Release v1.6.0
Release Notes - Version 1.6.0
Overview:
Version 1.6.0 marks a major overhaul with an almost complete rewrite of the program, establishing a foundation for a more maintainable and accessible structure for other developers. This update moves from version 1.5.x to 1.6.x and introduces a new approach to applying dark themes on web pages.
Key Changes and Improvements:
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Redesign of UltimaDark Core: The dark theme application has been completely rethought and integrated directly into the rendering engine. This should address many issues related to compatibility, speed, and stability, providing a more reliable experience across a wider range of websites.
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Improved Architecture: The core of the program has been restructured to make it more accessible to other developers, enhancing understanding and encouraging contributions. This foundation lays the groundwork for clearer, more sustainable future development.
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Trade-offs in Core Flexibility: While the new core enhances stability and speed by operating directly within Gecko's CSS engine, it significantly reduces flexibility, as only relatively limited CSS functions can be used. However, these functions cover essential mathematical operations needed to reimplement UltimaDark’s calculation functions solely in CSS, rather than JS. All features of the previous core have been translated from JS to CSS, which may be less optimized and slower (unless worklets are involved, in which case rendering would be considerably faster). Though this approach may be more tedious to evolve, the benefits of a cleaner, less complex structure ensure better compatibility and long-term resilience.
The scope of changes may cause regressions in known areas. I’ve done my best to avoid them and have not observed any significant issues. If any do arise, they should be resolvable, as they will stem from minor logic gaps during the migration to the new architecture.