Themes
:The look of the Sublime Text interface is controlled by themes. The term theme refers strictly to the look of the UI – buttons, select lists, the sidebar, tabs and so forth. The highlighting of source code, markup and prose is controlled by a color scheme.
The theme engine for Sublime Text is based on raster graphics. PNGs are used to prevent texture degradation and provide full alpha control. Each element in the UI can have up to four layers of textures or fills applied, with properties to control opacity and padding. The properties set on each element can be conditionally changed based on user interaction and settings.
Sublime Text themes are implemented via the .sublime-theme format. It is a JSON format that specifies rules for matching elements and modifying their appearance.
Format
A .sublime-theme file contains a single JSON document. The document should be an object containing a key "rules" with the value of 3179 an array of rules. An optional key "variables" with an object containing variable/value pairs may be added. 3179
The following is an example of a .sublime-theme file, showing the format. A complete theme will have many more rules to cover all elements used in the UI.
Terminology
The primary contents of a theme is an array of rules. Each rule object contains a "class" key used to match to an element. In addition to the "class", matching can be further restricted by specifying "attributes", "settings", "parents" and "platforms" keys. Properties affect the look or behavior of the element.
Variables allow reusing values throughout different rules. Variables may contain any type of syntax, but may only be referenced by top-level keys in a rule. 3179
Most elements have a single class name, although a few have more than one to allow for both generic, and specific styling. For example, the popup_control class can be used to set styles for the auto complete and HTML popups, however popup_control auto_complete_popup may be used to target just the auto complete popup. Multiple "class" values are separated by a space. When a rule specified multiple class names, all must be present on the element for the rule to be applied.
"attributes" are set by Sublime Text, and indicate the state of user interaction, or other information about the nature of an element. The value is an array of strings. Examples include "hover"
, "pressed"
and "dirty"
.
"settings" uses values from .sublime-settings files to filter rules. This allowing theme authors to give users the ability to tweak a theme. Themes may define their own settings, but there are a handful of "default" settings that should be supported if possible. See Settings for more details.
The value for the "settings" key may be one of:
-
array of strings
Each string is the name of boolean settings. To check for afalse
value, prefix the setting name with a!
.
Example:["bold_folder_labels", "!always_show_minimap_viewport"]
. -
object
Each key is the name of a setting. A value may be a boolean, string, or array of strings. If an array of strings is used, the setting will be matched if any of the strings in the array matches the user’s value. When comparing to a string, the user’s setting will be coerced to an empty string when not set.
Example:{"bold_folder_labels": true, "file_tab_style": "rounded"}
.
The "parents" key is an array of objects specifying the "class" and "attributes" that must be matched in a parent element.
The "platforms" key is an array of strings specifying the what operating systems to apply the rule to. Valid options include "osx"
, "windows"
, and "linux"
.
Properties refer to all other keys in the JSON objects. Some properties are available on all elements, while others are specific to an individual element.
General Information
The follow sections discuss information about images and how to specify styles.
Specificity
Unlike CSS, a Sublime Text theme does not do specificity matching when applying rules to elements. All rules are tested, in order, against each element. Subsequent rules that match will override properties from previous rules.
Texture Images
All textures in a theme are specified using PNG images. Each texture should be saved at "normal" DPI, where each pixel in the file will be mapped to one device pixel. All file paths in the theme definition should reference the normal DPI version.
A second version of each texture should also be included at double the DPI, with @2x
added to the filename right before the extension. Sublime Text will automatically use the @2x
version when being displayed on a high-DPI screen. It is also possible to specify @3x
variants of textures for screens running at 300% scale or higher 3167.
SVG images are not currently supported.
Dimensions
Integer units in a theme referring to dimensions are always specified in device-independent pixels (DIP). Sublime Text automatically handles scaling UI elements based on the screen density.
Padding & Margins
Padding and margin may be specified in one of three ways:
- A single integer value – the same value is applied to the left, top, right and bottom
- An array of two integers – the first value is applied to the left and right, while the second value is applied to the top and bottom
- An array of four integers – the values are applied, in order, to the left, top, right and bottom
Inheritance 3179
A theme may extend another theme, appending rules and overriding variables. To extend a theme, add a top-level key "extends" to the JSON object, with a string value of the base theme.
{
"extends": "Default.sublime-theme",
"rules":
[
{
"class": "label_control",
"parents": [{"class": "button_control", "attributes": ["hover"]}],
"fg": "red"
}
]
}
The resulting list of rules will start with the base theme rules followed by the extending theme rules. Any variables from the extending theme will override variables with the same name in the base theme. Variable overrides will affect rules both in the base theme and the extending theme.
Variables 3179
Reusable variables may be defined by a JSON object under the top-level key "variables". Variable names are strings, however the value may be a string, number, boolean, array or object. Using a variable requires specifying a string in the format var(example_variable_name)
.
{
"variables":
{
"light_gray": "rgb(240, 240, 240)"
},
"rules":
[
{
"class": "label_control",
"fg": "var(light_gray)"
}
]
}
Variables may be used as the value for any property, but the variable must be the entire value, it may not be embedded within another variable. The only exception to this rule is that variables may be used as the base color for the CSS color()
mod function.
