The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [pdf]

Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by Arnt on Thursday November 26, 2015 @05:38AM (#10632354)

I can parse code much quicker if doesn't have syntax highlighting... or so I thought until I tried a properly subtle colour scheme (offwhite with various dark foreground colours, as it happens). I wonder how many of the colour-objectors really object to inappropriate colours rather than to their existence. Pale blue on white, bright green on white, etc.

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Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by SmellyGeekBoy on Thursday November 26, 2015 @06:55AM (#10632559)

I'm also in the light background, dark text camp, when it comes to code at least. I think Visual Studio (using the light rather than dark or blue themes) has the colours just about spot-on for me, especially in the 2015 editions where they seem to have softened the palette a bit.

That said, I'm completely the opposite when it comes to the command line. I think colour coding can add a lot (ls for example) but it has to be light-on-dark or not at all. Funny how that works.

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Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by kazinator on Friday November 27, 2015 @12:56AM (#10636056)

How that probably works is that with this distinction, you know at a glance which windows on your desktop are editor windows with code and which are command lines (or possibly editors that have suspended to the background to go to a command line).

It's ... meta-syntactic-highlighting for your entire desktop! Different types of windows are colored differently, just like different kinds of identifiers in one window.

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Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by adsdaldmfldmf on Thursday November 26, 2015 @01:55PM (#10634202)

Yeah. IMO, the particular color scheme matters. I think I'd get much more benefit, vs no highlight, from the color scheme I'm used to, than the one the researchers chose (somewhat arbitrarily).

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Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by kazinator on Friday November 27, 2015 @12:54AM (#10636053)

I could easily spend an hour switching through color schemes, and have done so. It shows. My wife looks over my shoulder sometimes and says that it looks gorgeous!

I believe that the color scheme is crucially important; it's a form of ergonomics. Bad colors will lead to fatigue.

Certain choices are obviously bad, like hues that make comments or other elements almost impossible to read; insufficient contrasts and so on.

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Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by ams6110 on Thursday November 26, 2015 @01:16PM (#10634075)

Yeah I like syntax highlighting but prefer subtle colors. I do prefer dark backgound. "Solarized" scheme has been my favorite for a few years now.

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Re:The impact of syntax colouring on program comprehension [... by kazinator on Friday November 27, 2015 @01:04AM (#10636079)

Of the canned ones in Vim, what do you think of "fnaqevan"?

By the way, something is wrong: my Vim isn't responding to ":set background=light" (or dark). The colors change, but not the background.

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