Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window?

JB1_DK — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 07:51:02 GMT

Hello,

I have done some experimenting with setting colors for viewtable, using the menu item Tools-Options-Colors. Not really satisfied yet and a hurdle for me with the whole SASCOLOR window is to understand which "Window element" to change when Viewtable is in focus (seems totally undocumented) and what the System Colors at the bottom do vs the 12 colors shown.

Any suggestions for a nice dark mode choice of of colors will be highly appreciated 😊

Thanks!

Re: Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window?

ballardw — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:29:01 GMT

It may depend on the SAS environment you are using.

I am pretty familiar with the ancient Display Manager window. In that the SYSTEM Color is when you want to use one of the system colors for a specific area. That means select the Window Element in the first list, such as Background or Border. You can either select the shown colors (dating back to VGA basically) OR set one of the System colors. If the SYSTEM color definition of Background, Foreground or Secondary Background are changed then all of the windows defined with the system colors would have the changed setting.

Which window element and what it means is documented in the section of online help "Using Base SAS Software in the Windowing Environment" in the topic "Changing SAS Windowing Environment Options"

into links.

Window Elements and Their Descriptions

Window Element

Description

Background

Specifies the background color for all primary windows that are displayed in a SAS session.

Secondary Background

Specifies the background color for all secondary windows that are displayed in a SAS session.

Border

Specifies the color and attribute for the border of a primary window.

Secondary Border

Specifies the color and attribute for the border of a secondary window.

Banner

Specifies the banner color and attribute within a window. The banner is the text that is used to signify the command line prompt 'Command==>'.

Command

Specifies the color and attribute of the command data entry field that is displayed when the PMENU bar is disabled.

Message

Specifies the color and attribute of the message line.

Error

Specifies the color and attribute of Error lines that are written to the SAS Log window or Output window.

Warning

Specifies the color and attribute of WARNING lines that are written to the SAS log.

Note

Specifies the color and attribute of Note lines that are written to the SAS log.

Foreground

Specifies the color and attribute for all text and text fields that you can edit that are defined within SAS windowing environment windows.

Label

Specifies the color and attribute for text that typically precedes a widget.

The default label that precedes a field in the FSEDIT procedure is an example of a label.

Row Label

Specifies the color and attribute for ROW information.

Informational Text

Specifies the color and attribute for text that is displayed in a primary or secondary window as an aid to the user.

'Press Enter to continue' is an example of informational text.

Column Label

Specifies the color and attribute for the text labels that are used for COLUMNAR information.

Primarily, this element is used to label the spreadsheet columns or column labels (for tabular-formed fields) of spreadsheet-oriented windows.

Help Main Topic

Specifies the color and attribute of the header that describes the general subject matter of a Help window.

Help Subtopic and Syntax

Specifies the color and attribute for the text that is displayed below the Help Main Topic header (when applicable) and the syntax.

The Help subtopic describes the specific subject matter of the Help window.

Help Link

Specifies the color and attribute that are displayed for a hyperlink word or phrase.

The hyperlink word or phrase that is selected displays detailed information about the topic that is referenced in the hyperlink.

Selected Area

Specifies the color and attribute of the area that is marked or selected for additional operations, such as find, cut, and copy.

Source

Specifies the color and attribute of SAS SOURCE lines that are written to the SAS log.

Data

Specifies the color and attribute of general lines that are written to the SAS log or Output window.

Footnote

Specifies the color and attribute information for FOOTNOTE lines that are written to the SAS Output window.

Title

Specifies the color and attribute information for TITLE lines that are written to the SAS Output window.

Header

Specifies the color and attribute information for HEADER lines that are written to the SAS Output window.

Byline

Specifies the color and attribute for BY lines that are written to the SAS Output window.

Window Elements and Their Descriptions
Window Element	Description
Background	Specifies the background color for all primary windows that are displayed in a SAS session.
Secondary Background	Specifies the background color for all secondary windows that are displayed in a SAS session.
Border	Specifies the color and attribute for the border of a primary window.
Secondary Border	Specifies the color and attribute for the border of a secondary window.
Banner	Specifies the banner color and attribute within a window. The banner is the text that is used to signify the command line prompt 'Command==>'.
Command	Specifies the color and attribute of the command data entry field that is displayed when the PMENU bar is disabled.
Message	Specifies the color and attribute of the message line.
Error	Specifies the color and attribute of Error lines that are written to the SAS Log window or Output window.
Warning	Specifies the color and attribute of WARNING lines that are written to the SAS log.
Note	Specifies the color and attribute of Note lines that are written to the SAS log.
Foreground	Specifies the color and attribute for all text and text fields that you can edit that are defined within SAS windowing environment windows.
Label	Specifies the color and attribute for text that typically precedes a widget. The default label that precedes a field in the FSEDIT procedure is an example of a label.
Row Label	Specifies the color and attribute for ROW information.
Informational Text	Specifies the color and attribute for text that is displayed in a primary or secondary window as an aid to the user. 'Press Enter to continue' is an example of informational text.
Column Label	Specifies the color and attribute for the text labels that are used for COLUMNAR information. Primarily, this element is used to label the spreadsheet columns or column labels (for tabular-formed fields) of spreadsheet-oriented windows.
Help Main Topic	Specifies the color and attribute of the header that describes the general subject matter of a Help window.
Help Subtopic and Syntax	Specifies the color and attribute for the text that is displayed below the Help Main Topic header (when applicable) and the syntax. The Help subtopic describes the specific subject matter of the Help window.
Help Link	Specifies the color and attribute that are displayed for a hyperlink word or phrase. The hyperlink word or phrase that is selected displays detailed information about the topic that is referenced in the hyperlink.
Selected Area	Specifies the color and attribute of the area that is marked or selected for additional operations, such as find, cut, and copy.
Source	Specifies the color and attribute of SAS SOURCE lines that are written to the SAS log.
Data	Specifies the color and attribute of general lines that are written to the SAS log or Output window.
Footnote	Specifies the color and attribute information for FOOTNOTE lines that are written to the SAS Output window.
Title	Specifies the color and attribute information for TITLE lines that are written to the SAS Output window.
Header	Specifies the color and attribute information for HEADER lines that are written to the SAS Output window.
Byline	Specifies the color and attribute for BY lines that are written to the SAS Output window.

Not all windows have all the options. So the list that appears for a specific window so is often shorter than the above list.

I would suggest looking in you SAS install for the source of the macros Dm608clr.sas and Dmcolors.

In my Windows install the folder is C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFoundation\9.4\core\sasmacro

These two macro show Display Manager syntax for setting some of the colors for some of the windows. Note that these files date back to about 1994 and you are likely not to have all of the windows in a recent install. The syntax is basically issue a DM command to open a window followed by several COLOR commands with the window element and the desired color and ends with a WSAVE command to keep the colors set persistent.

You may be able to have the window open and in the command box enter commands such as:

Color Background Pink

and press enter to execute the command and change the displayed color. However the color names available will be quite restricted.

Re: Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window?

JB1_DK — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:10:59 GMT

Thank you very much, that gave me a couple of pointers

topic Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window? in SAS Programming

Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window?

Re: Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window?

Re: Suggestions for "Dark mode" colors for Viewtable window?