Colors
Colors may be specified by CSS or legacy color syntax:
CSS Color Syntax 3179
Since Sublime Text build 3177, colors in themes may now be specified using CSS syntax, as supported by minihtml. This includes support for hex, rgb()
, hsl()
, variables and the color mod function. Additionally, all predefined variables that are derived from the color scheme are available for use.
The color white, as hex
#fff
The color white, using rgb()
functional notation
rgb(255, 255, 255)
50% opacity white, using hsla()
functional notation
hsla(0, 100%, 100%, 0.5)
The closest color to red, as defined in the color scheme
var(--redish)
50% opacity of the closest color to red, as defined in the color scheme
color(var(--redish) a(0.5))
Legacy Color Syntax
Prior to supporting CSS syntax for colors, themes were only able to specify colors using the following formats, which are now deprecated.
RGB
Colors in the RGB color space are specified via an array of 3 or 4 numbers, with the first three being integers ranging from 0
to 255
representing the components red, green and blue. The optional fourth number is a float ranging from 0.0
to 1.0
that controls the opacity of the color.
The color white, with full opacity
[255, 255, 255]
The color blue, with 50% opacity
[0, 0, 255, 0.5]
HSL
Colors may also be specified using the HSL color space by creating an array of 4 elements, with the first being the string "hsl"
. The second element is an integer from 0
to 360
specifying the hue. The third is an integer from 0
to 100
specifying the saturation, and the fourth is an integer from 0
to 100
specifying the lightness.
A dark magenta, with full opacity
["hsl", 325, 100, 30]
A float from 0.0
to 1.0
may be added as a fifth element to control the opacity.
A bright teal, with 50% opacity
["hsl", 180, 100, 75, 0.5]
Derived Colors
It is also possible to derive colors from the current global color scheme. Colors in this format are specified using arrays with specific formats. In all cases, the first element is the base color, which may be "foreground"
, "background"
or "accent"
.
Change Opacity of Base Color
To change the opacity of a base color, specify an array of 2 elements, the first being the base color name and the second being a float from 0.0
to 1.0
. The opacity will be set to the float value.
The color scheme foreground, at 90% opacity
["foreground", 0.9]
De-saturate Base Color
To de-saturate a base color, specify an array with 3 elements. The first is the name of the base color, the second is the string "grayscale"
, and the third is an integer from 0
to 100
which specifies what percentage of the saturation (in HSL color space) of the existing color should be retained. A value of 100
means no change, whereas a value of 0
would cause the color to be completely desaturated.
The color scheme foreground, with the saturation adjusted to 1/4 of the original value.
["foreground", "grayscale", 25]
Tint Base Color
5 and 6-element derived colors allow blending a color into the base color. A 5-element colors uses an RGBA color, whereas a 6-element uses an HSLA. In both cases, the last element, which normally represents the opacity, controls how much of the secondary color is blended into the base.
The color scheme background, lightened with white
["background", 255, 255, 255, 0.1]
The color scheme accent, tinted with dark red
["accent", "hsl", 0, 100, 30, 0.2]
Colors derived from the color scheme will always be based on the global color scheme, and will not reflect view-specific color schemes. Certain view-specific controls in the UI have tinting properties that allow using the view-specific color scheme colors.
Font Sizes
Font sizes may be specified in the formats:
Numeric
An integer or float to specify the size of the font in pixels.
Examples: 12
, 13.5
.
CSS Format 4050
A string of a px
or rem
CSS font size.
Examples: 12px
, 1.2rem
The rem
size is based on the global setting font_size for most elements. Elements that use a different root font size will specify in the description.
Attributes
Attributes are specified as an array of strings. Each string is an attribute name. To check for the absence of an attribute, prepend a !
to the name.
The following attributes are common to all elements:
- hover
-
set whenever the user's mouse is hovered over an element
Luminosity
Although not available on all elements, many have attributes set based on the approximate luminosity of the current color scheme. Most elements have the attributes set based on the global color scheme. Tabs and the tab background, however, have the attributes based on the color scheme specific to the selected view.
The attributes are assigned based on the V
value of the background color, when represented as HSV colors.
- file_light
-
V
from0.60
-1.00
- file_medium
-
V
from0.30
-0.59
- file_medium_dark
-
V
from0.10
-0.29
- file_dark
-
V
from0.00
-0.09
Settings
Certain Sublime Text settings are design to influence the UI. Themes should respect these settings and change elements based on them.
- overlay_scroll_bars
-
this should affect the style of the scroll bars – generally they should be semi-transparent and the overlay property of the scroll_area_control should be set to
true
- always_show_minimap_viewport
-
if the current viewport area should be highlighted on the minimap even when the user is not hovering over the minimap.
- bold_folder_labels
-
if folder names in the side bar should have the font.bold property set to
true
. - mouse_wheel_switches_tabs
-
this is used to control mouse wheel behavior of tabs on Linux. It should be combined with checking for
!enable_tab_scrolling
to change the mouse_wheel_switch property of the tabset_control tofalse
. - highlight_modified_tabs
-
if the tabs of modified files should be highlighted. This setting should be checked in addition to the dirty attribute.
