Re: System & System Extension color lists

[Richard Frith-Macdonald]

On 7 Feb 2006, at 04:25, Sheldon Gill wrote:

> Unification of the System color list
> ====================================
>
> To support better theming and user configurability generally it is  
> desirable for users to be able to specify the use of colors.
>
> Currently this is done through the System color list, which is  
> created at initialisation through hardcode values or by loading a  
> user created list.
>
> GSToolbar uses a "System extension" to add it's two color values.
>
> Is there any reason why we can't unite these additions into the  
> System color list?

I'm certain this has come up before ... but I can't find the thread  
on the web or in my personal email (but a big chunk of my email got  
lost when my machine died in november).

Anyway ... I think the 'Systyem extension' list is wrong ... if we  
have to add new colors we should add them to the system list so they  
are all in one place.
BUT ... I recall querying whether GSToolbar should be adding two new  
colors at all ... on the theory that things should be kept simple and  
existing system colors should be used where possible.
What I can't remember is who brought the subject up and what their  
answer to that query was (or even if they had an answer).

So ...
1. if there is no good reason for having toolbar specific colors ...  
we should scrap them and use system colors
2. if there *is* a good reason for having new colors, we should add  
them to the system color list
I would be inclined to (1) as the simplest solution on the basis of  
what I know/remember at the moment.

> Saving of the color list
> ========================
>
> At the moment, in NSColor.m -> initSystemColors()
>
> If there is no previously saved System color list, it will  
> automatically write one out.
>
> I'd like to change this. That is:
>   if there is no previously saved list, we don't simply write a  
> default one
>   out but rather rely on the initialiser every time.

Sounds good to me.