updates.

Finally, worse-to-worse, I can keep the WAR version locked to 1.6.6.9 as that still works fine. But I would love to keep getting the main updates.

[mental]

I don't have anything that can run greasemonkey anymore but if you can't manually install it you should be able to edit the script in greasemonkey, copy the new script code using just the version of notepad in windows then replace everything in the script then save.

you might also want to see if tampermonkey will run on your browser.

[Azazello]

woah, I think I didn't explain properly; here it is again more simply....

Something in the script changed between the versions 1.6.6.9/1.6.7.0 such that 1.6.7.0 and beyond no longer run within GMv3.11 -- asking if you see anything in the diff that might point to the problem, particularly if related to javascript or Firefox.

For reference, I ran into similar legacy-Firefox problem, read here: https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/1682/d...ions/12026

I will do the manual updating - I already do that for other scripts.

If it turns out to be any issue directly with GMv3.11, then we (users) are just fcuked. Life will go on.

But hoping it's something simple.

[mental]

I made some changes and removed the only thing that was changed between those two versions i think might cause a problem with GM, try version 1.6.7.7 and see if it works.

[Azazello]

It's working again! Thank you very much!

[mental]

your welcome.

[Azazello]

Hello again mental!

Somewhat regularly I _manually_ update the scripts on this legacy browser (see first post); I went to update W.A.R. from 1.7.1.7 to newest -- and the script no longer runs: the scanning panel doesn't show on pages, and the script no longer appears in the Greasemonkey menu on those pages where the script should be working.

I did several homeworks and this is what I found:

v1.7.1.9 introduces a fix for something for filefactory; this entire function, when removed, allows the script to work.

I'm no developer but I did some more homework: I confirmed via `https://caniuse.com/?search=` that the following ARE supported in this Firefox version - so I don't _think_ these are causing the problem:

'use strict'
onload
DOMParser
onerror

I also scanned all the userscripts currently used/active in this browser for these same four features, and some of those scripts do use them, so again I don't think those are the issue.

That's the end of my programming troubleshooting skills; I have no other idea what could be causing the problem. Perhaps you can spot the cause.

Let me restate what I first posted:-- I nor no one expects you to hold back the development of the script for legacy browsers. We DO hope you can tell us how to maintain its features thru manual edits, if possible. (I'll inform other legacy users on other communities, usually on msfn.org). If not, then at least we'll know to lock the version to the last workable one, and prevent future updates.

So if you find the solution, YAY! If not, then so be it.

Either way, we always much appreciate your work on developing and maintaining the script.