CHANGELOG.md

Changelog

All notable changes to NC Connector for Outlook will be documented in this file.

This project follows the principles of Keep a Changelog and Semantic Versioning.

[3.0.4] - 2026-04-28

Added

• Configurable local IFB listener port in settings and runtime.

Changed

• Runtime API logging and JSON serialization helpers were centralized.
• Cleanup and guard-related consolidation was streamlined across the active runtime paths.
• Talk and Sharing wording was updated across all supported locales.

Fixed

• Removed the dead Talk appointment HTML read fallback path.
• Password notification icon cleanup is now marshaled onto the captured UI context.
• Talk help URL and block-marker detection were hardened.

[3.0.3] - 2026-04-17

Added

• Daily runtime log rotation with 7-file retention and 30-day cleanup.
• Log anonymization option with redaction of sensitive runtime diagnostics.
• Backend HTML template hardening with fail-closed sanitizer policy.

Changed

• Shared helper refactor for URL launch, size formatting, and COM release cleanup.
• Refactor cleanup pass to normalize shell/COM patterns and remove leftover redundancies.
• Runtime HTTP request handling centralized via NcHttpClient and NcJson.
• Cleanup refactor: removed duplicated helpers and redundant conditions.

Fixed

• Password-notification icon lifecycle marshaled to the captured UI context.
• Removed ineffective password-selection JavaScript handlers for Outlook HTML rendering.

[3.0.2] - 2026-04-15

Added

• New runtime TLS controls in Outlook settings (Use OS default TLS policy, Enable TLS 1.2, Enable TLS 1.3) with immediate test/login-flow usage and persisted profile-specific configuration.

Changed

• Release line/version references were aligned to 3.0.2 across assembly and installer defaults.
• TLS hint text in advanced settings/docs was tightened and no longer makes assumptions about machine-wide registry changes.
• TLS diagnostics guidance text was updated to be mode-neutral (no hardcoded OS-default assumption) and aligned across all supported locale files.

Fixed

• Admin-controlled ? hint glyph placement in advanced settings now avoids overlapping adjacent inputs in tight rows (language override section and neighboring fields).
• Connection diagnostics and login-flow connectivity checks now force fresh HTTP/TLS handshakes (no pooled keep-alive reuse), so runtime TLS mode switches are validated deterministically without requiring an Outlook restart.

[3.0.1] - 2026-04-14

Added

• The FileLink wizard now accepts Explorer drag & drop for files/folders across the entire file step (queue, surrounding pane, and action area), not just via explicit add buttons.
• TLS defaults are now hardened at add-in scope via NcTalkOutlookAddIn.dll.config, explicitly enabling strong crypto and OS-default TLS negotiation without changing machine-wide .NET registry settings.
• Settings connection diagnostics now classify transport failures (TLS handshake, certificate trust, DNS, proxy/connectivity, timeout) and surface actionable guidance instead of only generic secure-channel errors.

Changed

• Release line/version references were aligned to 3.0.1 across assembly metadata, installer defaults, readmes, and admin/development docs.
• The new connection diagnostics strings were translated across all supported Outlook locales, so non-English users do not fall back to generic English placeholders.
• Compose attachment automation now evaluates attachments pre-add via BeforeAttachmentAdd; threshold/always flows can cancel the host add and open NC share mode before Outlook post-add handling.
• Compose automation subscription coverage was expanded with ApplicationEvents_11.ItemLoad so mail items loaded outside NewInspector (for example inline compose contexts) are also tracked for attachment automation.
• Repository text-format policy was standardized with new .editorconfig and .gitattributes; project text files were normalized to consistent CRLF line endings.
• With debug logging enabled, compose pre-add attachment automation now logs detailed candidate/decision/fallback diagnostics (including unresolved-path reasons) to improve support traceability.
• NextcloudTalkAddIn was split into dedicated partial units for runtime hooks and logging to reduce orchestration density in the main source file.
• COM cleanup now uses shared ComInteropScope helpers (including scoped wrappers), and high-risk recipient/explorer release paths were migrated to the centralized implementation.
• Oversized UI forms were modularized with partial feature files (FileLinkWizardForm.DragDrop, SettingsForm.Language, TalkLinkForm.Moderator) to improve maintainability and test focus.
• Talk body/template rendering and block sanitation were extracted into Controllers/TalkDescriptionTemplateController.
• Appointment attendee e-mail discovery and SMTP recipient resolution were extracted into Controllers/OutlookRecipientResolverController.
• Compose subscription lifecycle (get-or-create/remove/dispose-all) now runs through Controllers/MailComposeSubscriptionRegistryController instead of direct list/lock management in the add-in root.
• Talk appointment lifecycle logic (ApplyRoomToAppointment, runtime room trait resolution, room mutation sync, delegation and participant sync) was extracted into Controllers/TalkAppointmentController.
• Compose share cleanup and separate-password dispatch flow (including recipient normalization, auto-send, and manual fallback) was extracted into Controllers/ComposeShareLifecycleController.
• Legacy recipient helper forwarders in NextcloudTalkAddIn were removed; compose recipient normalization now calls ComposeShareLifecycleController helpers directly.
• Remaining recipient CSV/normalization passthrough wrappers were removed from the add-in root to avoid duplicate helper paths.
• ComposeShareLifecycleController COM release paths now use centralized ComInteropScope.TryRelease(...) for consistent exception-safe cleanup.
• build.ps1 now supports -SkipIceValidation for environments where WiX ICE execution is unavailable (WIX0217), while keeping the default validated build path unchanged.
• Large nested runtime subscription classes were moved out of the root file into dedicated partial units:
  • NextcloudTalkAddIn.MailComposeSubscription.cs
  • NextcloudTalkAddIn.AppointmentSubscription.cs
• Minor UI redundancy cleanup (no behavior change) was applied in FileLinkWizardForm, SettingsForm, and TalkLinkForm (shared helpers for selection validation, resize wiring, and settings-option checkbox setup).