- show_tab_close_buttons
-
if tabs should have close buttons
- inactive_sheet_dimming 4095
-
if sheets other than the one with the attribute highlighted should be visually de-emphasized using background_modifier
Properties
The "rules" key of a .sublime-theme file is a JSON array of of objects describing how UI elements should be styled. Every element in the UI supports the following keys:
- layer0.*
-
the bottom-most texture layer for the element
- layer1.*
-
the second texture layer for the element
- layer2.*
-
the third texture layer for the element
- layer3.*
-
the fourth texture layer for the element
- hit_test_level
-
a float value setting the required opacity of a pixel for a click to be considering a "hit"
Layer Properties
Every element in the UI supports up to four texture layers for displaying fill colors and raster graphics. Each layer has dotted sub-keys in the format layer#.sub-key. Valid sub-keys include:
- layer#.opacity
-
a float value from
0.0
to1.0
that controls the master opacity of the layer.Example:0.9
- layer#.tint
-
a color value of a fill color to apply to the layer.
Example:[255, 0, 0, 127]
- layer#.texture
-
a string of the file path to a PNG image, relative to the Packages/ folder.
Example:"Theme - Default/arrow_right.png"
- layer#.inner_margin
-
texture images are stretched to fit the element by slicing into a grid of 9 using four lines. See padding & margins for valid formats with which to specify the margin used to make the slices.
Example:[5, 2, 5, 2]
- layer#.draw_center
-
a boolean that controls if the center rectangle of the 9-grid created via layer#.inner_margin should be drawn. This is an optimization that allows skipping an unused section of texture.
Example:false
- layer#.repeat
-
a boolean that controls if the texture should be repeated instead of stretched.
Example:false
Value Animation
Properties specified by floats may be animated over time. Instead of providing a single numeric value, the animation is specified with an object including details of the animation. Value animation is primarily useful for changing opacity over time. The object keys are:
- target
-
a float value from
0.0
to1.0
that controls the destination valueExample:1.0
- speed
-
a float value of
1.0
or greater that controls the relative length of time the animation takesExample:1.5
- interpolation
-
an optional string that allow specifying the use of smoothstep function instead of the default linear function.
Default:"linear"
Example:"smoothstep"
Texture Animation
The layer#.texture sub-key may be an object to specify an animation based on two or more PNG images. The object keys are:
- keyframes
-
an array of strings of the paths to PNG images, in order
Example:["Theme - Default/spinner.png", "Theme - Default/spinner1.png"]
- loop
-
an optional boolean that controls if the animation should repeat
Default:false
Example:true
- frame_time
-
an optional float specifying how long each frame should be displayed.
1.0
represents 1 second.Default:0.0333
(30 fps)
Example:0.0166
(60 fps)
Texture Tinting Properties
Certain elements have an available tint value set by the background of current color scheme. The tint can be modified and applied to a layer#.texture image.
- tint_index
-
Controls which layer the tint is applied to. Must be an integer from
0
to3
. - tint_modifier
-
An array of four integers in the range
0
to255
. The first three are blended into the RGB values from the tint color with the fourth value specifying how much of these RGB modifier values to apply.
Font Properties
Certain textual elements allow setting the following font properties:
- font.face
-
the name of the font face
- font.size
-
the font size
- font.bold
-
a boolean, if the font should be bold
- font.italic
-
a boolean, if the font should be italic
- color
-
a color value to use for the text - the fg property is an alias for this for backwards compatibility
- shadow_color
-
a color value to use for the text shadow
- shadow_offset
-
a 2-element array containing the X and Y offsets of the shadow
- opacity 4073
-
a float from
0.0
to1.0
that is multiplied against the opacity of the color and shadow_color properties
Filter Label Properties
Labels used in the quick panel have color control based on selection and matching
- fg
-
a color value for unselected, unmatched text
- match_fg
-
a color value for unselected, matched text
- bg
-
a color value for the background of an unselected row
- selected_fg
-
a color value for selected, unmatched text
- selected_match_fg
-
a color value for selected, matched text
- bg
-
a color value for the background of a selected row
- font.face
-
the name of the font face
- font.size
-
the font size
Data Table Properties
Row-based tables of data provide the following properties:
- dark_content
-
if the background is dark – used to set the dark attribute for scrollbars
- row_padding
-
padding added to each row, in one of the formats described in padding & margins
Styled Label Properties
Certain labels allow for additional control over their appearance. They support the properties:
- border_color
-
a color value for the border of the label
- background_color
-
a color value for the background of the label
Elements
The following is an exhaustive list of the elements that comprise the Sublime Text UI, along with supported attributes and properties.
