Suggestions before releasing version 1.0

[KevinH]

Sigil will never move away from a Light theme, just add better support for a dark theme,

I do not have a mac with any Dark Theme capability to even test things on. If you have access to a Mojave or Catalina mac, would you please grab the latest Sigil build from travis and try enabling DarkMode both before and after launching Sigil and grab a couple of screen shots and zip them up and e-mail them to me (or post them to this thread) so that I can see what it looks like under Qt 5.12.6 that we updated to.

Qt support for macOS dark mode should be pretty advanced in Qt 5.12.6.

Thanks!

KevinH

Originally Posted by odamizu

All this talk of revisions to better suit Dark Theme is starting to make me nervous.

Is Sigil moving away from Light Theme? Or simply creating more options for Dark Theme so that it can support both Light Theme and Dark Theme?

I actually cannot use apps or read website that use Dark Theme as it does funny things to my vision. Hard to describe but I get temporary blindspots after trying to read light text on dark backgrounds.

[BeckyEbook]

Originally Posted by KevinH

So you are looking for any easy way to specify epub version for new other than just using the already provided preference setting?

Instead of using submenus ... perhaps an icon that toggles epub version settings between epub2 and epub3 might be better.

The button can be cool. If we have epub2 in the settings then the "3" icon would be displayed and vice versa. Unless you have a different idea.
IMHO then New icon would create an epub file according to the settings, and a new button in a different version.

Submenu is not a bad idea, but I would be for three options:
New
+-- default (according to the settings) and here the shortcut Ctrl-N
+-- epub2
+-- epub3

By default, the file would be opened according to the settings, but it would be relatively easy to create a file in a different epub version.

--*--

The button seems more useful because one click is faster than expanding the submenu.

[KevinH]

I think the icon (e3) vs (e2) would reflect the current default version setting. If you press it, it will write the new settings to the Settings store and change to the other icon. Something along those lines. Too many places use the SettinsStore defaultVersion() routine to try anything else.

The idea is the current epub could be either version but not effect the version being currently edited. It just reflects your current choice for new epubs being created.

[BeckyEbook]

Originally Posted by KevinH

The idea is the current epub could be either version but not effect the version being currently edited. It just reflects your current choice for new epubs being created.

Instead of going to Settings and changing the default epub format – one click on the button. Good idea.
I missed it.

[DiapDealer]

I think most people just want a quicker way to create a new, blank epub without needing to take the time to a) know what their current setting is, and b) change the setting first if it's the other one they want to create. If one can open an existing epub (2 or 3) with no regard for what the current epub2 vs epub3 preference setting is, surely it's logical that starting a new epub could do so as well?**

**Note: I'm not saying it would be easy at all. I'm just saying that I find it a bit unintuitive that opening and editing an existing epub doesn't require the user to check/change their preference setting, but creating a new template one might.

[KevinH]

When loading an epub, the opf package tag determines the epub version and once set in the FolderKeeper, it is spread to all files in the epub as they are added.

When creating a blank epub, the version must be set before the blank opf, xhtmlfiles,etc are created. When powering up the first time, the version is determined by the setting and it is read and used across various places that initialize the the opf, create empty files, etc.

So accessing the settings to grab the current setting is like having a global variable that can be checked easily every place you need. And since Sigil starts up empty, it must be clearly known at first start-up before user input is provided.

So creating a new book but not using the settings to get the version, means adding and changing interface calls to pass along the user supplied version to a few different places that would have to be tracked down.

Having a toggle show and display the current SettingsStore default version is therefore a much simpler change as once it is set, it is read in all of the places it is needed.

[KevinH]

This btw is more of an issue on macOS where calling New does not directly call CreateNewBook() but instead creates a new MainWindow.

So we would have to change the new MainWindow() constructor call to carry along the version info, even for times when we have a file to load.

It can be done but it will be messy unless handled with care everyplace a call to new MainWindow() is used.

