[texshop] TeXShop 4.18 syntax coloring

[Bruno Voisin]

> On 2 Dec 2018, at 17:38, Stephen Moye <stephenmoye at mac.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Dec 2, 2018, at 11:14 AM, Richard Koch <koch at uoregon.edu> wrote:
>> 
>>> On Dec 2, 2018, at 5:44 AM, Stephen Moye <stephenmoye at mac.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The attached screenshot shows what looks like an issue. It would appear that opening delimiters are not colored when *not* followed by a '\'.
>> 
>> Did you turn the new spelling preferences ON? This could happen for them, and then I'd expect { to be syntax colored except when following one of the special commands whose parameters should not be spell checked.
> 
> Not sure I understand entirely. I turned off spell checking but the problem persists. I'm reverting to 4.15 for the present which is working. 

I think Dick is referring to the spell checking changes in TeXShop 4.18, explained in detail in the Changes document in TeXShop's help menu.

In short, if I understood correctly, TeXShop uses a new spell checking method such that TeX commands and comments are not checked even when Apple's standard spell checker is used; previously to achieve the same aim you needed to install and use CocoAspell.

So, as per Dick's analysis of your problem, you would need to uncheck the new three checkboxes in the new Spell Checking group inside TeXShop's Preferences > Source panel:

Do not check TeX commands
Do not check selected parameters
Do not check comments

This would revert TeXShop to its previous spell checking behavior, and maybe things would be back to normal. Says the Changes document:

"Note that cocoAspell uses more sophisticated methods and operates at the optimal moment when the system is actually checking spelling, rather than at an earlier syntax coloring moment. So if you use cocoAspell, you will want to turn all the "Spell Checking" preferences off."

Personally that's all I wanted to know: I don't feel like experimenting with new stuff while TeXing right now, so the possibility to switch off the new method and be back to the previous is paramount.

I'm not sure at all, but if I remember correctly, in one message recently Dick said, speaking of something else (maybe syntax coloring), that in introducing changes he forgot one basic principle -- when you change something, make the previous behavior the default -- and he would have avoided himself some trouble if he had stick with that rule.

Of course, there's one drawback with this rule: if you keep the old behavior the default, most users won't bother trying the new behavior.

Bruno