Your explanation sounds great, but I don't like the result. I find most 
colors to be bright and intense. IMHO they don't fit well together, and 
some of them blend into the white background.

Starting with Squeak 4.1 all releases were shipped with the subdued style 
table as default, which intentionally avoids bright colors, and strong 
emphasis.

Instead of replacing the default table - which is not really default 
anymore - you should add your own table (and make a preference to let 
users choose between them, but this is not as easy as it sounds).

Levente

On Fri, 3 Apr 2015, commits at source.squeak.org wrote:

> A new version of ShoutCore was added to project The Inbox:
> http://source.squeak.org/inbox/ShoutCore-cmm.44.mcz
>
> ==================== Summary ====================
>
> Name: ShoutCore-cmm.44
> Author: cmm
> Time: 3 April 2015, 5:49:33.369 pm
> UUID: 333bfec3-3a83-4de7-ae92-1ab3592f67a6
> Ancestors: ShoutCore-eem.43
>
> Proposal for update of the default Shout colors.
>
> - Bold black for Atomics (true, false, nil, self, super)
>    Rationale:  Bedrock.  Plus, easy to tell if a method is a "utility method" at a glance.
>
> - Regular black for Globals; the next level above the bedrock (where all coding starts from).
>
> - Green for Messages, because messages make the system go and green means go.  (Exception:  binary messages are black for aesthetics and to visually isolate the expressions either side of it).
>
> - Light gray for comments so they are unobtrusive to the code, yet still very present like the "help text" we're now seeing in the Search bar and ObjectExplorer.
>
> - Red for Literals, because hard-coding things is "bad" and red means stop.  :)  But red actually makes it easy to spot literals in any method.
>
> - Brick (brown) for Method and block arguments because they cannot be stored into and bricks are solid and hard.
>
> - Aqua blue for temp vars because they're malleable like water; e.g., they CAN be stored into.
>
> - Gold for inst vars.  Gold because they are the "resources" the object has available send messages to.
>
> - Magenta for undefined's and bad syntax because such a thing should be bright and noticeable.  It's also ugly therefore the most appropriate color to represent problems.  :)
>
> =============== Diff against ShoutCore-eem.43 ===============
>
> Item was changed:
>  ----- Method: SHTextStylerST80 class>>defaultStyleTable (in category 'style table') -----
>  defaultStyleTable
>  	"color can be a valid argument to Color class>>colorFrom: , or nil to
>  	use the editor text color.
>  	Multiple emphases can be specified using an array e.g. #(bold italic).
>  	If emphasis is not specified, #normal will be used.
>  	if pixel height is not specified , then the editor font size will be used.
>  	"
>
>  ^#(
>  	"(symbol	color		[emphasisSymbolOrArray		[textStyleName [pixelHeight]]])"
>  	(default 								black 		)
> + 	(invalid 								(magenta twiceDarker) 			)
> + 	(excessCode 								(magenta twiceDarker) 			)
> + 	(comment 								(gray)   italic)
> + 	(unfinishedComment 					(gray)	italic)
> + 	(#'$'									(black) 	)
> + 	(character								(red twiceDarker ) 	)
> + 	(integer									(red twiceDarker ) 	)
> + 	(number								(red twiceDarker ) 	)
> + 	(#-										(black) 	)
> + 	(symbol									(black )	)
> + 	(stringSymbol							(black )		)
> + 	(literalArray								(black )			)
> + 	(string									(red twiceDarker)	normal		)
> - 	(invalid 								red 			)
> - 	(excessCode 								red 			)
> - 	(comment 								(green muchDarker) 		italic)
> - 	(unfinishedComment 					(red muchDarker) 	italic)
> - 	(#'$'									(red muchDarker) 	)
> - 	(character								(red muchDarker) 	)
> - 	(integer									(red muchDarker) 	)
> - 	(number								(red muchDarker) 	)
> - 	(#-										(red muchDarker) 	)
> - 	(symbol									(blue muchDarker)			bold)
> - 	(stringSymbol							(blue muchDarker)			bold)
> - 	(literalArray							(blue muchDarker)			bold)
> - 	(string									(magenta muchDarker)	normal)
>  	(unfinishedString						red			normal		)
> + 	(assignment								black			bold		)
> + 	(ansiAssignment 						black			bold)
> + 	(literal									(red twiceDarker)			italic)
> + 	(keyword								(green muchDarker)			)
> + 	(binary 									(black )			(bold))
