Mork (file format)
Encyclopedia
Mork is a computer file format used by several email clients and web browser
s produced by Netscape, and later, Mozilla Foundation
. It was developed by David McCusker 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
.
, 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).
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", bemoaned the impossibility of writing a correct parser for the format, and referred to it as "...the single most braindamaged file format that I have ever seen in my nineteen year career".
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".
TheRegister lambasted the Mork database with their article "Why has Thunderbird turned into a turkey?"
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.
Mork was completely removed from Firefox in 2011.
Plans existed for Mork to be replaced with MozStorage in the upcoming Thunderbird 3.0., but the first release still uses the Mork file format.
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
s produced by Netscape, and later, Mozilla Foundation
Mozilla Foundation
The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists to support and provide leadership for the open source Mozilla project. The organization sets the policies that govern development, operates key infrastructure and controls trademarks and other intellectual property...
. It was developed by David McCusker with the aim of creating a minimal database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
replacement that would be reliable, flexible, and efficient, and use a file format close to plain text
Plain text
In computing, plain text is the contents of an ordinary sequential file readable as textual material without much processing, usually opposed to formatted text....
.
Usage
The Mork format was used in most Mozilla-based projects, including the Mozilla browser suite, SeaMonkeySeaMonkey
SeaMonkey is a free and open source cross-platform Internet suite. It is the continuation of the former Mozilla Application Suite, based on the same source code...
, Firefox
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
, and Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
. 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 UnicodeUnicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
text takes three or six bytes per character.
The file format has been severely criticized by Jamie Zawinski
Jamie Zawinski
Jamie Zawinski , commonly known as jwz, is a former professional American computer programmer responsible for significant contributions to the free software projects Mozilla and XEmacs, and early versions of the Netscape Navigator web browser...
, a former Netscape engineer. He has lambasted the ostensibly "textual" format on the grounds that it is "not human-readable", bemoaned the impossibility of writing a correct parser for the format, and referred to it as "...the single most braindamaged file format that I have ever seen in my nineteen year career".
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".
TheRegister lambasted the Mork database with their article "Why has Thunderbird turned into a turkey?"
Obsolescence
The replacement system, used for storing all user configuration data, is called MozStorage. MozStorage is based on the SQLiteSQLite
SQLite is an ACID-compliant embedded relational database management system contained in a relatively small C programming library. The source code for SQLite is in the public domain and implements most of the SQL standard...
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.
Mork was completely removed from Firefox in 2011.
Plans existed for Mork to be replaced with MozStorage in the upcoming Thunderbird 3.0., but the first release still uses the Mork file format.
External links
- McCusker'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)