Lightning (software)
{{short description|Free software}}
{{About|the Thunderbird calendar extension|the just-in-time compilation library|GNU lightning}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Lightning
| logo =
| screenshot = 250px
| caption = Lightning running on Thunderbird 115.11.0
| developer = Mozilla Foundation / Mozilla Corporation
| released = 0.1 (March 2006)
| programming language = C++, XUL, XBL, JavaScript
| operating system = Linux, Windows, macOS, others
| language = [https://mxr.mozilla.org/comm-central/source/calendar/locales/all-locales 50 languages]
| genre = Personal information manager
| license = MPL 2.0
| website = {{URL|https://www.thunderbird.net/calendar/}}
}}
Lightning is a project from the Mozilla Foundation originally designed as an extension ("add-on") that adds calendar and scheduling functionality to the Mozilla Thunderbird mail client and SeaMonkey internet suite. It superseded the previous Mozilla Sunbird and the older Mozilla Calendar extension.[http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=5816 Lightning Project Launched to Provide Calendar Features for Mozilla Thunderbird- MozillaZine] - MozillaZine article announcing the Lightning project and its aims. With version 38 of Thunderbird, the Lightning add-on was integrated and preloaded by default;{{Cite web |title=There is no Lightning 4.0 {{!}} Mozilla Calendar Project Blog |url=https://blog.mozilla.org/calendar/2015/06/there-is-no-lightning-4-0/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=blog.mozilla.org}} since version 78 of Thunderbird (released 2020), Lightning is part of Thunderbird and no longer an add-on extension. Lightning is compatible with iCalendar calendars.
History
The Lightning project was announced on December 22, 2004, in an effort to integrate Mozilla Sunbird into Mozilla Thunderbird.{{Cite web |title=Mozilla's Lightning to strike Outlook? |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/mozillas-lightning-to-strike-outlook/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=CNET |language=en}} Sun Microsystems contributed significantly to the Lightning Project to provide users with an alternative free and open-source choice to Microsoft Office by combining OpenOffice.org and Thunderbird with the Lightning Extension.{{Cite web |title=Calendar Weblog |url=http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2006/10/sun_microsystems_announces_int.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212170048/http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2006/10/sun_microsystems_announces_int.html |archive-date=2010-02-12 |access-date=2007-10-09}} In addition to general bug-fixing, Sun focused on calendar views, team/collaboration features and support for the Sun Java System Calendar Server.[http://www.openoffice.org/editorial/mozilla_lightning_and_OOo.html Interview On Mozilla Lightning and OpenOffice.org]
Version 0.9 was the last planned release for Thunderbird 2. A calendar was originally to be fully integrated into Thunderbird 3, but those plans were changed due to concerns with the product's maturity and level of support.{{cite web |url=https://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/releases/lightning0.9.html |title=Lightning 0.9 Release Notes |date=September 23, 2008 |access-date=June 22, 2010}}{{Cite web |url=http://ascher.ca/blog/2009/02/18/lightning_update/ |title=Lightning-in-Thunderbird status update |author=David Ascher |date=February 18, 2009 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101002070201/http://ascher.ca/blog/2009/02/18/lightning_update/ |archive-date=October 2, 2010 |url-status=dead }} Lightning 1.0b2 is compatible with Thunderbird 3.1, Lightning 1.0b5 is compatible with Thunderbird 5 and 6, and Lightning 1.0b7 is compatible with Thunderbird 7.{{Cite web|url=http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2010/06/lightning_10_beta_2_and_compat.html |title=Lightning 1.0 Beta 2 and Compatibility |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619234903/http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2010/06/lightning_10_beta_2_and_compat.html |archive-date=June 19, 2010 }}{{cite web | url = https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/lightning/ | title = Lightning :: Add-ons for Thunderbird | date = July 29, 2011 | access-date = August 3, 2011 }}
Lightning 1.0 was released to the public on November 7, 2011. It was released alongside Thunderbird 8.0. Following that, every Thunderbird release has been accompanied by a compatible Lightning point release. Lightning finally started shipping with Thunderbird with version 4.0, on Thunderbird 38.0.1 released in 2015.{{Cite web |title=Thunderbird — Release Notes (38.0.1) |url=https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/38.0.1/releasenotes/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=Thunderbird |language=en}} With the 2020 release of Thunderbird 78, Lightning is now a permanent part of the program.{{Cite web |last=Sipes |first=Ryan |date=2020-07-16 |title=What’s New in Thunderbird 78 |url=https://blog.thunderbird.net/2020/07/whats-new-in-thunderbird-78/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=The Thunderbird Blog |language=en-US}}
See also
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/projects/calendar/ Mozilla Thunderbird - Lightning Calendar — Mozilla]
- [https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/lightning/ Lightning :: Add-ons for Thunderbird or SeaMonkey] - Mozilla Add-ons
- [https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/provider-for-google-calendar/ Provider for Google Calendar :: Add-ons for Thunderbird or SeaMonkey] (Requires Lightning) - Mozilla Add-ons
- [http://blog.mozilla.com/calendar/ Mozilla Calendar Blog]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080811004338/http://www.rumblingedge.com/ The Rumbling Edge]
{{FreeCollabManageSoftware}}
{{Mozilla projects}}
{{Calendaring software}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lightning (Software)}}
Category:Discontinued Thunderbird WebExtensions
Category:Free calendaring software
Category:Free personal information managers