> + 	(unary									(green muchDarker )			)
> + 	(incompleteKeyword						(green darker)			underlined)
> + 	(incompleteBinary 						(green darker)			underlined)
> + 	(incompleteUnary						(green darker)			underlined)
> + 	(undefinedKeyword					(magenta twiceDarker)			)
> + 	(undefinedBinary 						(magenta twiceDarker)			)
> + 	(undefinedUnary						(magenta twiceDarker)			)
> + 	(patternKeyword 						(green muchDarker)			(underlined bold))
> + 	(patternBinary 						(green muchDarker)			(bold))
> + 	(patternUnary							(green muchDarker)			(underlined bold))
> + 	(#self 									(black)	bold)
> + 	(#super									(black)	bold)
> + 	(#true 									(black)	bold)
> + 	(#false 									(black)	bold)
> + 	(#nil 									(black)	bold)
> + 	(#thisContext 							(black)	bold)
> + 	(#return								(black)					bold)
> + 	(patternArg 							(orange muchDarker)			)
> + 	(methodArg 							(orange muchDarker)			)
> + 	(blockPatternArg 						(orange muchDarker)			)
> + 	(blockArg 								(orange muchDarker)			)
> + 	(argument 								(orange muchDarker)			)
> - 	(assignment								nil			bold			)
> - 	(ansiAssignment 						nil			bold)
> - 	(literal									nil			italic)
> - 	(keyword								(blue muchDarker)			)
> - 	(binary 								(blue muchDarker)			)
> - 	(unary									(blue muchDarker)			)
> - 	(incompleteKeyword						(gray muchDarker)			underlined)
> - 	(incompleteBinary 						(gray muchDarker)			underlined)
> - 	(incompleteUnary						(gray muchDarker)			underlined)
> - 	(undefinedKeyword						red			)
> - 	(undefinedBinary 						red			)
> - 	(undefinedUnary						red			)
> - 	(patternKeyword 						nil			bold)
> - 	(patternBinary 							nil			bold)
> - 	(patternUnary							nil			bold)
> - 	(#self 									(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(#super									(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(#true 									(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(#false 									(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(#nil 									(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(#thisContext 							(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(#return								(red muchDarker)	bold)
> - 	(patternArg 							(blue muchDarker)			italic)
> - 	(methodArg 								(blue muchDarker)			italic)
> - 	(blockPatternArg 						(blue muchDarker)			italic)
> - 	(blockArg 								(blue muchDarker)			italic)
> - 	(argument 								(blue muchDarker)			italic)
>  	(blockArgColon							black		)
>  	(leftParenthesis							black		)
>  	(rightParenthesis						black		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis1						(black)		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis1						(black)		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis2						(gray twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis2						(gray twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis3						(blue twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis3						(blue twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis4						(green twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis4						(green twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis5						(orange twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis5						(orange twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis6						(red twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis6						(red twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(leftParenthesis7						brown		)
> + 	(rightParenthesis7						brown		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis1						(green muchDarker)		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis1						(green muchDarker)		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis2						(magenta muchDarker)		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis2						(magenta muchDarker)		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis3						(red muchDarker)		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis3						(red muchDarker)		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis4						(green darker)		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis4						(green darker)		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis5						(orange darker)		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis5						(orange darker)		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis6						(magenta darker)		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis6						(magenta darker)		)
