MySQL Bugs: #98193: Add option to toggle dark mode independently

Bug #98193	Add option to toggle dark mode independently
Submitted:	11 Jan 2020 21:36	Modified:	13 Jan 2020 9:03
Reporter:	Magnus Oxlund	Email Updates:
Status:	Verified	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Workbench	Severity:	S4 (Feature request)
Version:	8.0.18	OS:	MacOS (10.15.2)
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	Any

Description:
I would like to request the option to enable the dark theme within MySQL Workbench when MacOS is not in dark mode.

MySQL Workbench supports the MacOS dark mode, introduced in MacOS Mojave, by switching to a dark theme when the MacOS system-wide dark mode is enabled.

The dark theme is tied to the system-wide dark mode state, and as such is inaccessible without also applying the dark mode to everything else that supports it, from the menu bar, the Dock, Finder, Preferences, and all other apps that offer a dark mode option.

Exempting any given MacOS app from the system-wide dark mode, when enabled, is possible through 3rd part apps or custom Defaults options, but the inverse is not currently achievable.

How to repeat:
Section does not apply.

Hello Magnus Oxlund,

Thank you for the feature request.
Imho this is duplicate of Bug #70266, please see Bug #70266

Regards,
Ashwini Patil

Hi Ashwini Patil,

Thank you for the quick response.

If the verdict of bug #70266 reveals a policy of deferring all appearance decisions entirely to the operating system, I recognize that the outcome may be identical, but I disagree that this request is a duplicate:

Bug #70266 requests a universal dark theme or the option to independently customize various visual elements for all MySQL Workbench distributions. This feature request proposes an option to enable the existing dark theme on the MacOS distribution independently.

If this request is denied on the basis of a policy of strict deference, the issue will almost certainly be swept into the crack that exists between Oracle and Apple.

Magnus, first I misunderstood your request, but you are right. This report is not a duplicate, but the request to enable  switching between OS light and dark mode, independed of the OS setting. As such this is a valid feature request, even though I don't understand why people don't set their entire OS to dark mode, if they cannot stand light colors.

Hi Mike Lischke,

Thank you for your response.

To address your previous question, I think it comes down to a difference between the specific task of editing code versus navigating other aspects of the operating system or apps.

On my part, it's a mere preference, so I have no expectations of it leading to an implementation that's going to take up time and company resources, but I submitted the request to register the idea and to serve as a proposal for others to support in case the preference is shared among other users.

Granted, it might be an option for Apple to implement, but I would imagine their response would be a deference to the individual app developers given how an expectation of a dark theme seems to be confined to certain kinds of apps, e.g., code editors.

I certainly understand the point that it's best practice to adhere to the appearance of the overall system. Maybe in a perfect situation, there would be a hack available for those with a strong enough preference to discover and apply, akin to the one that enables the inverse exemption.