GNU bug report logs - #15974
24.3.50; emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW

Previous Next

To add a comment to this bug, you must first unarchive it, by sending
a message to control AT debbugs.gnu.org, with unarchive 15974 in the body.
You can then email your comments to 15974 AT debbugs.gnu.org in the normal way.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 24.3.50; emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 11:13:43 -0800 (PST)

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

See attached screenshot, for emacs -Q -nw, of a Customize buffer, showing
color-name fields and face fields.

"What were they thinking?" is what anyone looking at this should think.
All user input fields, including the giant search field, are BRIGHT YELLOW.
On a black background, no less.

A much better color choice for this would be something like `lightgray' or
`darkgray'.  This is nuts.  Hard to believe that no one has complained
about this before now, or that it has not been corrected before now.

In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.1 (i686-pc-mingw32)
 of 2013-11-20 on LEG570
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 6.1.7601
Configured using:
 `configure --enable-checking 'CFLAGS=-O0 -g3' CPPFLAGS=-DGLYPH_DEBUG=1'

[throw-emacs-nw-awful-bg.png (image/png, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 19:10:30 -0800

Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com> writes:

> See attached screenshot, for emacs -Q -nw, of a Customize buffer, showing
> color-name fields and face fields.
>
> "What were they thinking?" is what anyone looking at this should think.
> All user input fields, including the giant search field, are BRIGHT YELLOW.
> On a black background, no less.

It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Message #11 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, drew.adams <at> oracle.com
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 11:10:38 +0200

> From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
> Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 19:10:30 -0800
> Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com> writes:
> 
> > See attached screenshot, for emacs -Q -nw, of a Customize buffer, showing
> > color-name fields and face fields.
> >
> > "What were they thinking?" is what anyone looking at this should think.
> > All user input fields, including the giant search field, are BRIGHT YELLOW.
> > On a black background, no less.
> 
> It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?

Did you (Lars) succeed in reproducing this display?  Because I
couldn't.  A recipe for reproducing this would go a long way towards
resolving this issue, one way or another.

Message #14 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, drew.adams <at> oracle.com
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 02:24:30 -0800

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

>> It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?
>
> Did you (Lars) succeed in reproducing this display?  Because I
> couldn't.  A recipe for reproducing this would go a long way towards
> resolving this issue, one way or another.

No, I was not able to reproduce it.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Message #17 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, drew.adams <at> oracle.com
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 12:57:40 +0200

> From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
> Cc: drew.adams <at> oracle.com,  15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 02:24:30 -0800
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:
> 
> >> It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?
> >
> > Did you (Lars) succeed in reproducing this display?  Because I
> > couldn't.  A recipe for reproducing this would go a long way towards
> > resolving this issue, one way or another.
> 
> No, I was not able to reproduce it.

Well, perhaps Drew could tell how he got that buffer.

Message #20 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#15974: 24.3.50; emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields:
 BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2014 15:02:58 -0800 (PST)

> > See attached screenshot, for emacs -Q -nw, of a Customize buffer,
> > showing color-name fields and face fields.
> >
> > "What were they thinking?" is what anyone looking at this should
> > think.  All user input fields, including the giant search field,
> > are BRIGHT YELLOW.  On a black background, no less.
> 
> It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?

I think so.

Message #23 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 18:24:22 -0800

Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com> writes:

>> > See attached screenshot, for emacs -Q -nw, of a Customize buffer,
>> > showing color-name fields and face fields.
>> >
>> > "What were they thinking?" is what anyone looking at this should
>> > think.  All user input fields, including the giant search field,
>> > are BRIGHT YELLOW.  On a black background, no less.
>> 
>> It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?
>
> I think so.

I seem to be unable to find where these offending faces are.  What were
you trying to customize exactly?

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Message #26 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#15974: 24.3.50; emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields:
 BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 16:57:01 -0800 (PST)

> >> > See attached screenshot, for emacs -Q -nw, of a Customize
> >> > buffer, showing color-name fields and face fields.
> >> >
> >> > "What were they thinking?" is what anyone looking at this
> >> > should think.  All user input fields, including the giant
> >> > search field, are BRIGHT YELLOW.  On a black background,
> >> > no less.
> >>
> >> It does look kinda stark, yes.  Is this only with -nw?
> >
> > I think so.
> 
> I seem to be unable to find where these offending faces are.
> What were you trying to customize exactly?

Lars, you are missing the point.  It is not the colors of the
_faces_ that are awful.  It is the colors of the "color-name
fields and face fields".  It is the EDITING FIELDS that use
the awful bright-yellow.

---

But if you are for some reason interested in the code that
defines the option, this is it:

(defcustom hlt-auto-face-backgrounds
  (let ((tty-cols   (hlt-tty-colors))
        (tty-faces  (hlt-remove-if-not #'facep
                     '(highlight isearch isearch-fail lazy-highlight
                       mode-line mode-line-inactive next-error
                       nobreak-space secondary-selection tooltip
                       trailing-whitespace))))
    (if (display-graphic-p)
        (append tty-cols
                '("DeepPink" "MediumPurple1" "SpringGreen1"
                  "DarkOrange" "HotPink1")
                tty-faces
                (hlt-remove-if-not
                 #'facep '(header-line mode-line-highlight)))
      (append tty-cols tty-faces)))
  "..."
  :type '(repeat (choice
                  (color :tag "Background color" :value "yellow")
                  (face  :tag "Face" :value "highlight")))
  :group 'highlight)

Message #29 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#15974: 24.3.50;	emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields:
 BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 17:01:49 -0800 (PST)

> Did you (Lars) succeed in reproducing this display?  Because I
> couldn't.  A recipe for reproducing this would go a long way towards
> resolving this issue, one way or another.

