Label & TextraLabel feature parity request: [] sets the color to the previous color

[lucas-kakele]

Hi!

A current behavior of TextraLabel that does not match Label is the use of [].

That syntax in Label will sets the color to the previous color defined in the label. That syntax in TextraLabel will reset the color to the label original color instead.

Example:

Code:

public class MyGdxGame extends ApplicationAdapter {

  private Stage stage;
  private Skin skin;

  @Override
  public void create () {
    stage = new Stage(new ScreenViewport());

    skin = new Skin(Gdx.files.internal("uiskin.json"));

    Label label = new Label("[RED]test [GREEN]test[] test[]", skin);
    label.getStyle().font.getData().markupEnabled = true;

    TextraLabel textraLabel = new TextraLabel("[red]test [green]test[] test[]", skin);

    Table table = new Table();
    table.add(label).row();
    table.add(textraLabel).row();

    Stack stack = new Stack(table);
    stack.setFillParent(true);

    stage.addActor(stack);
  }

  @Override
  public void render () {
    ScreenUtils.clear(0, 0, 0, 1);
    stage.act();
    stage.draw();
  }

  @Override
  public void dispose () {
    stage.dispose();
    skin.dispose();
  }
}

The request of this issue is to make TextraLabel's [] tag match the behavior of Label.

Thanks!

[tommyettinger]

The main issue here is that [] also currently resets styles, such as bold and oblique. Should [] just reset the previous color, or should it reset the previous "thing in square brackets"?

[lucas-kakele]

Hi Tommy!

I think we can separate the styles applied by square brackets in two categories:

• toggle styles. eg: bold/italic can only be toggled on and off. there is no stacking
• stacking styles. eg color and size can be stacked (eg: "[%200]this [%300]is[] a test[]" or "[red]this [green]is[] a test[]")

[] could be used to toggle off styles that are toggled and to reset to the previous state (a stack pop) for stacking styles.

What do you think?

[tommyettinger]

Currently what I have implemented just records whenever there's a change to the color/style/size/font-family state, and using [] should (soon?) drop back one step in the history. Getting this to work with TypingLabel effects, which use {EFFECT=parameters;for;it}, is going to be more interesting.

[tommyettinger]

This should work for all square-bracket markup now. I don't see a good way to have it affect curly-brace effects, yet. You can try this (and some more related features) in https://github.com/tommyettinger/textratypist/releases/tag/v0.10.0 ; note that [ ] has replaced the old TextraTypist [] and now [] should act how it does for BitmapFont.