- Windows
- Side Bar
- Tabs
- Quick Panel
- Views
- Auto Complete
- Panels
- Status Bar
- Dialogs
- Scroll Bars
- Inputs
- Buttons
- Labels
- Tool Tips
Windows
- title_bar
-
Attributes
luminosity attributesProperties
- fg
-
a color value to use for the window title text – Mac 10.10 or newer only
- bg
-
a color value to use for the title bar background – Mac 10.10 or newer only
- style 4050
-
the OS style to use for the title bar -
"system"
,"dark"
(Mac/Linux only) or"light"
(Mac only).Default:"system"
- window
-
This element can not be styled directly, however it can be used in a "parents" key. The luminosity attributes are set based on the global color scheme.
Attributes
luminosity attributesProperties
none - edit_window
-
This element contains the main editor window, and is intended for use in a "parents" key.
Properties
none - switch_project_window
-
This element contains the Switch Project window, and is intended for use in a "parents" key.
Properties
none
Side Bar
- sidebar_container
-
The primary sidebar container that handles scrolling
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the sidebar_tree
- sidebar_tree
-
A tree control containing multiple tree_rows
Properties
data table properties- indent
-
an integer amount to indent each level of the tree structure
- indent_offset
-
an additional indent applied to every row, for the sake of positioning disclosure_button_control and close_button
- indent_top_level
-
a boolean if top-level rows in the tree should be indented
- spacer_rows
-
a boolean controlling if a blank row should be added between the Open Files and Folders sections of the sidebar, when both are visible.
- tree_row
-
A row may contain a header, open file, folder or file
Attributes
- selectable
-
when a row is selectable
- selected
-
when an selectable row is selected
- expandable
-
when a row is expandable
- expanded
-
when an expandable row is expanded
- sidebar_heading
-
One of the "Open Files", "Group #" or "Folders" headings in the sidebar
Properties
font properties- case 3179
-
the case modification to use for the heading -
"upper"
,"lower"
or"title"
.Default:"upper"
- file_system_entry 3181
-
The container holding information about a file or folder in the sidebar. Contains different controls based on which section of the sidebar it is within.
Within the Open Files section, this control will contain a sidebar_label with the file name, plus possibly a vcs_status_badge.
Within the Folders section, this control will contain a folder or file icon (either icon_folder, icon_folder_loading, icon_folder_dup or icon_file_type), a sidebar_label with the file or folder name, plus possibly a vcs_status_badge.
Attributes
- ignored
-
Files: when a file is ignored
Folders: when the entire folder is ignored - untracked
-
Files: when a file is new or not recognized
Folders: when a folder contains one or more untracked files - modified
-
Files: when a file has been changed on disk
Folders: when a folder contains one or more modified files - missing
-
Folders: when one or more of a folder‘s files is no longer on disk
- added
-
Files: when a new file has been newly added to the index
Folders: when a folder contains one or more added files - staged
-
Files: when a modified file has been added to the index
Folders: when a folder contains one or more staged files - deleted
-
Folders: when one or more of a folder‘s files has been added to the index for removal
- unmerged
-
Files: when a file is in a conflict state and needs to be resolved
Folders: when a folder contains one or more unmerged files
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the contained controls
- spacing
-
an integer number of pixels between each contained control
- sidebar_label
-
Names of open files, folder names and filenames
Properties
font properties - close_button
-
A button to the left of each file in the Open Files section
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- disclosure_button_control
-
An expand/collapse icon present in all tree_rows that can be expanded
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_folder
-
Used for a folder once the contents have been fully enumerated
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_folder_loading
-
Used for a folder while the contents are being enumerated
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_folder_dup
-
Used for a folder that has been scanned previously in the sidebar. This is necessary to prevent a possibly infinite list of files due to recursive symlinks.
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_file_type
-
The icon for a file. The layer0.texture should not be set since it is determined dynamically based on the icon setting provided by .tmPreferences files.