Fixed

• Pre-add multi-file drag/drop is now debounced and batched into a single wizard launch instead of opening one wizard per file.
• Folder uploads in the FileLink wizard now correctly create required subfolders for mixed file+directory queues; reserved-name tracking no longer suppresses required DAV MKCOL calls.
• Upload status/progress UI now flushes buffered per-item progress updates immediately on failure/cancel/finalize paths, preventing stale bars or missing final state labels.
• Admin-controlled ? hint glyphs now support explicit row anchors, preventing them from drifting into adjacent password and attachment threshold input fields in the FileLink wizard, sharing settings, and Talk password block.
• Pre-add attachment interception now also probes Attachment.FileName and Attachment.DisplayName for resolvable local paths when Attachment.PathName is unavailable, improving early capture reliability for drag/drop scenarios.
• Pre-add attachment candidate materialization now falls back to Attachment.SaveAsFile(...) and compares COM-reported size vs. measured file size, reducing false below-threshold decisions for unresolved path scenarios.
• ApplicationEvents_11.ItemLoad compose subscription is now limited to active inline-compose contexts to prevent duplicate compose subscriptions and duplicate threshold prompts when inspector-based subscriptions are already active.
• Add-in lifecycle teardown was de-duplicated by centralizing shutdown/disconnect cleanup into a shared idempotent path.

[3.0.0] - 2026-03-30

Added

• Optional NC Connector backend policy runtime for Talk and Sharing:
  • backend status endpoint is queried on Talk wizard open, Sharing wizard open, and Settings open/save
  • active valid seats enable backend policy values and policy_editable locks
  • paused/invalid seat states show an in-product warning and fall back to local add-in settings
  • central templates are supported for share HTML/password blocks and Talk description text
  • separate password follow-up delivery is explicitly gated behind backend endpoint + active assigned seat
  • backend custom text templates are only activated when the language override is set to Custom, otherwise local UI-default text remains active
  • backend attachment-threshold policy now treats attachments_min_size_mb: null as an explicit "disabled" state

Changed

• Release line/version references were aligned to 3.0.0 across assembly metadata, installer defaults, readmes, and admin/development docs.
• Backend policy runtime is now fetched live on the relevant entry points and evaluated by compose attachment automation as well as in Settings/Wizard UI, so locked backend attachment rules stay authoritative without reusing stale cached policy data.
• Backend policy runtime now targets /apps/ncc_backend_4mc/api/v1/status; if the backend is unreachable, the license/seat state is no longer usable, or the backend grace window has expired, Outlook falls back to local add-in settings.
• Talk event descriptions now honor backend event_description_type; HTML templates are written into the open Outlook appointment editor with stable NC block markers while Body stays aligned for room-description sync.
• Locked settings and wizard controls now expose their admin/seat/backend explanation through active hint anchors instead of relying on WinForms tooltips on disabled controls.

Fixed

• Outlook issue #4 (HTTP 400 at final share creation) was hardened in the sharing service:
  • create-share now extracts and surfaces OCS server error details instead of only generic WebException text
  • share creation now follows the documented Nextcloud OCS contract more closely: label is sent on create, mutable metadata is updated separately through form-encoded OCS update arguments
  • the previous HTTP 400 retry path that silently dropped optional label / note metadata was removed
• Runtime exceptions are now always written to addin-runtime.log, even when the optional debug log switch is off.
• Backend custom share HTML in attachment mode now removes only the RIGHTS row, preventing truncated or fragmentary HTML blocks.
• Compose mail insertion now prefers the HTMLBody path for backend HTML blocks, avoiding partial insertion from the old Word-editor fallback path.
• Talk appointment save handling now performs a short deferred post-write lobby verification so start-time changes from externally created appointments are still picked up after Outlook commits the final value.

