bug#47047: [External] : Re: bug#47047: 28.0.50; 'help-key-binding' face's background sub-optimal

[Drew Adams]

> I mean that the theme makes no special effort to support various modes.

Correct.  There can be any number of "various modes",
from any number of sources, which use color in any
number of ways.

> So you might have a theme with a background color that is very close to
> the foreground of a face defined in some package, leaving things
> completely unreadable.  I've seen it many, many times.

Sure, you might.  Same with `emacs -Q'.  Nothing
prevents a mode from doing anything its designer
wants to do.

> For example, with `light-blue-theme', the eshell prompt is all but
> unreadable, and `eshell-prompt' is not defined in the theme itself.

If the eshell prompt uses a face that requires
customizing to play well with that theme, then
you can customize its face or use a mode hook
or...  Or not use that theme, if you use eshell.

> If you don't like that example, try some other modes like Gnus,
> notmuch, mu4e, ERC, etc.  Whatever you like.  You will find problems, I 
> promise,
> and you won't even have to dig deep.

I believe you.  See above.

> There is just no way to theme Emacs by just throwing some 25 odd face
> definitions in a theme and call it a day.  Take a look at
> e.g. manoj-dark.el for something a bit more realistic.

If you expect a theme to be the end-point and
be-all, then sure.  If you take it as a starting
point then things are different.

> > There's plenty of code that's part of Emacs that hasn't
> > been changed an iota over the years, but still works.
> > Does that mean that it's necessarily unmaintained or
> > incomplete?  Certainly any code could be enhanced, but
> > that's something different, and not a requirement for
> > its continuation.
> 
> I'm talking about themes that are very old, unmaintained and not very
> complete.

Your idea of "complete" is quite pervasive/intrusive,
it seems.  A theme doesn't have to be a do-all end
in itself.  It can be, and perhaps people are now
used to more themes being along those lines.  But it
need not be (IMHO).

> In any case, I don't think we are going to get anywhere by just
> exchanging emails in this already closed bug report.  I hope I made my
> reasoning somewhat more clear at least.

Yes, now it's clear; thank you.  I think there's
more than one kind/level of theming that can be
useful, including things you'd call incomplete.
We need not agree as to what constitutes a theme
or what's needed for a theme to be of some use.