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- vcs_status_badge 3181
-
An icon contained within file_system_entry that is used to display the status of a file or folder with regards to a Git repository it is contained in. This icon will only be shown if the setting show_git_status is
true
, the file is contained within a Git repository, and the file has some sort of special state within the repository. A file that is not shown viagit status
and is not ignored via a .gitignore rule will have no icon.Attributes
- ignored
-
Files: when a file is ignored
Folders: when the entire folder is ignored - untracked
-
Files: when a file is new or not recognized
Folders: when a folder contains one or more untracked files - modified
-
Files: when a file has been changed on disk
Folders: when a folder contains one or more modified files - missing
- Folders: when one or more of a folder‘s files is no longer on disk
- added
-
Files: when a new file has been newly added to the index
Folders: when a folder contains one or more added files - staged
-
Files: when a modified file has been added to the index
Folders: when a folder contains one or more staged files - deleted
- Folders: when one or more of a folder‘s files has been added to the index for removal
- unmerged
-
Files: when a file is in a conflict state and needs to be resolved
Folders: when a folder contains one or more unmerged files
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
Tabs
- tabset_control
-
Attributes
luminosity attributesProperties
texture tinting properties- content_margin
-
the margin around the tab_controls
- tab_overlap
-
how many DIPs the tabs should overlap
- tab_width
-
default tab width when space is available
- tab_min_width
-
the minimum tab width before tab scrolling occurs
- tab_height
-
the height of the tabs in DIPs
- mouse_wheel_switch
-
if the mouse wheel should switch tabs – this should only be set to
true
if the setting enable_tab_scrolling is false
- tab_control
-
Attributes
luminosity attributes- dirty
-
when the associated view has unsaved changed
- selected
-
when the associated view is the active view in its group
- transient
-
when the associate view is a preview and not fully opened
- highlighted 4050
-
when the tab is for the sheet with input focus
- left 4095
-
when the tab is the left-most tab in the tabset
- right 4095
-
when the tab is the right-most tab in the tabset
- multiple 4095
-
when the tab is part of a sheet multi-selection
- left_of_selected 4095
-
when the tab is to the left of a selected tab
- left_of_hover 4095
-
when the tab is to the left of a hovered tab
- right_of_selected 4095
-
when the tab is to the right of a selected tab
- right_of_hover 4095
-
when the tab is to the right of a hovered tab
- left_overhang 4095
-
when the tab is overhanging to the left of its sheet, which can occur during sheet multi-selection
- right_overhang 4095
-
when the tab is overhanging to the right of its sheet, which can occur during sheet multi-selection
Properties
texture tinting properties- content_margin
-
the margin around the tab_label
- max_margin_trim
-
how much of the left and right content_margin may be removed when tab space is extremely limited
- accent_tint_index
-
Controls which layer the accent tint is applied to. Must be an integer from
0
to3
. The accent color is specified by the color scheme. - accent_tint_modifier
-
An array of four integers in the range
0
to255
. The first three are blended into the RGB values from the accent tint color with the fourth value specifying how much of these RGB modifier values to apply.
- tab_label
-
Attributes
- transient
-
when the associate view is a preview and not fully opened
Properties
font properties - tab_close_button
-
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- accent_tint_index
-
Controls which layer the accent tint is applied to. Must be an integer from
0
to3
. The accent color is specified by the color scheme. - accent_tint_modifier
-
An array of four integers in the range
0
to255
. The first three are blended into the RGB values from the accent tint color with the fourth value specifying how much of these RGB modifier values to apply.
- scroll_tabs_left_button
-
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- scroll_tabs_right_button
-
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- show_tabs_dropdown_button
-
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- tab_connector 4095
-
Attributes
- left_overhang 4095
-
when the tab is overhanging to the left of its sheet, which can occur during sheet multi-selection
- right_overhang 4095
-
when the tab is overhanging to the right of its sheet, which can occur during sheet multi-selection
Properties
texture tinting properties
Quick Panel
The quick panel is used for the various Goto functionality, the command palette and is available for use by plugins.
- overlay_control
-
The container for the quick panel, including the input and data table
Specializations 4050
To allow for targeting the overlay_control when the quick panel is being used for specific functionality, the following multi-class selectors are available:
- overlay_control goto_file
-
The Goto File quick panel
- overlay_control goto_symbol
-
The Goto Symbol quick panel
- overlay_control goto_symbol_in_project
-
The Goto Symbol in Project quick panel
- overlay_control goto_line
-
The Goto Line quick panel
- overlay_control goto_word
-
The Goto Anything quick panel, filtering by word
- overlay_control command_palette
-
The Command Palette
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the quick_panel
- quick_panel
-
The data table displayed below the input. Normally the height is dynamic so the layers will not be visible, however the Switch Project window will use layers for the blank space below the filtered options.
Properties
data table properties - mini_quick_panel_row
-
A non-file row in quick_panel. Contains one quick_panel_label for each line of text in the row.
Attributes
- selected
-
when the row is selected
- quick_panel_row
-
A Goto Anything file row in quick_panel. Also used in the Switch Project window.
Contains quick_panel_label with the filename, and quick_panel_path_label for the file path.
Attributes
- selected
-
when the row is selected
- quick_panel_entry 4050
-
A spacing-only container to control the spacing between
quick_panel_label
andquick_panel_path_label
controls when a row has one or more detail linesProperties
- spacing
-
an integer number of pixels between each line of text
- kind_container 4050
-
A container shown to the left of the symbols in the Goto Symbol and Goto Symbol in Project quick panels. It contains the kind_label and is used to indicate the kind of the symbol.
This element is also used in auto_complete to show the kind of the item being inserted. A "parents" key should be used to distinguish the two uses.
