IDE Background and print color options needed

[martib]

I have failing eyesight and when loading my code I can read White on Black Background OK, but have no idea what is written on error/debug screen in Red on Black Background.
Can I change some code to add an option, and how do I do it?
Thanks

[ffissore]

It's not exactly easy to change, but you can still change them
Locate file IDE_FOLDER/lib/theme/theme.txt, lines from 21 to 23. By default they are

console.color = #000000
console.output.color = #eeeeee
console.error.color = #E34C00

Change to something like

console.color = #FFFFFF
console.output.color = #000000
console.error.color = #FF0000

Just in case you don't know, those sequences are hexadecimal RGB colors http://www.javascripter.net/faq/rgbtohex.htm

[martib]

I've had no luck locating said file "IDE_FOLDER/lib/theme/theme.txt". Can You direct me to where it might be found?
Thanks, martib

[ffissore]

If you are using windows, IDE should be installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino. theme.txt is in folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\lib\theme. Use a smart text editor like http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ as microsoft notepad won't suffice

[martib]

OK Federico I found it and changed the BG color. I told you my eyes are
poor!
Thanks for your help and patience.
martib

On Mon, Feb 24, 2014 at 4:17 AM, Federico Fissore
[email protected]:

If you are using windows, IDE should be installed in C:\Program Files
(x86)\Arduino. theme.txt is in folder C:\Program Files
(x86)\Arduino\lib\theme. Use a smart text editor like
http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ as microsoft notepad won't suffice

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/1878#issuecomment-35868801
.

[ffissore]

Thank you. I'll reopen this issue to remind us that we should make this configuration easier to find and change.

[martib]

Good idea, appreciate you letting me know.
martib

On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 6:23 AM, Federico Fissore
[email protected]:

Reopened #1878 #1878.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/1878
.

[nxg]

+1 to making this a lot easier to find – I can't find any documentation on this other than this issue.

1. Note that the theme.txt is not alongside the preferences.txt file, which is where I first looked for it, but alongside/beneath the Arduino jar files (thus on OS X, for example, in .../Arduino-1.6.3.app/Contents/Java/lib/theme/theme.txt). It might be useful to make these theme files specifiable in the same location as the preferences file.
2. Dark orange on black is (if I may be blunt) a terrible default colour scheme for error messages. Nothing wrong with selecting it if that's what you like, but please not as a default.

[greenonline]

I can only presume that the person who selected the dark orange on a black background is either colour blind and/or thinks that tartan trousers are fashionable. I actually had quite good eyesight before I started using the Arduino IDE, but now constantly require glasses.

[seagift]

Wow Excellent. Thank you all. Easy to find the file to edit. Not so easy to save the file . Access denied. I got there. Now I can read the Errors I am making in my code. Cant thank you enough.

[ffissore]

Closing. Theme editor won't be included

[mweissen]

Or please add a second theme.txt file with better colors! Red on black is dreadful!