Emacs: spacious-padding version 0.3.0

This package provides a global minor mode to increase the spacing/padding of Emacs windows and frames. The idea is to make editing and reading feel more comfortable.

Package name (GNU ELPA): spacious-padding
Official manual: https://protesilaos.com/emacs/spacious-padding
Change log: https://protesilaos.com/emacs/spacious-padding
Git repo on SourceHut: https://git.sr.ht/~protesilaos/spacious-padding
- Mirrors:
  - GitHub: https://github.com/protesilaos/spacious-padding
  - GitLab: https://gitlab.com/protesilaos/spacious-padding
Mailing list: https://lists.sr.ht/~protesilaos/general-issues
Sample images:
- https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2023-06-03-emacs-spacious-padding/
- https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2023-11-15-spacious-padding-extra-ui-dev/
Backronyms: Space Perception Adjusted Consistently Impacts Overall Usability State … padding; Spacious … Precise Adjustments to Desktop Divider Internals Neatly Generated.

Release notes below.

Version 0.3.0 on 2023-12-21

Enjoy the optional subtle mode lines

The new user option ~spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line makes mode lines more subtle. It does so by removing the background and adding an overline in its stead.

By default, spacious-padding-mode does not refashion the mode lines other than adding to them some extra padding (per spacious-padding-widths). The user option spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line does change the mode lines so that instead of a background they only have an overline, while preserving whatever padding is in effect.

The value bound to spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line is either a boolean type or a plist. If it is non-nil, use the foreground of the underlying mode line face to derive the color of the overline.

If the non-nil value is a plist read the following keys to determine the exact style of the overlines.

:mode-line-active refers to the active/current mode line.
:mode-line-inactive refers to the inactive/non-current mode lines.

Each key accepts either a face or a string representing a color as its associated value:

The face is an unquoted symbol, such as success or shadow, whose :foreground attribute is queried to extract the desired color value.
The color is a name among those listed in the output of the command list-colors-display or a hexadecimal RGB value, such as #123456.

If the key is missing or its value is not one of the above, fall back to reading the foreground of the underlying mode line face to determine the color of the overline.

Examples of valid configurations:

;; Use the foreground of the underlying mode line face to determine
;; the color of the overline (e.g. the inactive mode line has gray
;; text, so render the overline in the same gray).
(setq spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line t)

;; Use the foreground of the `error' face (typically a red hue) for
;; the active mode line's overline.  For the inactive mode line, fall
;; back to the foreground color of the underlying face (as in the case
;; of the t shown above).
(setq spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line
      '(:mode-line-active error))

;; As above, but now use the foreground of the `shadow' face for the
;; inactive mode line.
(setq spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line
      '(:mode-line-active error :mode-line-inactive shadow))

;; Use color values directly.
(setq spacious-padding-subtle-mode-line
      '(:mode-line-active "#0000ff" :mode-line-inactive "gray50"))

Expanded documentation

The spacious-padding package now comes with an Info manual. When looking at the source code, this is done in the README.org file, which the GNU ELPA machinery automatically converts to Info. A change log is also provided.

Their respective web links are these: