[L2Ork-dev] pd_compatibility breakage from Vanilla

[Jonathan Wilkes]

Hi all,

Looking at porting the symbolic hex color values for iemguis. But this
pd_compatibility business doesn't make sense to me.

    if (ac >= 1)
        iemgui->x_bcol = iemgui_compatible_colorarg(0, ac, av);
    if (ac == 2 && pd_compatibilitylevel < 47)
            /* old versions of Pd updated foreground and label color
            if only two args; now we do it more coherently. */
        iemgui->x_lcol = iemgui_compatible_colorarg(1, ac, av);
    else if (ac >= 2)
        iemgui->x_fcol = iemgui_compatible_colorarg(1, ac, av);

This means any mortal user who happens to open a pre 0.47 patch that
uses this interface will see breakage. And the pd_compatibility
interface essentially tells them, "Here, *you* fix this by playing a
version number guessing game and crossing your fingers that no other
bits flip that you care about..."

But can't we fix this automatically?  E.g., if the user is sending the
"color" message with args from the old, lossy human unreadable
integers then parse them according to the old way. If they are the hex
syntax from the bleeding edge of 1995, then use the new branch.

Or am I missing something here?

-Jonathan