Specializations
The element kind_container is always paired with a second class name indicating the general category the kind belongs to. The categories for usage in the quick panel are as follows:
- kind_container kind_ambiguous
-
When the kind of the item is unknown – no color
- kind_container kind_keyword
-
When the item is a keyword – typically pink
- kind_container kind_type
-
When the item is a data type, class, struct, interface, enum, trait, etc – typically purple
- kind_container kind_function
-
When the item is a function, method, constructor or subroutine – typically red
- kind_container kind_namespace
-
When the item is a namespace or module – typically blue
- kind_container kind_navigation
-
When the item is a definition, label or section – typically yellow
- kind_container kind_markup
-
When the item is a markup component, including HTML tags and CSS selectors – typically orange
- kind_container kind_variable
-
When the item is a variable, member, attribute, constant or parameter – typically cyan
- kind_container kind_snippet
-
When the item is a snippet – typically green
- kind_container kind_color_redish
-
When the plugin author wants to display red
- kind_container kind_color_orangish
-
When the plugin author wants to display orange
- kind_container kind_color_yellowish
-
When the plugin author wants to display yellow
- kind_container kind_color_greenish
-
When the plugin author wants to display green
- kind_container kind_color_cyanish
-
When the plugin author wants to display cyan
- kind_container kind_color_bluish
-
When the plugin author wants to display blue
- kind_container kind_color_purplish
-
When the plugin author wants to display puple
- kind_container kind_color_pinkish
-
When the plugin author wants to display pink
- kind_container kind_color_dark
-
When the plugin author wants to display a dark background
- kind_container kind_color_light
-
When the plugin author wants to display a light background
Properties
- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the kind_label
- kind_label 4050
-
A label showing a single unicode character, contained within the kind_container
This element is also used in auto_complete to show the kind of the item being inserted. A "parents" key should be used to distinguish the two uses.
Properties
font properties - symbol_container 4050
-
A container around the quick_panel_label when showing the Goto Symbol or Goto Symbol in Project symbol lists
Properties
- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the quick_panel_label
- quick_panel_label
-
Filenames in quick_panel_row and all text in mini_quick_panel_row
Properties
filter label properties - quick_panel_path_label
-
File paths in quick_panel_row
Properties
filter label properties - quick_panel_label key_binding 4073
-
Key bindings show to the right-hand side of quick_panel_row
Properties
filter label properties - quick_panel_label hint 4073
-
Annotations show to the right-hand side of quick_panel_row
Properties
filter label properties - quick_panel_detail_label 4083
-
Detail rows in quick_panel_row
Properties
- color
-
a color value to use for the text
- link_color
-
a color value to use for links
- monospace_color
-
a color value to use for monospace text
- monospace_background_color
-
a color value to use for the background of monospace text
Sheets
- sheet_contents 4095
-
A sheet can have text, image or HTML contents
Attributes
luminosity attributes- highlighted 4095
-
when the sheet has input focus
Properties
- background_modifier
-
A string with a space-separated list of adjusters that are supported by the minihtml
color()
mod function. Used for implementing inactive sheet dimming.
Views
- text_area_control
-
This element can not be styled directly since that is controlled by the color scheme, however it can be used in a "parents" key.
Attributes
luminosity attributesProperties
none - grid_layout_control
-
The borders displayed between views when multiple groups are visible
Properties
no layer support- border_color
-
a color value to use for the border
- border_size
-
an integer of the border size in DIPs
- minimap_control
-
Control over the display of the viewport projection on the minimap
Properties
no layer support- viewport_color
-
a color value to fill the viewport projection with
- viewport_opacity
-
a float from
0.0
to1.0
specifying the opacity of the viewport projection
- fold_button_control
-
Code folding buttons in the gutter
Attributes
- expanded
-
when a section of code is unfolded
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- popup_shadow 4075
-
A wrapper around popup windows that allows controlling the shadow via
- popup_control html_popup
-
The primary container for the HTML popups used by Show Definitions and third-party packages. The tint of the scroll bar will be set to the background color of the HTML document.
- popup_control annotation_popup 4050
-
The primary container for the annotations added to the right-hand side of the editor pane by build systems and third-party packages.
- annotation_close_button 4050
-
The close button shown at the left edge of annotation_popup.
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
Auto Complete
- popup_control auto_complete_popup
-
The primary container for the auto complete popup
- auto_complete
-
The data table for completion data. The tint is set based on the background color of the color scheme applied to the view the popup is displayed in.
Properties
data table properties texture tinting properties - table_row
-
A row in auto_complete
Attributes
- selected
-
when the user has highlighted a completion
- kind_container 4050
-
A container shown to the left of an auto complete item, which contains the kind_label and is used to indicate the kind of the item
This element is also used in the quick_panel for Goto Symbol and Goto Symbol in Project. A "parents" key should be used to distinguish the two uses.
Specializations
The element kind_container is always paired with a second class name indicating the general category the kind belongs to. The categories for usage in the auto complete window are as follows:
- kind_container kind_ambiguous
-
When the kind of the item is unknown – no color
- kind_container kind_keyword
-
When the item is a keyword – typically pink
- kind_container kind_type
-
When the item is a data type, class, struct, interface, enum, trait, etc – typically purple
- kind_container kind_function
-
When the item is a function, method, constructor or subroutine – typically red
- kind_container kind_namespace
-
When the item is a namespace or module – typically blue
- kind_container kind_navigation
-
When the item is a definition, label or section – typically yellow
- kind_container kind_markup
-
When the item is a markup component, including HTML tags and CSS selectors – typically orange
- kind_container kind_variable
-
When the item is a variable, member, attribute, constant or parameter – typically cyan
- kind_container kind_snippet
-
When the item is a snippet – typically green
Properties
- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the kind_label
- kind_label 4050
-
A label showing a single unicode character, contained within the kind_container
This element is also used in the quick_panel for Goto Symbol and Goto Symbol in Project. A parents key should be used to distinguish the two uses.
