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Poll

Do you want a dark theme for foobar2000 ?

Yes
[ 54 ] (78.3%)
No
[ 15 ] (21.7%)

Total Members Voted: 69

Topic: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN. (Read 24436 times) previous topic - next topic
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Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Hi! Please don't' hurt me yet. :))

I know Windows only provides dark theme support for UWP apps. That can't be a excuse anymore. People has been asking all over the internet please dark theme for foobar2000 for years!

Everybody is providing a dark theme for their apps.
Just recently even MP3tag has implemented it. I mention it because I had pleaded its developer in the past to do do it... and he wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea. Well, now it has a dark theme, too.
As does Audacity, MKVtoolnix, Notepad++, Calibre... it's becoming harder to find a program that does not offer a dark mode.

And please don't start with the usual mantras...
  • "You can use [...] if you don't like foobar2000" mantra. I do like foobar, and that's why I ask for a dark theme, or I'd be gone long time ago.
  • Yes, I would do it myself if I had the knowledge. I don't.
  • I know it can be done with Columns UI. I don't like Column UI  ::)

So, please, could you hear the crowd asking for this?


I don't know if it's going to be useful but I'm dropping a poll here so... well... you can vote.


This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #1
The text in bold might appear important to you as an end user but they're unlikely to sway any developer. And popularity votes probably aren't going to help either.

If it ever does happen, I think it would have to come at a time when support for all previous components is dropped. If dark mode foobar2000 was released tomorrow, most 3rd party components would look terrible inside it. I can't see that being allowed as a possibility. But I am just speculating, who knows what is around the corner.

edit: just tested mp3tag and notepad++ since I use them already.... damn they're fugly in dark mode. No way I could stick with either of them


Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #3
  • Yes, I would do it myself if I had the knowledge. I don't.

Default Win dark themes are unusable, however there are many free OS-level options that are usable (and easy to try):

deviantart
vsthemes

User laziness shouldn't be a developer's concern.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #4
TBH I'd rather they bring back support for colour functions $rgb(r,g,b) than a dark theme.
Hhhmmmm Croissants.....

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #5
edit: just tested mp3tag and notepad++ since I use them already.... damn they're fugly in dark mode. No way I could stick with either of them
And if we ever do get a dark mode for foobar, you just know that 70% of the people who have been requesting it for all this time are going to say "but this one is ugly". For a developer creating a dark mode is going to cause more controversy than just simply not doing it.
Hhhmmmm Croissants.....

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #6
I wish someone would make a simple dark theme for foobar that mimics the default UI with inverted colors.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #7
most 3rd party components would look terrible inside it.
I feel this applies to separate applications too. How are users of dark, negative color UIs not "blinded" by some programs or websites that are still white? Don't use any of them? Especially on today's bright monitors.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #8
The text in bold might appear important to you as an end user but they're unlikely to sway any developer. And popularity votes probably aren't going to help either.
[...]
edit: just tested mp3tag and notepad++ since I use them already.... damn they're fugly in dark mode. No way I could stick with either of them

The text in bold is there to highlight what for me is a sign of lagging behind most other developers/apps.
If developers are swayed or not by any of this is up to them as always has been. I'm just reminding them once more that everybody is giving a dark theme to their programs... and there must be a reason why unless all of them are idiots.

The voting is there for everyone who feels like stating what's their stance on this. I expect few votes and no clear winner. We're in a forum that is mostly visited by advanced users and people with some kind of technology background. Basic users either go with what they've got... or they're already using a dark mode player  8)
Even massive Yes or massive No wouldn't mean a thing if you care for giving options to your users,

That you may stick with dark MP3tag ot notepad++ might appear important to you but in any case they're better than a blindingly white app in an otherwise totally dark desktop. They, at least, try to do it, and they finetune the UI colors often if they receive negative feedback.
This forum is full of jerks.


Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #10
  • Yes, I would do it myself if I had the knowledge. I don't.

Default Win dark themes are unusable, however there are many free OS-level options that are usable (and easy to try):

deviantart
vsthemes

User laziness shouldn't be a developer's concern.

Modifying a whole OS User Interface to achieve dark mode for a single app might be the contrary of user lazyness... but it surely is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

As a developer, I'd be more concerned about people having to do this just to get my app in dark mode.
This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #11
TBH I'd rather they bring back support for colour functions $rgb(r,g,b) than a dark theme.

Not mutually exclusive.
This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #12
I'm just reminding them once more that everybody is giving a dark theme to their programs... and there must be a reason why unless all of them are idiots.

