Explanations for the optional permissions

[matru]

Would be great to know why does TST needs some of the optional permissions, which currently are (and some make more sense than others for TST):

Read and modify bookmarks
Get data from the clipboard
Hide and show browser tabs
Access your data for all websites

[irvinm]

With some A.I. help and some minor edits ... (probably not "complete", but gives you an idea)

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Read and modify bookmarks

This permission (bookmarks) is requested for features that integrate TST's tree structure with Firefox's bookmarks, allowing for seamless two-way interaction.

• Bookmarking Trees: It enables the "Bookmark This Tree" command, which saves a parent tab and all its descendants as a nested folder of bookmarks, preserving the tree hierarchy.
• Opening Bookmarks as Trees: It adds an "Open All as a Tree" command to bookmark folders, letting you open a folder of bookmarks and have them automatically arranged into a tree in your sidebar. This was introduced in version 3.2.0.
• Drag and Drop Integration: When you drag a tree of tabs to your bookmarks toolbar or menu, this permission allows TST to automatically create a new folder and save the tabs with their tree structure intact. This was improved in version 3.4.9.
• Dialogs and Helpers: It powers the folder-chooser in the bookmarking dialog and enables better integration with other addons like "Container Bookmarks" to restore tabs from bookmarks in their correct container.

Reference from history.en.md:

3.2.0 (2019.10.28)

• Save tree structure to bookmarks when multiple bookmarks are created from a tree, via commands provided by TST itself.
• Add a new context menu command "Open All as a Tree" for bookmarks.

Get data from the clipboard

This permission (clipboardRead) is for a specific convenience feature that simulates a native Firefox behavior on Linux.

• Paste and Go: It enables you to middle-click the "New Tab" button in the TST sidebar to open a new tab with the URL currently in your clipboard.

Reference from history.en.md:

4.0.5 (2024.3.15)

• Add ability to open URL in the clipboard by middle-click on the "New Tab" button: this aims to simulate Firefox's browser.tabs.searchclipboardfor.middleclick option enabled by default on Linux...

Hide and show browser tabs

This permission (tabHide) is often misunderstood. By itself, it does not hide the entire native tab bar. Instead, it enables a feature that is a crucial part of a two-step process for users who want a completely vertical tab experience.

• What the Permission Allows TST to Do: The tabHide permission grants TST access to the browser.tabs.hide() API. TST uses this to hide all inactive tabs from Firefox's native horizontal tab bar. The result is that the native tab bar at the top only ever displays one tab: the one you are currently viewing. This dramatically cleans up the interface for users who primarily use the TST sidebar.

Reference from history.en.md:

2.4.4 (2018.1.25)

• Add a new option to hide inactive tabs from top tab bar. This feature works only on Firefox 59 and later, and require new extra permission.

Access your data for all websites

This is the most powerful permission (<all_urls>) and it unlocks several advanced UI features by allowing TST to inject scripts and styles into web pages.

• Tab Previews: TST can show a small visual preview of a tab's content when you hover over it in the sidebar. To generate this image, it needs to access the content of the page. This is also used to show a nicely formatted list of descendant tabs for a collapsed tree.
• In-Content Dialogs: Instead of opening separate pop-up windows, TST can show dialogs (like for bookmarking) and confirmations directly within the current tab's content area. This makes the experience feel more seamless and integrated.
• Enhanced Keyboard Shortcuts: To correctly handle Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab for navigating through tabs while intelligently skipping over collapsed trees, TST needs to detect these key presses on the web page itself. This permission allows that functionality on all websites.

Reference from history.en.md:

4.1.0 (2024.12.25)

• Add ability to simulate tab preview panel on vertical tabs (requires the permission to run arbitrary scripts on webpages, aka "Access yuor data for all websites.")