Re: [PATCH 2/2] color: support "default" to restore fg/bg color

On 2021-10-25 at 22:32:36, Robert Estelle via GitGitGadget wrote:

From: Robert Estelle <redacted>

The name "default" can now be used in foreground or background colors,
and means to use the terminal's default color, discarding any
explicitly-set color without affecting the other attributes. On many
modern terminals, this is *not* the same as specifying "white" or
"black".

Although attributes could previously be cleared like "no-bold", there
had not been a similar mechanism available for colors, other than a full
"reset", which cannot currently be combined with other settings.

Note that this is *not* the same as the existing name "normal", which is
a no-op placeholder to permit setting the background without changing
the foreground. (i.e. what is currently called "normal" might have been
more descriptively named "inherit", "none", "pass" or similar).

I can't speak to whether this is correct, although you did mention the
standard, so I assume it is, but I do think this is a good feature to
have and the patch seems sane to me.  Patch 2 also looked good here.

For an example of why this differs from white on black, let me mention
that I use a semi-transparent terminal, where a black background is
opaque black, and the default is semi-transparent.  I assume other
possibilities include patterned backgrounds (Enlightenment, anyone?).
Whether you want to include something to this effect in the commit
message is up to you, but I provide it for the interested reader.
-- 
brian m. carlson (he/him or they/them)
Toronto, Ontario, CA