posit-dev / posit-dev/positron
Consider a selection background tint for HC Dark lists (list.inactiveSelectionBackground is null in hcDark
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Description
Context
While fixing the invisible active console session tab in Dark High Contrast
(#15405), we noticed an asymmetry in the upstream list color defaults
(src/vs/platform/theme/common/colors/listColors.ts):
export const listInactiveSelectionBackground = registerColor('list.inactiveSelectionBackground',
{ dark: '#37373D', light: '#E4E6F1', hcDark: null, hcLight: Color.fromHex('#0F4A85').transparent(0.1) },
HC Light gets a subtle 10% tint for inactive selection; HC Dark gets nothing.
Any component that (reasonably) uses list.inactiveSelectionBackground as a
selection cue is invisible in HC Dark unless it also implements the outline
convention. #15405 fixed the console session tabs with a contrastActiveBorder
outline, but the question of whether HC Dark should also get a background tint
was deferred to this issue (raised in review).
Why this wasn't just fixed in #15405
The null appears deliberate rather than an oversight:
It has been hcDark: null since before Positron forked (already null in our
2022-05-24 history import) and is unchanged upstream since.
It was left null in the very edit that introduced hcLight with a tint --
the hc -> hcDark/hcLight split touched this exact registration, so the
author chose null for HC Dark while giving HC Light a value.
HC Dark's design language conveys list state with outlines only
(contrastActiveBorder / list.focusOutline); HC Light was designed later
with a tint system layered on top of outlines.
Changing the default would also:
Affect every list/tree in the workbench for HC Dark users (explorer, search,
quick picks, ...), not one component -- it's a theme-wide design decision.
Require editing an upstream file (listColors.ts), a permanent
merge-conflict liability for something upstream arguably owns.
Options
- Do nothing -- keep the outline-only convention for HC Dark; components
must implement outlines (as #15405 does). Users who want a tint can set:
"workbench.colorCustomizations": {
"[Dark High Contrast]": {
"list.inactiveSelectionBackground": "#ffffff1a"
}
}
-
Propose the change upstream (microsoft/vscode) -- e.g.
hcDark: Color.white.transparent(0.1) to mirror HC Light -- and inherit it
through a future merge. Keeps us aligned and puts the accessibility design
question in front of the theme owners. -
Positron-local override -- set the value in our fork. Fastest, but the
merge-liability and design-ownership concerns above apply.
Recommendation: decide with design/accessibility input; if we want the tint,
option 2 first.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with src/vs/platform/theme/common/colors/listColors.ts and review the related console session tab work in #15405. Consult the design and accessibility owners on whether HC Dark should keep outline-only selection or receive a tint, then document the decision and whether the change belongs upstream, locally, or nowhere.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- typescript
- Domain
- accessibility, design
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100