--- a/VariablePanel.st	Thu Dec 19 14:30:22 2019 +0100
+++ b/VariablePanel.st	Thu Dec 19 15:44:19 2019 +0100
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@
 		showHandle showHandleWhenEntered handlePosition handleColor
 		handleStyle handleLevel noColor trackLine redrawLocked
 		orientation handleLabels knobHeight realRelativeSizes
-		snapAdornment'
+		snapAdornment barSideLineColor'
 	classVariableNames:'DefaultShowHandle DefaultHandleStyle DefaultHandlePosition
 		DefaultTrackingLine DefaultSeparatingLine DefaultHandleColor
 		DefaultHandleLevel DefaultVCursor DefaultHCursor
 		DefaultHandleImage DefaultSnapIcons DefaultSnapHandlePosition
-		DefaultShowHandleWhenEntered'
+		DefaultShowHandleWhenEntered DefaultSideLineColor DefaultBarWidth
+		DefaultBackgroundColor'
 	poolDictionaries:''
 	category:'Views-Layout'
 !
@@ -740,7 +741,9 @@
                        #'variablePanel.trackingLine'   
                        #'variablePanel.trackingStyle'
                        #'variablePanel.separatingLine' 
-                       #'variablePanel.handleColor')>
+                       #'variablePanel.handleColor'
+                       #'variablePanel.backgroundColor'
+                       #'variablePanel.barSideLineColor')>
 
     |lineModeBoolean|
 
@@ -769,7 +772,10 @@
     DefaultSeparatingLine := StyleSheet at:#'variablePanel.separatingLine' default:false.
     DefaultHandleColor := StyleSheet colorAt:#'variablePanel.handleColor' default:Color black.
 
-    DefaultHandleImage := StyleSheet at:#'variablePanel.handleImage'
+    DefaultHandleImage := StyleSheet at:#'variablePanel.handleImage'.
+    DefaultSideLineColor := StyleSheet colorAt:#'variablePanel.barSideLineColor'.
+    DefaultBarWidth := StyleSheet at:#'variablePanel.barWidth'.
+    DefaultBackgroundColor := StyleSheet colorAt:#'variablePanel.backgroundColor'.
 
     "
      VariablePanel updateStyleCache
@@ -1975,14 +1981,26 @@
     "redraw some handles and snaps"
 
     subViews size ~~ 0 ifTrue:[
-        showHandle ifTrue:[
+        (showHandle or:[barSideLineColor notNil]) ifTrue:[
             self handleOriginsWithIndexFrom:start to:stop do:[:hPoint :hIndex |
                 |hx hy|
 
                 hx := hPoint x.
                 hy := hPoint y.
+
                 barLevel notNil ifTrue:[
                     self drawEdgesForX:0 y:hy width:width height:barHeight level:barLevel.
+                ] ifFalse:[
+                    barSideLineColor notNil ifTrue:[
+                        self paint:barSideLineColor.
+                        self isHorizontal ifTrue:[
+                            self displayLineFromX:0 y:0 toX:width-1 y:0. 
+                            self displayLineFromX:0 y:barHeight-1 toX:width-1 y:barHeight-1. 
+                        ] ifFalse:[
+                            self displayLineFromX:0 y:0 toX:0 y:height-1. 
+                            self displayLineFromX:width-1 y:0 toX:width-1 y:height-1. 
+                        ].
+                    ].
                 ].
 
                 "/ do not draw handle, if there is a snapper ...
@@ -2022,7 +2040,7 @@
 
 pointerEnter:buttonState x:x y:y
     "/ not called - see controller
-    showHandleWhenEntered == true ifTrue:[
+    showHandleWhenEntered ifTrue:[
         self showHandle:true
     ].
     super pointerEnter:buttonState x:x y:y.
@@ -2033,7 +2051,7 @@
 
 pointerLeave:buttonState
     "/ not called - see controller
-    showHandleWhenEntered == true ifTrue:[
+    showHandleWhenEntered ifTrue:[
         self showHandle:false
     ].
     super pointerLeave:buttonState.
@@ -2134,10 +2152,11 @@
 initStyle
     "setup viewStyle specifics"
 
-    |mm|
+    |mm computedBarWidth|
 
     super initStyle.
 
+    viewBackground := DefaultBackgroundColor ? viewBackground.
     handleColor := DefaultHandleColor onDevice:device.
 
     DefaultHandleStyle isNil ifTrue:[
@@ -2148,7 +2167,7 @@
 
     handleLevel := DefaultHandleLevel.
     showHandle := DefaultShowHandle.
-    showHandleWhenEntered := DefaultShowHandleWhenEntered.
+    showHandleWhenEntered := DefaultShowHandleWhenEntered ? false.
     handlePosition := DefaultHandlePosition.
     "/ snapHandlePosition := DefaultSnapHandlePosition.
     trackLine := DefaultTrackingLine.
@@ -2156,7 +2175,7 @@
 
     DefaultHandleImage notNil ifTrue:[
         shadowForm := DefaultHandleImage onDevice:device.
-        barWidth := shadowForm width.
+        computedBarWidth := shadowForm width.
     ] ifFalse:[
         handleStyle == #next ifTrue:[
             DefaultHandleImage notNil ifTrue:[
@@ -2165,22 +2184,23 @@
                 shadowForm := self class shadowFormOn:device.
                 lightForm := self class lightFormOn:device.
             ].
-            barWidth := shadowForm width.
+            computedBarWidth := shadowForm width.
         ] ifFalse:[
             shadowForm := lightForm := nil.
 
             mm := device verticalPixelPerMillimeter.
-            barWidth := (1.5 * mm) rounded. "motif style width"
+            computedBarWidth := (1.5 * mm) rounded. "motif style width"
         ].
     ].
-    barWidth := styleSheet at:#'variablePanel.barWidth' default:barWidth.
-    
+    barWidth := DefaultBarWidth ? computedBarWidth.
+    barSideLineColor := DefaultSideLineColor.
+
     self computeBarHeight.
 
     handleStyle == #mswindows ifTrue:[
         barWidth := (ArrowButton new direction:#up) width + 1 
     ].
-    showHandleWhenEntered == true ifTrue:[
+    showHandleWhenEntered ifTrue:[
         self enableEnterLeaveEvents
     ].