Pro:
* Many still unfixed "Dark Theme Problems" will automatically fix themselves
This is the sort of unfounded claim that goes nowhere.
I mean, I could advertise any change I want with "Fixes tons of other problems". If I do not name them, and do not show how it fixes them, then where is the value in the statement.
So the question is: Do we dare to make this change once and for all? My answer would be a resounding yes!
While my gut feeling is that my answer wont be that resounding, at this time my answer does not exist.
There is not even an example. If you are that sure of it, then surely you have that config already on your system?
Where is:
- the image how it looks on diff themes (you could use the sample text from the IDE options)
the "auto colors" picture is not SynEdit
- the new code in TSynEdit, and (some) highlighters
OR BETTER: an exported IDE config, to show how it looks? (What better use for the export button)
Also what is the exact proposal?
First of all you said: "
changed the default hardcoded colors in TSynEdit".
That is change what happens when I put a TSynEdit or a TSynPasSyn (highlighter) on a TForm in my own project.
But you also wrote: "
this has happened even in the Lazarus IDE".
Actually, technically: No.
In the IDE the colors do not come from the defaults in the HL. Or at least the majority does not: Comment, Number, Keyword, ... do not come from the defaults hardcoded in the SynEdit package.
The IDE has its own defaults for those.
<off topic>IIRC, in the IDE it even went the opposite way, some colors were system colors, which did not mix with hardcoded colors, so they got replaced.</off topic>
So which one do you propose to change
- SynEdit
- the IDE
- both
Because my reply would depend on that.
SynEdit:
"Add them" => Ok
"Replace the old" => No.
I could see them being added as a choice. But I would not entirely throw out the old ones.
I would be open to talk about which ones become default. Though if the default were to be changed, that poses the issue what happens to existing apps.
The IDE:
Any existing installation must not be touched, even if it uses the default colors.
That would mean,
if a change was made, a new scheme would be added. This new scheme could then become default for new installations.
I.e no pre-existing user config. User config is kept by default when you uninstall. So people re-installing can keep their settings.
This is not a yes. But it is a "might be worth exploring the idea".
IMHO such a scheme could first be offered as a separate download ("userschemes").
This would allow feedback to be collected:
1) people approving of the colors, for their desktop defaults
2) people having the option to propose diff defaults (in terms of existing system colors)
It would also show, if there is any interest at all.
As a side note:
The rest of the IDE does not follow themes (yet).
So this would lead to a mismatch between IDE and editor.
And, but this is probably (almost certainly) a minority issue:
Not everyone wants the editor to follow their system defaults.
I have tons of VM for testing, many of them (Linux) come with dark defaults. Yet I want my editor to be light.