Re: [g-a-devel]Re: [PATCH] Make list view update when defaults change

[Bill Haneman <bill haneman sun com>]

On Fri, 2002-05-10 at 19:49, Alex Larsson wrote:
> On Fri, 10 May 2002, Calum Benson wrote:
... 
> > If Bill hadn't just gone home a few minutes ago, he'd probably point out
> > that 508 requires everything on the desktop to track the user's One True
> > Theme-- so if we do maintain a different font setting for desktop icons
> > (and I can see why we'd want to), we probably need a "just use the
> > current default gtk font at all times" option for it as well.  You can
> > argue with Bill about whether it should be the default or not :)
> 
> This is someones interpretation of 508. In reality the 508 spec is 
> incredily vague and says nothing about themes. I think it is enough that 
> both fonts are configurable in the same dialog.

Actually 508 has quite a bit to say about themes, though it doesn't
always use the same terminology that we do.  As for interpretation, it's
the US Government's interpretation, apparently, and I believe that one
counts quite a bit:

from http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.21.htm

--- BEGIN EXCERPT ---------

(g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color
selections and other individual display attributes.

How does this requirement improve accessibility for people with
disabilities?
Often, persons with disabilities can increase their efficiency with a
system by selecting colors, contrast, keyboard repeat rate, and keyboard
sensitivity settings provided by an operating system. When an
application disables these system-wide settings, accessibility is
reduced. This provision is aimed at allowing users to select
personalized settings which cannot be disabled by software programs.

Does this provision mean that programs may not use any custom settings?
This provision allows programs to have unlimited options for customizing
the display of the programs' content. However, there must be a section
in the software that tells the program not to use its own setting, but
to use whatever settings are already in place before the program starts.
A simple menu selection, for example under a view, or options menu,
might be a checkbox that lets the user check "use system display
setting."

------ END EXCCERPT ----


> How do you define the one true theme? One file? A given set of gconf keys? 
> One dialog to config them? A "use system font" option is stupid, and I
> won't add one.
> 
> Of course, if the desktop font is not set we should fall back on the 
> default gtk+ font. 

The point here is that the desktop font needs to respect the "system
theme".  Of course as developers of the "system theme" we have some
flexibility here; we can accomplish this by making the "desktop font"
part of the "system theme" but that for instance:

* the desktop font be part of the GTK+ RC-file format (i.e. covered by
the underlying theming mechanism), OR

* the desktop font is settable via a "meta-themer" mechanism; e.g. even
if not part of the RC-file GTK+ theme it is presented to the user in
part of a single GNOME-wide "theme capplet"; OR

* the desktop font is derived programmatically from the GTK+ base font.

The last possibility is the least effective option since it pretty much
rules out color changes (due to conflict with contrast needs,
color-blindness, etc.) and even typeface changes can be an accessibility
problem, leaving only the possibility of slightly larger or smaller
relative text sizes for the desktop font.

As far as I know GNOME 2.0.0 won't have a metathemer, so it's not clear
to me that the second option will work for our initial release.  I think
the cleanest option is the first one, adding a "desktop font" to the
RC-file theme; I think Havoc's suggestion about "system monospace font"
also makes a lot of sense.  I guess we need to run this by the GTK+
team...

Regards,

Bill
 
> -- 
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>  Alexander Larsson                                            Red Hat, Inc 
>                    alexl redhat com    alla lysator liu se 
> He's a jaded flyboy cat burglar looking for a cure to the poison coursing 
> through his veins. She's a bloodthirsty cigar-chomping stripper in the witness 
> protection program. They fight crime! 
> 
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