[MlMt] Inverting message list color of selected item

[Pierre Igot]

As noted, when, in the message list, the message text colour is black, MailMate automatically inverts it to white when the message is selected. However, for any other message text colour, there is no inversion and the text colour stays the same when the message is selected.

At some point in the recent past, Benny produced a build that would invert selected messages by using the message’s text colour as the selection background colour and change the text colour to white. Personally, I much preferred that option, even if it meant lots of different selection background colours when selecting a batch of messages with different text colours.

Further complicating things, recent version of macOS have introduced the concept of an app-specific “accent colour” for selection in the General system preference pane.

However, Benny subsequently abandoned that option and reverted to NOT inverting the text colour at all when the message is selected in the list, and always using the accent colour as background colour when the message is selected. As noted by Tariq, this means that, depending on the text colour (and on the selection colour used as background colour when the message is selected), the text can be very hard to read (or even unreadable) when the message is selected in the list. It’s obviously not right that a situation such as this can happen.

The only “solution” I’ve found so far is to choose colours that minimize the problem by ensuring a minimum level of contrast with my selection background colour. It’s far from ideal, however, and I would much prefer having a wider range of colour options for my messages, which automatic colour inversion would let me have.

I’ve mentioned this in emails to Benny, but the only response so far has been that he’s still thinking about it.

Maybe if enough of us express their support for colour inversion, he’ll bring it back, at least as an option.

Pierre

On 31 Oct 2022, at 15:07, Tariq Magdon-Ismail wrote:

> Alternatively, is it possible to change the message list highlight color without having to change the system wide settings?
>
> On 29 Oct 2022, at 23:18, Tariq Magdon-Ismail wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Using the default colors for the message list, when selecting a message row the text color inverts. For example, by default my messages appear in black and when I select them they turn white (with the purple highlight as the background). However, if I set a custom color for the mailbox message list (right click → color) this color is used even when the message is selected. This makes it hard to read the text for certain colors depending on how they contrast with the highlight color. Is there a way to have the text color "invert" to white when selected so that they are more legible?
>>
>> Regards
>> -Tariq

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