Availability of a Universal Web Browser Extension for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge

Last update: 3 August 2022 (cf)

Summary

Please note: Fabasoft eGov-Suite uses the underlying technology of Fabasoft Folio, therefore web browser extension and client parts are named Fabasoft Folio, but applies also to Fabasoft eGov-Suite.

The Fabasoft Folio Client and Fabasoft Folio extension both are required to open and edit documents in a Fabasoft Folio and Fabasoft eGov-Suite environment. The Fabasoft Folio web browser extension is required to communicate to the Fabasoft Folio Client.

Fabasoft has introduced an universal, multi-version web browser extension for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. This universal web browser extension supports multiple major versions of Fabasoft Folio / Fabasoft eGov-Suite simultaneously, therefore a release update of the Fabasoft Folio / Fabasoft eGov-Suite domain does not require to update the Fabasoft Folio web browser extension anymore. (The Fabasoft Folio Client still needs to be installed for each Folio / eGov-Suite version).

Information

Due to policy-changes in Google Chrome Web Store (and Microsoft Edge Add-ons) there is a risk that Google/Microsoft may remove and disable the version-based Fabasoft Folio web browser extensions ("Fabasoft Folio 2017", "Fabasoft Folio 2020", et cetera). Fabasoft currently cannot predict if Google or Microsoft will execute this new policies that would lead to an automatic removal of that Fabasoft Folio extensions from your installed clients.

For this reason, Fabasoft introduced an universal Fabasoft Folio web browser extension for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, called "Fabasoft Client". This extension will universally work together with Fabasoft Folio Clients of all Fabasoft Folio versions.

The introduction of the universal Fabasoft Folio web browser extension required the enhancement of the Fabasoft Folio Client that was also backported to older Fabasoft Folio versions, and also required adjustment in the Folio Domain components.

Therefore, there are dependencies between

• Folio web browser extension (Chrome/Edge)
• Fabasoft Folio Client
• Fabasoft Domain (software components)

Dependencies

Fabasoft Folio web browser extension ("Fabasoft Client")

The universal Fabasoft Folio web browser extension ("Fabasoft Client extension") for Google Chrome is available in the stores:

Google Chrome Web Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fabasoft-client/alcgpfgkdjbabelklflpfkooadcfgoao

Microsoft Edge Add-Ons Store: https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/fabasoft-client/fabncpfbjhdplfapghonnbhnenohncpp?hl=en-US

The traditional version-based extensions ("Fabasoft Folio 2016", "Fabasoft Folio 2017",...) can be installed in parallel with the universal extension ("Fabasoft Client").

Fabasoft Folio Client and Domain software component versions

For the universal extension to work, changes were required both in the Fabasoft Folio Client (installed on the clients) and the server-side Domain components.

The following matrix shows the Fabasoft Folio Client and Domain components build numbers for different Folio versions that work with the version-based extension and the universal extension:

• All major releases and Update Rollup versions below the mentioned versions use the old, version-based extension, and cannot work with the universal extension.
• All major releases and Update Rollup versions higher than the mentioned versions use the new, universal extension.
• Keep in mind, that it is possible to install both the version-based extension and the universal extension to have most compatibility.

Both the Fabasoft Folio Client and the Domain components are available as hotfix package at Fabasoft Enterprise Support. To request this package, please open a Support Ticket including your exact Fabasoft Folio version.

Recommended migration path

For a fluent migration to the universal web browser extension, Fabasoft recommends this sequence:

• Request the hotfix package via a Fabasoft Enterprise Support Ticket
• Update your clients to the latest Fabasoft Folio Client of your proper Folio version. The updated Fabasoft Folio Client supports both the new universal web browser extension as well as the old version-based web browser extension.
• Update your Fabasoft Folio Domain components to a version including universal extension support.
• Install the "Fabasoft Client" web browser extension in your clients Google Chrome / Microsoft Edge browsers.
• Remove the old version-based web browser extension.

Information Regarding the Deprecation of Manifest V2 Extensions

Both Google and Microsoft have announced that they will no longer support Manifest V2 browser extensions in their browsers starting in 2023, for more information about this change and how it applies to the Fabasoft Client extensions please refer to Important Information Regarding the Deprecation of Manifest V2 Extensions in Chromium Based Browsers.

Information about Firefox extension

The universal Firefox web browser extension and Fabasoft Folio Client is included from within Fabasoft Folio/eGov-Suite 2021 Update Rollup 1. As Firefox extensions are not managed by Google/Microsoft stores but locally, there is no risk that the old extension will be removed from the stores and your clients. Therefore, the universal Firefox web browser extension is not backported to older Fabasoft Folio/eGov-Suite versions.

So no action is required when using Firefox web browser.