GNU bug report logs - #14984
24.3.50; "-bg black" command line option should automatically set foreground color

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

From: Miles Bader <miles <at> gnu.org>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 24.3.50;
 "-bg black" command line option should automatically set foreground
 color
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 11:33:28 +0900

The Emacs defaults are white background and black foreground colors.

If one starts emacs with just "-bg black", it results in black text on a
black background, although most colored emacs faces are ok as they
automatically adapt the black background.

This is obviously not so user friendly, and it would be good if emacs
automatically chose a foreground color to match the background color
(absent any explicit "-fg" option).

Thanks,

-miles


In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.2 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.24.10)
 of 2013-05-13 on catnip
System Description:	Debian GNU/Linux unstable (sid)

Important settings:
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix
  default enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Lisp Interaction

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  tooltip-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  tool-bar-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Recent input:
ESC x r e p o r t - e m a TAB RET

Recent messages:
("emacs")
Loading term/xterm...done
For information about GNU Emacs and the GNU system, type C-h C-a.
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None found.

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Message #8 received at 14984 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Miles Bader <miles <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 14984 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14984: 24.3.50; "-bg black" command line option should
 automatically set foreground color
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2019 21:07:34 -0700

Miles Bader <miles <at> gnu.org> writes:

> The Emacs defaults are white background and black foreground colors.
>
> If one starts emacs with just "-bg black", it results in black text on a
> black background, although most colored emacs faces are ok as they
> automatically adapt the black background.
>
> This is obviously not so user friendly, and it would be good if emacs
> automatically chose a foreground color to match the background color
> (absent any explicit "-fg" option).

Hm...  Well, it might be more user-friendly, but I think it would be
slightly surprising to also change the -fg colour when you set -bg on
the command line.  The foreground colour may be specified in .Xdefaults
or something.

I guess if there is absolutely no foreground colour specification, then
setting the foreground upon -bg black would be friendlier, but what if
the user said -bf "#000001" (i.e., "almost black")?

So I think special-casing one particular value to DWIM would be
difficult to justify, and I'm closing this bug report.

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

Message #15 received at 14984 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 14984 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, miles <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#14984: 24.3.50;
 "-bg black" command line option should automatically set foreground
 color
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2019 17:43:08 +0300

> From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
> Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2019 21:07:34 -0700
> Cc: 14984 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> > If one starts emacs with just "-bg black", it results in black text on a
> > black background, although most colored emacs faces are ok as they
> > automatically adapt the black background.
> >
> > This is obviously not so user friendly, and it would be good if emacs
> > automatically chose a foreground color to match the background color
> > (absent any explicit "-fg" option).
> 
> Hm...  Well, it might be more user-friendly, but I think it would be
> slightly surprising to also change the -fg colour when you set -bg on
> the command line.  The foreground colour may be specified in .Xdefaults
> or something.
> 
> I guess if there is absolutely no foreground colour specification, then
> setting the foreground upon -bg black would be friendlier, but what if
> the user said -bf "#000001" (i.e., "almost black")?
> 
> So I think special-casing one particular value to DWIM would be
> difficult to justify, and I'm closing this bug report.

I agree.

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