Syntax Highlighting in HTML Source Mode

[Diorser]

Bug 58730 has been opened 20 years ago to ask for Syntax Highlighting in HTML Source Mode (really basic and common feature nowadays).

Not yet implemented in 2.53.3 (current mid-2020 seamonkey version).

Nowadays, there are plenty of free solutions to implement this feature used by all basic text editors.
Twenty years later, does it mean the definitive conclusion of Bug 58730 is that Syntax Highlighting will never be implemented ?

[Frank Lion]

Twenty years later, does it mean the definitive conclusion of Bug 58730 is that Syntax Highlighting will never be implemented ?

That would seem to be a reasonable assumption.

Nowadays, there are plenty of free solutions to implement this feature used by all basic text editors.

Except that Composer isn't a basic text editor, but a WYSIWYG editor. What free WYSIWYG editors do you know with syntax highlighting?

[Diorser]

Code source viewer of Seamonkey already shows highlighted html code.
There is then nothing specific to add or implement.

The more precise question is then: why the compozer does not use the same html highlight feature of the source code viewer ?
After 20 years of hard investigations, it should become clear.

[Frank Lion]

After 20 years of hard investigations, it should become clear.

Guess they figured that after 20 years of hard investigations, Composer users would have worked out how to hit the Browse button and then how to view the html syntaxed source code in that browser window?

[Diorser]

Guess they figured that after 20 years of hard investigations

Few more years probably necessary to decide what to do (just a bit kidding).
Seamonhey is the only html editor I know not able to highlight html.
All text editors have syntax highlight (I mainly use kate).
I've been using NVU long time ago, and as far as I remember, NVU had syntax highlight.
I remember some years ago the lack of syntax hightlight was a showstopper for me, and it seems seamonkey is now really dead.

[davidb_sk]

Just my opinion here, nothing to back it up, but I'm guessing that the reason why the Syntax Highlighting "bug" hasn't been addressed is simply due to the fact that the SeaMonkey devs have a limited amount of time, energy and resources and are focused on more pressing/critical topics with the suite.

I'm also not convinced that this lack of HTML highlighting is not a "bug"; more like it's just not a feature supported by SeaMonkey's Composer component. Composer does what it's supposed to do, and does provide other features that some other HTML editors don't. So there's some give and take, there.

I'm not trying to make excuses, just presenting a possible reason as to why this "bug" is still open.

[Diorser]

Let's be clear, I don't expect anything from a so old feature request which is an easy one (to not say obvious one), with no answer for 20 years.

I am currently using a strange combination as html editor: Thunderbird + [ QuickText + ThunderHTMLedit ] addons.

What I don't understand is that Firefox has the devtools to nearly make a real html editor.
What is just missing is an extension to make it a bit more user-friendly by adding a light window interface with few basic bold/font/hr buttons, or simply QuickText which allow to customize all html code we need.
It will come maybe one day (or more probably.... never).

[frg]

Composer was obsolete 10 years ago and it is not better today.

We keep it building, try not to break it, try to fix it and try to keep it supported but that is about all you can expect form the remaining devs currently. Unless some new devs show up and start working on the code these old bugs will just get older. Not closed because they are still valid.

FRG

[Peter Creasey]

Many thanks to developers maintaining/supporting SeaMonkey Composer. It is a wonderful tool with many useful applications.

There's been enough negativism in this thread. SeaMonkey is a most worthy package and deserves ongoing favorable reviews.