Dark mode performance

Is there a way to increase the performance of dark mode? I tried it back in 15, but it was sluggish then. It's very slightly better, but still not the same as the default. I really would like to use this because it's easier on my eyes. I am currently using the most recent version (16.2.98.1741).

Hi John,

I spent some time trying to optimize this but wasn't able to get it as fast as non-styled. I can take another look at this to see if anything else can be done. The biggest lag seems to be when your Toad windows are maximized and you switch from one window to the other. It switches quickly when the windows are not maximized.

You may want to give SDI mode a try, as it doesn't suffer from window-switch lag that MDI mode suffers from. That's set in Options -> General -> Application Style. In this mode, Toad windows are free-floating (not inside Toad's main window).

In this mode, if you want to maximize your windows, it's easiest to switch between them using the windows task bar (see below)

-John

Yep, that's when I notice the lag. Also, when I minimize it, and then maximize it. I'll try SDI mode. It might take a little getting used to. Thanks for your quick reply.

Personally, I'm not a fan of SDI mode because I find it tough to manage all the windows floating around. Maybe we can come up with some ideas to make it more user-friendly.

Yeah, I just tried it, and don't like it at all. All that being said, I really like the product. It's well-written, and enables me to do my work a lot easier.

Thanks. I'll take another look at dark mode and see if I can do anything else to improve that window switching.

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Hi John

On a Dark Mode issue I raised before, contrast between tabs etc. I use Cobalt, the darkest of the dark as it is the only one with a true black background. We could still use some more contrast between active tabs and no active at all levels. Also, would it be possible to allow us to edit the background to true black in other Dark Mode Schemes.
Cheers
Paul

Hi Paul,

  1. It's on my to-do list to be able to give you some kind of bitmap file that you could edit to modify the themes. I'm not 100% certain that's possible but I think it is.
  2. I did add some contrast on the editor tabs and the active connection/window for version 16.2. Those parts seem pretty contrasty to me now. Maybe the active Schema Browser RHS tabs could use a little more. Oh - and the lower Editor tabs. Is that what you were referring to?

The reason these tabs aren't all the same is that some of them (such as Schema Browser tabs) are built-in Delphi controls. These take the themes well. The Editor tabs are 3rd party components which require a little more custom drawing on our side.

  1. By the way, I just added some more dark themes in the 16.3 beta. There's one of them in particular, that when you see it, you may ask yourself "how much more black could this be?", and the answer is "None. None more black".

Here's that same screen shot in "None More Black":

Hi John

Thanks again for quick reply and attention to issues.

I mean tabs and selected/active objects at all levels. Some examples..

Current version

Color Scheme

Upper Tabs. Here is sample first DB and second Browser tabs are active.

Lower tabs. Data Grid is active.

One MAJOR issue in the Editor is the ability to select the dividers between windows and resize, both in Navigator and Output window. This is an editor window and it’s very difficult to select and drag this divider. When you drag the cursor near these lines the cursor icon dances around like a Giff with a caffeine overdose…

This is a Session Browser window and it has Tabs implemented very differently and much more defined. It also has a nice handle on each line. We need these in the Editor window and main Toad window.

This is Schema Browser Filter window. Tabs also very well defined.

Cheers

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the screenshots and circles. They really help.

Regarding your first screen shot - with the connection and window buttons. That's interesting, because when I use that Cobalt, I see more contrast there. I can add more, but I don't want to overdo it for others. I'm curious if you have any windows color settings that might be contributing to this. I played around with mine and couldn't make any difference, so I don't know what windows color settings (if any) could affect this.

Regarding the lower tabs in the editor: I see that too and will work on it. Unfortunately, I can't make them look just like the tabs in the Session Browser. They are a different kind of control. But I can at least get the colors close.

Regarding the "glitchy gif" splitter in the editor - Are you talking about the amount of vertical area that you have to carefully find before you can use the splitter? I made some improvement there a few versions ago. For me, it's pretty easy to use now, but I can increase that area a bit more. That's part of the docking control and I don't think I can put our standard splitter there, but investigate that possibility.

-John

Hi John

No edits to any color setting. I’m on a pair of 4k Dell IPS business monitors when in the office and a pair of 4k Samsung IPS at home. Contrast issue is same in both local and remote working environments. Using Intel Graphics

About the splitter - Are you talking about the amount of vertical area that you have to carefully find before you can use the splitter?

Yes, there are two issues, the line is very thin and the contrast is limited. Thus making it very difficult to move the pointer to its location, then press and hold to allow the reposition. It can take half a dozen attempts to get this right. A handle would be great if you can achieve.

Cheers

Paul

Next beta (to be released on Monday) will have:

  1. Better tab painting in Editor
  2. Standard Toad splitter in Editor
  3. A little more contrast in Window/Connection bar buttons.

Please try it out if you are able and let me know what you think.

You can get it here.

-John

Thanks John

Contrast is better in Cobalt.

None More Black.

Cheers

Paul

Hi Paul,

We actually did not get a beta released yesterday as planned. Hopefully we'll be able to get one out in the next day or two. There will be an improvement to both of these themes when we do.

-John

Ok

I did download 16.3.8.1808 after your last email and last screen shots were from that. Earlier I was on 16.2.98.1741

I like Dark Mode, but I had to switch out of it because of several items I could not see. One was with the checkboxes for the Change Session dropdown. It seemed to be all black and I couldn't tell which one was selected.
image

Love Toad, thank you,
David

HI David,

I see that and will fix. Thank you for reporting it.

-John

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