[DiapDealer]

The New Epub code has always been some deep, dark magic that has always been a bit hard for me to wrap my head around. I hear you (and I appreciate the detailed explanation), but I still can't help but think that there must be one point where the New Epub code initially seeks a version (or should be) that could be hijacked/supplied. I'll just have to get cozy with how the new epub code functions, I guess.

[RbnJrg]

Originally Posted by KevinH

So you are looking for any easy way to specify epub version for new other than just using the already provided preference setting?

Instead of using submenus ... perhaps an icon that toggles epub version settings between epub2 and epub3 might be better.

KevinH

If with an icon I can open a new epub2 or a new epub3 without the intermediate step of having to go to Edit/Preferences.../General Settings and that the type of epub I choose there will be the default epub, to me is ok.

[KevinH]

For this to work, the MainWindow constructor will need a version parameter that can be any of 3 values: the default empty meaning use the current settings, "2.0" or "3.0" and that would have to be passed to initialLoad code in the MainWindow constructor and eventually passed to CreateNewBook().

It would check the version and if empty it would look up the default in SettingsStore, otherwise it would use the provided version.

Similarly, New would either need to take a version parameter, or check its action to look how it was invoked.

On Windows and Linux, New once it knows the version could pass it along to CreateNewBook() directly.

I would have to check about any other calls to CreateNewBook() to see how they should be handled.

I will start making some changes to support all of this.

KevinH

[RbnJrg]

Originally Posted by KevinH

I will start making some changes to support all of this.

KevinH

Many thanks!

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

... No worries. Sigil's default will likely always be a Light theme. We just don't want Sigil actively resisting a Dark Theme ...

Originally Posted by KevinH

Sigil will never move away from a Light theme, just add better support for a dark theme

That sounds good

Originally Posted by KevinH

I do not have a mac with any Dark Theme capability to even test things on. If you have access to a Mojave or Catalina mac, would you please grab the latest Sigil build from travis and try enabling DarkMode both before and after launching Sigil and grab a couple of screen shots and zip them up and e-mail them to me (or post them to this thread) so that I can see what it looks like under Qt 5.12.6 that we updated to.

I have Catalina test machine, but I'm not sure what you mean by "try enabling DarkMode both before and after launching Sigil."

You want me to:

1) enable DarkMode, launch latest Sigil, then send screenshots?

2) disable DarkMode, launch latest Sigil, enable DarkMode, then send screenshots?

[KevinH]

I was not sure if enabling mac Dark ode changes will be picked up by Sigil or not.

So please set system to DarkMode and fire up Sigil and take a few screen shots.

Then try going to light mode. Did Sigil return to normal? and back to Dark mode.

Does WebEngine (ie Preview) show a light background or dark background under Dark mode?

Thanks!

Kevin

[KevinH]

FWIW, a just pushed a quick and dirty submenu version a New menu so people can test it.

KevinH

[odamizu]

Okay, this is with Sigil-master-cb20306-build_num-292 on macOS Catalina 10.15.1.

Most of Sigil picks up Dark Mode. Some text is hard to read as it's dark-on-dark.

Preview does not pick up Dark Mode and remains white. Same with plugin panels (but not plugin runner box).

When in Dark Mode and go to Light Mode, Sigil does not fully return to normal — Code View remains dark but Book Browser turns light (Preview is always light, even in Dark Mode); however, the panel title bar remains dark. Switching back to Dark Mode turns Book Browser dark, but Code view remains light. Again the panel title bar is off. However restarting Sigil fixes everything.

I attach a bunch of screenshots

Originally Posted by KevinH

I was not sure if enabling mac Dark ode changes will be picked up by Sigil or not.

So please set system to DarkMode and fire up Sigil and take a few screen shots.

Then try going to light mode. Did Sigil return to normal? and back to Dark mode.

Does WebEngine (ie Preview) show a light background or dark background under Dark mode?

Thanks!

Kevin