See my reply to Lars.  It is the _editing fields_ that use the
bright yellow color inappropriately (from emacs -Q -nw, on MS
Windows).  It is not the face colors that are in question.

If you need to repro it for some reason, just load this library:
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs-en/download/highlight.el

The option shown in the screenshot is `hlt-auto-face-backgrounds'.

Message #32 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:44:04 -0800

Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com> writes:

>> I seem to be unable to find where these offending faces are.
>> What were you trying to customize exactly?
>
> Lars, you are missing the point.  It is not the colors of the
> _faces_ that are awful.  It is the colors of the "color-name
> fields and face fields".  It is the EDITING FIELDS that use
> the awful bright-yellow.

I was asking for a recipe to demonstrate the problem.  It's not an
entirely novel idea, I would have thought?

> But if you are for some reason interested in the code that
> defines the option, this is it:
>
> (defcustom hlt-auto-face-backgrounds
>   (let ((tty-cols   (hlt-tty-colors))

What on Earth is `hlt-auto-face-backgrounds'?  I can't find any such
symbol in the Emacs tree.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Message #35 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#15974: 24.3.50; emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields:
 BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 19:03:05 -0800 (PST)

> I was asking for a recipe to demonstrate the problem.  It's not an
> entirely novel idea, I would have thought?

As I replied to Eli:
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs-en/download/highlight.el

The option shown in the screenshot is `hlt-auto-face-backgrounds'.

> What on Earth is `hlt-auto-face-backgrounds'?  I can't find any
> such symbol in the Emacs tree.

Yes, Virginia; there is a Santa Claus.  There is a world of Emacs
code beyond the Emacs tree. ;-)

In that file, you will find the defcustom, which was also in the
mail you are replying to.  That defcustom and these 2 functions
are all you need to repro the bug and see for yourself:

(defun hlt-tty-colors ()
  "Colors available for use with Emacs in a terminal (`emacs -nw')."
  (hlt-remove-if-not
    #'x-color-defined-p
    (if (fboundp 'tty-color-alist)
        (mapcar #'car (tty-color-alist))
      '("blue" "green" "cyan" "red" "magenta" "brown" "lightgray" "darkgray"
        "yellow" "white" "lightblue" "lightgreen" "lightcyan" "lightred"
        "lightmagenta"))))

(defun hlt-remove-if-not (pred xs)
  "A copy of list XS with only elements that satisfy predicate PRED."
  (let ((result  ()))
    (dolist (x xs) (when (funcall pred x) (push x result)))
    (nreverse result)))

Be sure to start with emacs -Q -nw.  Use `C-u C-x =' on the yellow
fields and you will see they use face `widget-field'.  That is the
face that needs fixing, IMO.

But again, this bug has nothing to do with the code in that file.
It is the Customize _edit fields_ that are bright yellow.

Message #38 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 19:06:30 -0800

Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com> writes:

> Be sure to start with emacs -Q -nw.  Use `C-u C-x =' on the yellow
> fields and you will see they use face `widget-field'.  That is the
> face that needs fixing, IMO.

Now that's a good bug report.  >"?

;; TTY gets special definitions here and in the next defface, because
;; the gray colors defined for other displays cause black text on a black
;; background, at least on light-background TTYs.
(defface widget-field '((((type tty))
			 :background "yellow3"
			 :foreground "black")
			(((class grayscale color)
			  (background light))
			 :background "gray85")
			(((class grayscale color)
			  (background dark))
			 :background "dim gray")
			(t
			 :slant italic))

So that's the explanation for the black on yellow.  Surely there are
other colours that could work on a tty.

Drew, could you try experimenting to find a pleasing colour combination?

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Message #41 received at 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 15974 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#15974: 24.3.50; emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields:
 BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 19:14:06 -0800 (PST)

> Drew, could you try experimenting to find a pleasing colour
> combination?

I prefer not to.  I use neither a tty (-nw) nor a dark background.
Better to get someone who is used to one of those to choose.

FWIW, I'm OK with whatever color you choose.  Even if you pick
the same yellow. ;-)  The bug report was to draw attention to
the problem.  If someone looks at it and says that this yellow
is the best that can be done, that's fine with me.  At least
someone will have looked into it.

Message #46 received at 15974-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: larsi <at> gnus.org, 15974-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15974: 24.3.50;
 emacs -Q -nw: awful color for input fields: BRIGHT YELLOW
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 05:33:46 +0200

> Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 13:22:52 -0800 (PST)
> From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
> Cc: larsi <at> gnus.org, 15974-don <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> > Let's agree to disagree on this.
> 
> Sure.
> 
> > (FWIW, I see nothing wrong with the existing color to begin with.)
> 
> And I am clearly no spokesperson for tty use or dark background use.
> It is fine with me if this is closed with no changes.  Thanks for
> looking into it, though.

Closing.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.