[2.3.0] - 2026-02-28

Added

• Compose attachment automation settings:
  • Always handle attachments via NC Connector
  • Offer upload above X MB
• Two-action threshold prompt in compose:
  • Share with NC Connector
  • Remove last selected attachments
• Attachment-mode wizard launch context (direct file-step start, fixed email_attachment share naming with deterministic suffixes, yyyyMMdd date prefix).
• Separate password mail flow:
  • new default setting Send password separately
  • wizard toggle Send password in separate email
  • password-only follow-up HTML and post-send dispatch queue.
• Compose share cleanup lifecycle for unsent drafts (armed/cleared/delayed/delete runtime states).
• Built-in host large-attachment conflict guard with live setting checks in Settings UI and runtime flow gates.
• System-addressbook hardening for Talk defaults and Talk wizard:
  • centralized runtime availability contract (available, error, count, forceRefresh)
  • live checks on Talk click, settings open/save, and wizard open
  • deterministic lock state with context-specific tooltips and red warning blocks (Settings + Wizard).

Changed

• Sharing HTML output in attachment mode:
  • ZIP download URL now uses /s/<token>/download
  • permissions row is hidden in attachment mode
  • inline password is hidden when separate password dispatch is enabled.
• Attachment-mode permissions are enforced as read-only regardless of sharing defaults.
• Logging depth for compose sharing flows now includes attachment-evaluation decisions, prompt actions, cleanup lifecycle transitions, and separate-password dispatch outcomes.
• Settings persistence is profile-aware and XML-based:
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\NC4OL\settings_<OutlookProfile>.xml
  • encrypted AppPasswordProtected (Windows DPAPI, CurrentUser scope)
  • automatic migration from legacy settings.ini paths.
• Runtime data path has been consolidated to %LOCALAPPDATA%\NC4OL:
  • debug log (addin-runtime.log)
  • IFB address book cache.
• Installer defaults have been renamed for consistent product naming:
  • install directory: C:\Program Files\NC4OL
  • IFB marker key: HKLM\Software\NC4OL\HttpUrl
  • legacy installer key HKLM\Software\NextcloudTalkOutlookAddIn\HttpUrl is removed on install.
• Delegation write-flow in appointment OnWrite was tightened:
  • pre-step execution order is deterministic (room name -> lobby -> description -> participants)
  • per-step pre-sync status is logged explicitly before moderator handover
  • pending delegation is no longer silently blocked by pre-step failures (handover still executes, failures stay visible in runtime logs).

Fixed

• Debounced attachment evaluation to prevent duplicate triggers during rapid multi-selection.
• Runtime guard enforcement now blocks compose attachment automation not only in UI, but also before evaluation, before threshold action handling, and before attachment-mode finalize.
• Password policy capability parsing is now compatible with current Nextcloud payload variants (minLength etc.) and normalized generator URL formats.
• Password policy HTTP handling now enables gzip/deflate decompression and sanitizes JSON wrappers before parsing.
• Cross-client Talk edit interoperability was hardened for Thunderbird-created appointments:
  • missing local room traits are now bootstrapped from Talk server endpoints (/object, /webinar/lobby)
  • resolved room traits are persisted back into Outlook appointment properties
  • prevents false room-description update failures like ...: event when editing TB-created event conversations.
• MSI maintenance behavior was aligned for support scenarios:
  • reinstall/update now supports same/older/newer package installation over an existing installation (AllowDowngrades="yes").
• Room creation path no longer falls back from event conversation to standard conversation on create errors:
  • requested room type is now kept deterministic
  • if event conversation prerequisites are missing, creation fails fast with a clear service error.

Documentation

• Updated README.md / README.de.md with 2.3.0 operational behavior:
  • profile-based settings XML + legacy migration cleanup
  • consolidated runtime path %LOCALAPPDATA%\NC4OL
  • compose cleanup and separate-password follow-up flow semantics.
• Clarified MSI reinstall/update semantics in README/admin docs (same/older/newer package install over existing installation).
• Expanded docs/ADMIN.md / docs/ADMIN.de.md with compose-sharing lifecycle details (cleanup contract and password follow-up dispatch behavior).
• Expanded docs/DEVELOPMENT.md / docs/DEVELOPMENT.de.md with explicit 2.3.0 implementation deltas and runtime contracts used for parity work.

[2.2.7] - 2026-02-13

Added

• More UI translations (see Translations.md).
• Tooltips across Settings and the wizards.
• Optional auto-add of event invitees to the Talk room (Nextcloud users via system address book, others via e-mail).
• Live Nextcloud password policy support for Talk and Sharing (minimum length + generator API, with secure fallback).

Changed

• Unified, modernized UI across Talk wizard, Sharing wizard, and Settings.
• Legal/branding update: renamed to NC Connector for Outlook, with new app icon and header assets.

Removed

• Buggy muzzle feature.

Fixed

• Dark mode/theme handling to better follow the Outlook/Office theme.

Documentation

• Expanded admin and developer documentation.