Preview NexQL Themes live ••• NexQL DB Extension for VS Code
NexQL Themes — a VS Code color-theme family for database work and everyday coding. Eleven scenario-anchored variants (dark, light, OLED, homage) share one design language: quiet keywords, a disciplined cool→warm syntax spectrum, and a single reserved accent for errors.
Install from the VS Code Marketplace or Open VSX, then Preferences: Color Theme → pick any NexQL theme.
The logo — a glowing N woven from fiber-optic strands over a dark IDE canvas — encodes how every theme in the family is meant to feel and behave.
| Principle | Definition |
|---|---|
| Vibrancy in the dark | Near-black or warm-paper foundations with energetic, high-contrast syntax color. Reduce eye strain without going gray and lifeless. |
| Fluid integration | Intertwined strands stand for SQL, data, and modern application code living in one editor — one coherent visual system across languages and tools. |
| Energy and flow | The cool→warm gradient (teal → violet → amber) mirrors scan rhythm: structure first, data last. Color guides the eye without shouting. |
| Developer-first precision | Built for the nuances of real coding — brackets, keywords, types, strings, errors — not generic prettiness. Every hue earns its place in the hierarchy. |
| Principle | Definition |
|---|---|
| Quiet keywords | High-frequency tokens (keywords, operators, punctuation) stay desaturated. Syntax noise stays low; meaning stays readable. |
| Spectrum in code only | The ribbon runs through the editor: cool structure (keywords, functions) → warm data (strings, numbers). Chrome stays calm; color lives in tokens. |
| One reserved accent | Magenta (#E85FBF) is errors only — never reused for strings, types, or UI chrome. One unmistakable signal for "something is wrong." |
| Frequency ∝ inverse saturation | The more often a token appears, the quieter its color. Rare constructs (types, errors) may be brighter or more saturated. |
| Scenario-anchored variants | Each theme answers a real context — cool navy (Mute), OLED black, long-session warmth (Ember), warm daily dark (Drift), light parchment (Break of Dawn), Postgres homage, sage pair — without breaking the shared rules above. |
Applies to NexQL Mute Dark and close dark variants; light themes remap the same roles to their surfaces.
| Tier | Tokens | Hex |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet | Keywords, operators, punctuation | #8E8FB8 |
| Body | Variables, parameters, tables | #D8D6E0 |
| Scan | Functions / methods | #7AA8E8 |
| Data | Strings + numbers | #D9A86C |
| Rare | Types / classes / interfaces | #B68CDB |
| Reserved | Errors only | #E85FBF |
| Theme | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NexQL Mute Dark | dark | Deep navy with muted indigo keywords, soft pink functions, peach strings |
| NexQL OLED Dark | dark | Drift palette on true-black AMOLED surfaces |
| NexQL Ember Dark | dark | Warmer, higher-contrast dark for long sessions |
| NexQL Drift Dark | dark | Warm near-black daily driver — indigo UI accent, quiet syntax spectrum |
| NexQL Break of Dawn | light | Solar-powered light with warm parchment surfaces |
| NexQL Claudy Day | light | Claude Code–inspired warm parchment |
| NexQL Claudy Night | dark | Ink-dark counterpart to Claudy Day |
| NexQL Postgres Homage Dark | dark | Postgres #336791 homage — slate-blue, amber data |
| NexQL Postgres Homage Day | light | Light Postgres homage |
| NexQL Sage Day | light | Sage-green light pair |
| NexQL Sage at Night | dark | Sage-tinted dark counterpart |
npm run compile # generate themes/*.json + validateGenerated workbench/token keys come from src/. Any extra keys already in a theme JSON (e.g. widget.border) are kept on compile — only generator-owned keys are refreshed.
Press F5 → Launch NexQL Theme Extension, then Preferences: Color Theme → any NexQL theme.
src/static-themes.mjs theme registry (11 hand-authored themes)
src/preview-workbench.mjs workbench color builder
src/preview-tokens.mjs SQL-first token rules
scripts/generate-previews.mjs compile + package.json contributes.themes
scripts/validate-themes.mjs structure + WCAG contrast checks