This attitude is really going to help. Keep going.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #13
and there must be a reason why unless all of them are idiots.
The reason is probably simple: they are not interested in the dark theme.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #14
Modifying a whole OS User Interface to achieve dark mode for a single app might be the contrary of user lazyness...

Why would one want every app to appear differently in an OS?

And as others have commented, that method also allows one to more easily find a dark theme that suits them, rather than complaining how an app's implementation isn't "dark enough".

  • Yes, I would do it myself if I had the knowledge. I don't.
As a developer, I'd be more concerned about people having to do this just to get my app in dark mode.

But you're not a developer, just feeling very entitled to speak for one.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #15
I don't understand the sudden fashion with dark themes. This is what computing in the DOS days looked like. Black text on white is much friendlier on the eyes.

At least Mp3tag did the dark theme switch properly. You can't imagine how much I hate VMWare Workstation that added dark theme support. It uses a custom drawn window even in normal mode and simulates Windows 7's rounded window borders without any shadows. The window is invisible when the background has similar colors.

I really wish Microsoft made the OS theme switch affect all programs. It's absolute insanity for every software having to artifically create support for this fad.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #16
Dark is much easier on my eyes. I just got a new monitor, and even at very low brightness pure white backgrounds can be a bit much.
Think millionaire, but with cannons.

 

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #17
I really wish Microsoft made the OS theme switch affect all programs. It's absolute insanity for every software having to artifically create support for this fad.

It would be so easy for them to do it as well. The high contrast themes are evidence of that.

Bit off topic but anyone tried windows 11 yet? What they've done to checkboxes is an abomination. :/






Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #18
Bit off topic but anyone tried windows 11 yet? What they've done to checkboxes is an abomination. :/
Yeah, they also changed scrollbars and not for the better. I do however like the new window animations.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #19
I'm just reminding them once more that everybody is giving a dark theme to their programs... and there must be a reason why unless all of them are idiots.

This attitude is really going to help. Keep going.

"All of them" means all of the developers working on their own software, not foobar2000's developers.
Why are they adding dark themes? What does that mean? They can't all be idiots. There must be a reason behind all of them adding dark theme. Maybe because there's a need for it and it's worth the effort?
This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #20
and there must be a reason why unless all of them are idiots.
The reason is probably simple: they are not interested in the dark theme.

Foobar2000 are the only ones getting it right then?
All of the other developers are adding dark themes. That's what I mean. Are all those other devs idiots?
This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #21
Modifying a whole OS User Interface to achieve dark mode for a single app might be the contrary of user lazyness...

Why would one want every app to appear differently in an OS?

And as others have commented, that method also allows one to more easily find a dark theme that suits them, rather than complaining how an app's implementation isn't "dark enough".

  • Yes, I would do it myself if I had the knowledge. I don't.
As a developer, I'd be more concerned about people having to do this just to get my app in dark mode.

But you're not a developer, just feeling very entitled to speak for one.

I build a house with bricks. I want the house to be blue color. Your solution is to change all the orange bricks for blue ones. I pretend just to paint them blue. What do you think is the more reasonble approach?

I am not a developer. I dopn't feel entitled to anything. That's all in your head that went defensive as I was expecting.
I know how to manage users/customers needs, though, and I push so their needs are considered in order to offer a product that fullfill their demands/needs. I don't speak as a developer.

But as it was expected, you, and this forum gets defensive instead of facing the only truth: everybody else is implementing dark themes.
This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #22
I don't understand the sudden fashion with dark themes. This is what computing in the DOS days looked like. Black text on white is much friendlier on the eyes.

At least Mp3tag did the dark theme switch properly. You can't imagine how much I hate VMWare Workstation that added dark theme support. It uses a custom drawn window even in normal mode and simulates Windows 7's rounded window borders without any shadows. The window is invisible when the background has similar colors.

I really wish Microsoft made the OS theme switch affect all programs. It's absolute insanity for every software having to artifically create support for this fad.

Try to work for years on a 1000 nits screen with white user interface and you'll get it.

Things could have been managed better by Microsoft. Their incompetence isn't a valid reason to stagnate and defend the all-white-without-giving-dark-option stance.
This forum is full of jerks.

Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #23
Foobar2000 are the only ones getting it right then?
All of the other developers are adding dark themes. That's what I mean. Are all those other devs idiots?
Both choices are valid, why do you think that one is right and other is wrong?


Re: Request: Dark theme -- yeah, I know, AGAIN.

Reply #24
Because the majority are always right. They think with what is best for everyone.