'strict' color mode?

[Olaf Schmidt]

Hi Aaron!

I agree with the general approach you suggest, but not with your objection.
We have actually suggested the same in the colour scheme document released by 
the HIG team, but still see a need to have this setting application-visible.

Here is a summary of the KCS system we have suggested:

1. Information must never be shown via colour alone because of blind and 
colour-blind users, but colours can be used as an additional hint to increase 
artwork and usability. Applications must try to only use colour roles from 
KCS in the default setting. It is allowed to override the KCS colour with 
application-specific non-default settings.
2. KCS has been designed to meet the needs of 98% of all applications, but 
some applications (e.g. Kopete, Konversation) use more colours in their 
default setting than can reasonably be defined in the global KCS. They must 
use a convenience function that returns a fitting new colour if strict is 
unset, and a KCS colour otherwise. Until this function is implemented 
(hopefully in 4.1) applications are allowed to do things differently instead.
3. Applications with their own colour schemes must use the new convenience 
widgets for "appearance" configuration that the HCI group posted to this list 
some time ago. Until this is implemented (hopefully in 4.1) applications are 
allowed to do things differently instead.
4. Many applications have default background images that do not work with 
light-on-black colour schemes. These applications must hide those background 
images if KCS is in "strict" mode. Again, it is allowed to override the KCS 
colour with application-specific non-default settings.

You objection makes #4 impossible, so I hope you withdraw your objection.

Olaf