iceraven-browser/docs/Working-with-Strings.md

## Marking an unused string to be removed

Removing strings manually could cause crashes in **Beta** and **Release** versions 💥 , as the removed strings could be [uplifted to release branches](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/pull/20364) by mistake, where strings are still needed. For this reason, we need a special process to remove them.

Any landed string that is not removed while in development in Nightly will persist through 3 Firefox releases (Nightly, Beta, Release) before we can remove them from our code base. For example,
if you want to remove a string that has already shipped prior to **Firefox Nightly 93**, the same string will still be in-use in **Firefox Beta 92** and **Firefox Release 91**. This means the string will be marked as unused and removed in 93 while still riding the train, and it can be removed safely when **Firefox Release 93** no longer ships, for instance, **Firefox Release 94** and beyond.

To keep us safe when you want to remove strings from nightly:

1. Add these attributes to the target strings `moz:removedIn="<<ACTUAL_NIGHTLY_VERSION>>"` and `tools:ignore="UnusedResources"`.

```xml
    <string name="onboarding_close" moz:removedIn="93" tools:ignore="UnusedResources">Close</string>
```
Example PR https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/pull/20980.

## When to remove an unused string and how

Strings that have been tagged with `moz:removedIn` attributes are safe to be removed after the marked version is no longer shipping and no longer in-use or needed.

Consult the [Firefox release calendar](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar). Let's say the Beta cut just happened and we are at Firefox Nightly 109, Firefox Beta 108 and Firefox Release 107. Everything marked with `moz:removedIn` <= 106 can now be removed.

You only need to remove the en-US strings within [values/strings.xml](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-mobile/source/fenix/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml), and this change will propagate to the other locales.

## Future

It would be nice to add some automatization to delete the strings that have the `moz:removedIn` attributes where a full cycle has happened (3 releases versions from the actual release version).
[fenix] Bug 1812087 - Migrate Fenix wiki pages into the docs folder 2023-01-24 16:41:57 +00:00			`## Marking an unused string to be removed`

			`Removing strings manually could cause crashes in Beta and Release versions 💥 , as the removed strings could be [uplifted to release branches](https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/pull/20364) by mistake, where strings are still needed. For this reason, we need a special process to remove them.`

			`Any landed string that is not removed while in development in Nightly will persist through 3 Firefox releases (Nightly, Beta, Release) before we can remove them from our code base. For example,`
			`if you want to remove a string that has already shipped prior to Firefox Nightly 93, the same string will still be in-use in Firefox Beta 92 and Firefox Release 91. This means the string will be marked as unused and removed in 93 while still riding the train, and it can be removed safely when Firefox Release 93 no longer ships, for instance, Firefox Release 94 and beyond.`

Bug 1825116 - Resolve many black, isort, and file-whitespace lint issues 2023-04-05 21:44:36 +00:00			`To keep us safe when you want to remove strings from nightly:`
[fenix] Bug 1812087 - Migrate Fenix wiki pages into the docs folder 2023-01-24 16:41:57 +00:00
[fenix] Typo fixes Fixed typos in Working-with-String.md. 2023-01-26 13:43:42 +00:00			1. Add these attributes to the target strings `moz:removedIn="<<ACTUAL_NIGHTLY_VERSION>>"` and `tools:ignore="UnusedResources"`.
[fenix] Bug 1812087 - Migrate Fenix wiki pages into the docs folder 2023-01-24 16:41:57 +00:00
Bug 1825116 - Resolve many black, isort, and file-whitespace lint issues 2023-04-05 21:44:36 +00:00			```xml
[fenix] Bug 1812087 - Migrate Fenix wiki pages into the docs folder 2023-01-24 16:41:57 +00:00			`<string name="onboarding_close" moz:removedIn="93" tools:ignore="UnusedResources">Close</string>`
			```
			`Example PR https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/pull/20980.`

			`## When to remove an unused string and how`

Bug 1825116 - Resolve many black, isort, and file-whitespace lint issues 2023-04-05 21:44:36 +00:00			Strings that have been tagged with `moz:removedIn` attributes are safe to be removed after the marked version is no longer shipping and no longer in-use or needed.
[fenix] Bug 1812087 - Migrate Fenix wiki pages into the docs folder 2023-01-24 16:41:57 +00:00
			Consult the [Firefox release calendar](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar). Let's say the Beta cut just happened and we are at Firefox Nightly 109, Firefox Beta 108 and Firefox Release 107. Everything marked with `moz:removedIn` <= 106 can now be removed.

			`You only need to remove the en-US strings within [values/strings.xml](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-mobile/source/fenix/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml), and this change will propagate to the other locales.`

			`## Future`

[fenix] Typo fixes Fixed typos in Working-with-String.md. 2023-01-26 13:43:42 +00:00			It would be nice to add some automatization to delete the strings that have the `moz:removedIn` attributes where a full cycle has happened (3 releases versions from the actual release version).