Changing color of transient mark

Changing color of transient mark

[Haines Brown]

I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.

Id like to redefine the background color something like this:

  ((transient-mark-mode 1)
    (set-background-color "mistyrose")
    (set-foreground-color "firebrick"))

but of course this does not work. Short of running PC mode, how can I
change at least the highlighting background color?

RE: Changing color of transient mark

[Drew Adams]

> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.
> 
> Id like to redefine the background color something like this:
> 
>   ((transient-mark-mode 1)
>     (set-background-color "mistyrose")
>     (set-foreground-color "firebrick"))
> 
> but of course this does not work. Short of running PC mode, how can I
> change at least the highlighting background color?

Customize face `region':

M-x customize-face region

Re: Changing color of transient mark

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2015-02-11, at 19:37, Haines Brown <haines@engels.histomat.net> wrote:

> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.
>
> Id like to redefine the background color something like this:
>
>   ((transient-mark-mode 1)
>     (set-background-color "mistyrose")
>     (set-foreground-color "firebrick"))
>
> but of course this does not work. Short of running PC mode, how can I
> change at least the highlighting background color?

See the function `set-face-attribute'.

Hth,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://octd.wmi.amu.edu.pl/en/Marcin_Borkowski
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
Adam Mickiewicz University

Re: Changing color of transient mark

[Haines Brown]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

>> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
>> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.

> Customize face `region':

> M-x customize-face region

Took some stumbling about, but finally got it (wheat background). Thanks

RE: Changing color of transient mark

[Drew Adams]

> >> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
> >> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.
> 
> > Customize face `region':
> > M-x customize-face region
> 
> Took some stumbling about, but finally got it (wheat background). Thanks

See this doc bug report I just filed:
http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=19841

If you cannot find some information you need, and you later find it
without the doc, and you think the doc should have helped you find
it, then consider filing a doc bug: `M-x report-emacs-bug'.

For simple stuff like this (at a minimum), it helps to get in the
habit of asking Emacs.  Unfortunately, in this case the doc isn't
(yet) as helpful as it should be.

Re: Changing color of transient mark

[Haines Brown]

Marcin Borkowski <mbork@wmi.amu.edu.pl> writes:

> On 2015-02-11, at 19:37, Haines Brown <haines@engels.histomat.net> wrote:
>
>> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
>> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.
>>
>> Id like to redefine the background color something like this:
>>
>>   ((transient-mark-mode 1)
>>     (set-background-color "mistyrose")
>>     (set-foreground-color "firebrick"))

> See the function `set-face-attribute'.

Because all my emacs sessions have the -q option and use their own init
files, I'm unable to save the highlight background color.

What lisp code would define the background within init files? 

RE: Changing color of transient mark

[Drew Adams]

> >> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
> >> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.
> >> Id like to redefine the background color something like this:
> >>
> >>   ((transient-mark-mode 1)
> >>     (set-background-color "mistyrose")
> >>     (set-foreground-color "firebrick"))
> 
> > See the function `set-face-attribute'.
> 
> Because all my emacs sessions have the -q option and use their own init
> files, I'm unable to save the highlight background color.
> 
> What lisp code would define the background within init files?

I already answered that:  `M-x customize-face region' and save your
changes.

That inserts the necessary Lisp code in your init file, or (better) if
you have defined `custom-file' then into your `custom-file'.

If you try it then you will see what Lisp code to use. ;-)

Re: Changing color of transient mark

[Haines Brown]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

>> >> I'm running emacs 24.4.1, and the transient mark color is a very dark
>> >> blue. This makes the highlighted text hard to read.
>> >> Id like to redefine the background color something like this:
>> >>
>> >>   ((transient-mark-mode 1)
>> >>     (set-background-color "mistyrose")
>> >>     (set-foreground-color "firebrick"))
>> 
>> > See the function `set-face-attribute'.
>> 
>> Because all my emacs sessions have the -q option and use their own init
>> files, I'm unable to save the highlight background color.
>> 
>> What lisp code would define the background within init files?
>
> I already answered that:  `M-x customize-face region' and save your
> changes.
>
> That inserts the necessary Lisp code in your init file, or (better) if
> you have defined `custom-file' then into your `custom-file'.
>
> If you try it then you will see what Lisp code to use. ;-)

Thanks. I apparenly had not saved customization or missed the relevant
lines in the resulting init file. Things now working in an emacs session
not using that init file and with the following stanza:

(custom-set-faces
  '(default ((t (:family "Courier 10 Pitch" :foundry "bitstream" \
            :slant normal :weight normal :height 122 :width normal))))
  '(highlight ((t (:background "wheat"))))
  '(region ((t (:background "wheat" :distant-foreground \
           "gtk_selection_fg_color"))))
)