Roses are Red

Master Suku was inspecting the Spider Clan’s code base when she called a certain monk into her chamber.

Said Suku: “We display warnings in bold red text throughout our many applications. How is this done?”

The monk replied: “In our shared stylesheet I have created a CSS class for this express purpose, named boldRedText.”

Said Suku: “A most memorable name. Sadly, the provincial governor wishes his applications to promote a mood of tranquility. See that all warning text is rendered in a pale italic violet.”

The monk bowed and exited.

Suku later inspected the monk’s work and discovered that he had renamed the style to paleItalicVioletText, changing references to it in hundreds of JSPs. She called the monk in again.

Said Suku: “The provincial governor is a most particular man, and has decided that the display of warnings in deep blue text of normal weight upon a gray background would be infinitely more soothing. See that the changes are made.”

The monk bowed and exited.

Suku later inspected the monk’s work and discovered that he had renamed the style to deepNormalBlueOnGrayText, again making the necessary changes far and wide in the code base. She called the monk in again.

Said Suku: “The provincial governor is a most fickle man, and has decided that the display of warnings in italic rose-red text with underlines on a cream background would spur the user into corrective action. See that the changes are made.”

The monk bowed and exited.

Suku later inspected the monk’s work and discovered that, this time, he had not changed the name of the style in his many JSPs. Instead only the solitary definition of deepNormalBlueOnGrayText had been changed, so that it now produced italic rose-red text with underlines on a cream background. Suku sighed and called the monk in again.

When the monk entered her chambers Suku let fly several shuriken that pinned the surprised monk’s robes to the wooden door. One blade had come dangerously close to permanently altering his private life.

Suku turned back to her keyboard, saying: “Consider that your final boldRedText.”