Sublime Forum

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 6:19pm

Solarized (Dark).tmTheme selection barely visible Does anyone know how to: change selection background color…

PackageResourceViewer .tmTheme edits so far…
line 20 <key>lineHighlight</key>
line 21 <string>#001029</string>
line 22 <key>selection</key>
line 23 <string>#0099ff30</string>
line 24 <key>selectionBorder</key>
line 25 <string>#99ccff</string>
line 26 <key>inactiveSelection</key>
line 27 <string>#0099ff25</string>
??
<key> ? selection background ? </key>
<string>#001029</string>

Assume that a <keyword> can be used but need exact keyword.
(selectionBackground or backgroundSelection are not working )
Does anyone know keyword used to set selection background color in Sublime Text .tmTheme file?

**addons_zz** · September 24, 2016, 3:17am

Yes. I tried to read you text but I could not. Write in one simple question what you want to. Follow this templete, it may help you:

From https://github.com/SublimeTextIssues/Core/issues

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 6:20pm

Please just answer the only questioned asked!

How do we change selection background color?

The additional data describes coding environment in which data changes occur.

**addons_zz** · September 24, 2016, 6:00pm

Found this on your language theme file:

        <dict>
            <key>settings</key>
            <dict>
                <key>background</key>
                <string>#FFFFFF</string>
                <key>guide</key>
                <string>#8c8c8c</string>
                <key>stackGuide</key>
                <string>#8c8c8c</string>
                <key>activeGuide</key>
                <string>#FF0000</string>
                <key>caret</key>
                <string>#000000</string>
                <key>foreground</key>
                <string>#000000</string>
                <key>invisibles</key>
                <string>#B3B3B3</string>
                <key>lineHighlight</key>
                <string>#DADAFF</string>
                <key>selection</key>
                <string>#B9B9B9</string>
            </dict>
        </dict>

There you see the line lineHighlight, what comes next is the color DADAFF. More info see this other answer: changing-text-color-for-plain-text-syntax

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 6:21pm

Your example and link are no help. Keyword <~~background~~> is color for entire page background. Answer the question, please . What is the keyword to change selection background.

**addons_zz** · September 24, 2016, 6:45pm

selection

It is right below lineHighlight

**gerry** · September 24, 2016, 6:57pm

You want the selection key, the following will set the selection background to red:

<key>selection</key>
<string>#FF0000</string>

There are two other related keys:

     <key>selection</key>                    
     <string>#75715e</string>
     <key>selectionBorder</key>              
     <string>#75715e</string>
     <key>selectionForeground</key>          
     <string>#272822</string>

There is documention here on color schemes. The docs say selectionBackground colors the selection regions, it doesn’t, selection does, selectionBackground doesn’t do anything.

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 7:19pm

<selection> is not changing “selection background color”.

**gerry** · September 24, 2016, 7:27pm

Then that’s a different issue entirely, but do try selectionBackground just I case I’m wrong about it doing nothing (I’m not).

It could be any number of issues, probably a caching issue.

But that’s the right key to change the selection background.

**addons_zz** · September 24, 2016, 7:48pm

Are you sure? Look at this:

There are some packages which freezes you theme file (sadly true), so any changes will not take effect. Also, be sure you are modifying the right file and you saved your changes.

**gerry** · September 24, 2016, 7:48pm

Yep. I’ve done that

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 7:55pm

Caching issue…

Just to clarify, I am using Sublime Text 3, Stable Channel, Build 3126.
ST3 removes ST2 easy access to theme file editing, so packagecontrol.io PackageResourceViewer.

Solarized (Dark).tmTheme is extracted
extracted file is edited
selectionBackground keyword is not working.
selection keyword is not working
machine is MacPro 2016 (SIP-enabled hardware)

**gerry** · September 24, 2016, 7:55pm

If you’re using something like Sublime Linter, then it may be creating a custom theme, generated from the original one, with the linter colors added. I think the plugin Color Highlighter does something similar.

Sublime Linter creates a color scheme with the same name suffixed with “(SL)”. You’ll find those in Packages/User/SublimeLinter/*(SL).tmTheme.

To check what color scheme is currently set look at your preferences.

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 8:16pm

Preferences shows Solarized (Dark)
Extracted file is at this location on mac:
~Library/Application Support/Sublime Text 3/Packages/Color Scheme - Default/Solarized (Dark).tmTheme

Extracted file is correctly implementing <selectionBorder> border in workspace. That is, selection border can be edited and updates okay. But gerry and addons_zz are confusing this thread:
gerry says use keyword selectionBackground
addons_zz says use keyword selection.

**gerry** · September 24, 2016, 8:19pm

No. I didn’t.

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 8:35pm

Yes you did! And your link info backs that up.
http://docs.sublimetext.info/en/latest/reference/color_schemes.html#selection
Something is blocking the correct use of keywords?
Something is blocking edit of selection background color.

**gerry** · September 24, 2016, 8:28pm

I said:

Now, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you any further.

**mark.stewart** · September 24, 2016, 8:34pm

Right, so this question remains unanswered. For now do we assume, cache issue.

REQUEST: get keywords <selection> and <selectionBackground> working in Sublime Text 3 Build 3126.

Thanks!

**addons_zz** · September 24, 2016, 9:25pm

This below is on Sublime Text x86 - Build 3126 - Windows 10. It not that what you want to?

https://forum.sublimetext.com/uploads/default/original/3X/f/8/f899578509f6bded366101140945fda237c9466d.gif

You may get the settiings used to record the animated git here: https://github.com/evandrocoan/SublimeTextStudio#installation

After it, edit the file Packages\SublimeNotepadPlusPlusTheme\DefaultStylersTheme.tmTheme on Sublime Text. You will get exactly the same image as the animation.

If it is cache issue, you need to find what package is caching it, and delete that cache or disable/remove the package while editing the language theme file.

**mark.stewart** · October 31, 2016, 6:48am

Here is a better Forum thread to follow as the ‘packages’ mystery unravels.
CSS Color Formatting Not Working

.tmTheme files - change selection background