> - 	(leftParenthesis7						blue		)
> - 	(rightParenthesis7						blue		)
>  	(blockStart 								black		)
>  	(blockEnd 								black		)
> + 	(blockStart1								(black)			)
> + 	(blockEnd1								(black)			)
> + 	(blockStart2								(gray twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockEnd2								(gray twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockStart3								(blue twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockEnd3								(blue twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockStart4								(green twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockEnd4								(green twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockStart5								(orange twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockEnd5								(orange twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockStart6								(red twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockEnd6								(red twiceDarker)		)
> + 	(blockStart7								(brown)		)
> + 	(blockEnd7								(brown)		)
> - 	(blockStart1								(green muchDarker)			)
> - 	(blockEnd1								(green muchDarker)			)
> - 	(blockStart2								(magenta muchDarker)		)
> - 	(blockEnd2								(magenta muchDarker)		)
> - 	(blockStart3								(red muchDarker)		)
> - 	(blockEnd3								(red muchDarker)		)
> - 	(blockStart4								(green darker)		)
> - 	(blockEnd4								(green darker)		)
> - 	(blockStart5								(orange darker)		)
> - 	(blockEnd5								(orange darker)		)
> - 	(blockStart6								(magenta darker)		)
> - 	(blockEnd6								(magenta darker)		)
> - 	(blockStart7								blue		)
> - 	(blockEnd7								blue		)
>  	(arrayStart								black		)
>  	(arrayEnd								black		)
>  	(arrayStart1							black		)
>  	(arrayEnd1								black		)
> + 	(byteArrayStart								black		)
> + 	(byteArrayEnd								black		)
> + 	(byteArrayStart1							black		)
> + 	(byteArrayEnd1								black		)
> - 	(byteArrayStart								black		)
> - 	(byteArrayEnd								black		)
> - 	(byteArrayStart1							black		)
> - 	(byteArrayEnd1								black		)
>  	(leftBrace 								black		)
>  	(rightBrace 								black		)
>  	(cascadeSeparator 						black		)
>  	(statementSeparator 						black		)
>  	(externalCallType 						black		)
>  	(externalCallTypePointerIndicator 		black		)
> + 	(primitiveOrExternalCallStart 			black		)
> + 	(primitiveOrExternalCallEnd				black		)
> + 	(methodTempBar						black		)
> + 	(blockTempBar 							black		)
> + 	(blockArgsBar							black		)
> - 	(primitiveOrExternalCallStart 			black	bold	)
> - 	(primitiveOrExternalCallEnd				black	bold	)
> - 	(methodTempBar							gray		)
> - 	(blockTempBar 							gray		)
> - 	(blockArgsBar							gray		)
>  	(primitive								(green muchDarker)		bold)
> - 	(pragmaKeyword						(green muchDarker)		bold)
> - 	(pragmaUnary							(green muchDarker)		bold)
> - 	(pragmaBinary							(green muchDarker)		bold)
>  	(externalFunctionCallingConvention		(green muchDarker)		bold)
>  	(module									(green muchDarker)		bold)
> + 	(blockTempVar 							(cyan muchDarker )		italic)
> + 	(blockPatternTempVar					(cyan muchDarker )		italic)
> + 	(instVar 								(yellow twiceDarker darker)		bold)
> - 	(blockTempVar 							gray		italic)
> - 	(blockPatternTempVar					gray		italic)
> - 	(instVar 								black		bold)
>  	(workspaceVar							black		bold)
> + 	(undefinedIdentifier						(magenta twiceDarker)	normal)
> + 	(incompleteIdentifier						(gray darker) 	(italic underlined))
> + 	(tempVar								(cyan muchDarker)	italic)
> + 	(patternTempVar						(cyan muchDarker)	italic)
> + 	(poolConstant							(blue lighter)	italic)
> + 	(classVar								(blue twiceLighter)	italic)
> + 	(globalVar								black		normal) )
> + !
> - 	(undefinedIdentifier						red			bold)
> - 	(incompleteIdentifier					(gray darker) 	(italic underlined))
> - 	(tempVar								(gray darker)	italic)
> - 	(patternTempVar						(gray darker)	italic)
> - 	(poolConstant							(gray darker)	italic)
> - 	(classVar								(gray darker)	bold)
> - 	(globalVar								black		bold) )
> - 							!
>
>
>