Properties
font propertiesThe
rem
root font size is based on the font size of the editor control the auto complete window is being shown for. - trigger_container 4050
-
A container around the auto_complete_label
Properties
- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the auto_complete_label
- auto_complete_label
-
Text in a table_row
Properties
filter label properties- fg_blend
-
a boolean controlling if the fg, match_fg, selected_fg, and selected_match_fg values should be blended onto the foreground color from the color scheme of the current view
- auto_complete_label auto_complete_hint 4073
-
The "annotation" hint displayed at the right-hand-side of a table_row
Properties
font propertiesThe
rem
root font size is based on the font size of the editor control the auto complete window is being shown for.- fg_blend
-
a boolean controlling if the color value should be blended onto the foreground color from the color scheme of the current view
- auto_complete_detail_pane 4050
-
A detail pane displayed below the list of auto complete items, containing the auto_complete_info spacer, with auto_complete_kind_name_label and auto_complete_details inside
Properties
- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the child controls
- auto_complete_info 4050
-
Provides spacing between auto_complete_kind_name_label and auto_complete_details
Properties
- spacing
-
an integer number of pixels between each contained control
- auto_complete_kind_name_label 4050
-
A label used to display the name of the auto complete kind
Properties
font propertiesThe
styled label propertiesrem
root font size is based on the font size of the editor control the auto complete window is being shown for. - auto_complete_details 4050
-
A single-line HTML control used to display the details of the auto complete item
Properties
- font.face
-
the name of the font face
- font.size
-
the font size - the
rem
root font size is based on the font size of the editor control the auto complete window is being shown for - color
-
a color value to use for the text
- link_color
-
a color value to use for links
- monospace_color
-
a color value to use for monospace text
- monospace_background_color
-
a color value to use for the background of monospace text
Panels
- panel_control find_panel
-
The container for the Find and Incremental Find panels.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_control replace_panel
-
The container for the Replace panel.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_control find_in_files_panel
-
The container for the Find in Files panel.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_control input_panel
-
The container for the input panel, which is available via the API and used for things like file renaming.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_control console_panel
-
The container for the Console.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_control output_panel
-
The container for the output panel, which is available via the API and used for build results.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_control switch_project_panel
-
The container for the input in the Switch Project window.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the panel contents
- panel_grid_control
-
The layout grid used to position inputs on the various panels.
Properties
no layer support- inside_spacing
-
an integer padding to place between each cell of the grid
- outside_vspacing
-
an integer padding to place above and below the grid
- outside_hspacing
-
an integer padding to place to the left and right of the grid
- panel_close_button
-
The button to close the open panel
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
Status Bar
- status_bar
-
Attributes
- panel_visible
-
when a panel is displayed above the status bar
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the sidebar_button_control, status_container and status_buttonss
- panel_button_control <4050
-
The panel switcher button on the left side of the status bar
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- sidebar_button_control 4050
-
The sidebar/panel switcher button on the left side of the status bar
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- status_container
-
The area that contains the current status message
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the status message
- status_button
-
The status buttons that display, and allow changing, the indentation, syntax, encoding and line endings
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- min_size
-
an array of two integers specifying the minimum width and height of a button, in DIPs
- vcs_status 3181
-
The container holding the vcs_branch_icon, label_control with the current branch name, and vcs_changes_annotation control
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the contained controls
- spacing
-
an integer number of pixels between each contained control
- vcs_branch_icon 3181
-
An icon shown to the left of the current branch name
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- vcs_changes_annotation 3181
-
Displays the number of files that have been added, modified or deleted
Properties
font properties styled label properties
Dialogs
- dialog
-
The Indexer Status and Update windows both use this class for the window background
- progress_bar_control
-
The progress bar container. The progress bar is displayed in the Update window used for updates on Mac and Windows.
- progress_gauge_control
-
The bar representing the progress completed so far
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin specifies the height of the bar
Scroll Bars
- scroll_area_control
-
The scroll area contains the element being scrolled, along with the bar, track and puck.
Attributes
- scrollable 3186
- when the control can be scrolled vertically
- hscrollable 3186
- when the control can be scrolled horizontally
Properties
- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the content being scrolled
- overlay
-
sets the scroll bars to be rendered on top of the content
- left_shadow
-
a color value to use when drawing a shadow to indicate the area can be scrolled to the left
- left_shadow_size
-
an integer of the width of the shadow to draw when the area can be scrolled to the left
- top_shadow
-
a color value to use when drawing a shadow to indicate the area can be scrolled to the top
- top_shadow_size
-
an integer of the height of the shadow to draw when the area can be scrolled to the top
- right_shadow
-
a color value to use when drawing a shadow to indicate the area can be scrolled to the right
- right_shadow_size
-
an integer of the width of the shadow to draw when the area can be scrolled to the right
- bottom_shadow
-
a color value to use when drawing a shadow to indicate the area can be scrolled to the bottom
- bottom_shadow_size
-
an integer of the height of the shadow to draw when the area can be scrolled to the bottom
- scroll_bar_control
-
The scroll bar contains the scroll track. The tint is set based on the background color of the element being scrolled.
Attributes
- dark
-
when the scroll area content is dark, necessitating a light scroll bar
- horizontal
-
when the scroll bar should be horizontal instead of vertical
Properties
texture tinting properties- content_margin
-
a margin that is added around the scroll track
- scroll_track_control
-
The track that the puck runs along. The tint is set based on the background color of the element being scrolled.
Attributes
- dark
-
when the scroll area content is dark, necessitating a light scroll bar
- horizontal
-
when the scroll bar should be horizontal instead of vertical
Properties
texture tinting properties - scroll_corner_control
-
The dead space in the bottom right of a scroll_area_control when both the vertical and horizontal scroll bars are being shown.
Attributes
- dark
-
when the scroll area content is dark, necessitating a light scroll bar
Properties
texture tinting properties - puck_control
-
The scroll puck, or handle. The tint is set based on the background color of the element being scrolled.
Attributes
- dark
-
when the scroll area content is dark, necessitating a light scroll bar
- horizontal
-
when the scroll bar should be horizontal instead of vertical
Properties
texture tinting properties
Inputs
- text_line_control
-
The text input used by the Quick Panel, Find, Replace, Find in Files and Input panels.
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the text
- color_scheme_tint
-
a color value to use to tint the background of the color scheme
- color_scheme_tint_2
-
a color value to use to add a secondary tint to the background of the color scheme
- dropdown_button_control
-
The button to close the open panel
Properties
- content_margin
-
for buttons, the margin specifies the dimensions
Buttons
- button_control
-
Text buttons
Attributes
- pressed
-
set when a button is pressed down
Properties
- min_size
-
an array of two integers specifying the minimum width and height of a button, in DIPs
- icon_button_group
-
A grid controlling the spacing of related icon buttons
Properties
no layer support- spacing
-
an integer number of pixels between each button in the group
- icon_button_control
-
Small icon-based buttons in the Find, Find in Files, and Replace panels
Attributes
- selected
-
when an icon button is toggled on
- left
-
when the button is the left-most button in a group
- right
-
when the button is the right-most button in a group
- icon_regex
-
The button to enable regex mode in the Find, Find in Files and Replace panels
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_case
-
The button to enable case-sensitive mode in the Find, Find in Files and Replace panels
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_whole_word
-
The button to enable whole-word mode in the Find, Find in Files and Replace panels
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_wrap
-
The button to enable search wrapping when using the Find and Replace panels
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_in_selection
-
The button to only search in the selection when using the Find and Replace panels
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_highlight
-
The button to enable highlighting all matches in the Find and Replace panels
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_preserve_case
-
The button to enable preserve-case mode when using the Replace panel
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_context
-
The button to show context around matches when using the Find in Files panel
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_use_buffer
-
The button to display results in a buffer, instead of an output panel, when using the Find in Files panel
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
- icon_use_gitignore 4073
-
The button to toggle using .gitignore to filter files in the Find in Files panel
Properties
- content_margin
-
for icons, the margin specifies the dimensions
Labels
- label_control
-
Labels are shown in the Find, Replace, Find in File and Input panels. Additionally, labels are used in the Update window, on textual buttons and for the text in the status_container.
Targeting specific labels can be accomplished by using the "parents" key.
Properties
font properties - title_label_control
-
The title label is used in the About window.
Properties
font properties
Tool Tips
- tool_tip_control
-
Tool tips shown when hovering over tabs and buttons
Properties
- content_margin
-
the margin around the tool tip text
- tool_tip_label_control
-
Text shown in a tool tip
Properties
font properties
Deprecated
Color Values
Before build 3127, the only way to specify opacity in colors was
by using a 4-element array containing all integers from 0
to 255
. The fourth element controlled the opacity,
such that 0
was fully transparent and 255
was fully opaque. The preferred format is now to use a float from
0.0
to 1.0
.
Obsolete
As the UI of Sublime Text has adapted over time, certain elements and properties are no longer applicable or supported.
Elements
The panel_button_control element was removed from the status bar and replaced by sidebar_button_control. 4050
The sheet_container_control element is never visible to users in recent versions of Sublime Text.
An element named icon_reverse used to exist in the find panel to control if searching would move forward or backwards in the view. This is now controlled by the Find and Find Prev buttons.
The element named quick_panel_score_label is no longer present in the Goto Anything quick panel.
Properties
The blur property used to be supported to blur the pixel data behind an element, however it is not currently supported for implementation reasons.
Customization
Users can customize a theme by creating a file with new rules that will be appended to the original theme definition.
To create a user-specific customization of a theme, create a new file with the same filename as the theme, but save it in the Packages/User/ directory.
For example, to customize the Default theme, create a file named Packages/User/Default.sublime-theme. Adding the following rules to that file will increase the size of the text in the sidebar.
[
{
"class": "sidebar_heading",
"font.size": 15,
},
{
"class": "sidebar_label",
"font.size": 14
}
]