Re: Fringe frame parameters, default values

[Richard Stallman]

    Suppose we start with a font whose width is equal to or a little more
    than the bitmap width, this means that the default setting of the
    fringe width would be 1.0 for both the left and right fringe.

    However, if we start with a font which is half the width of the bitmaps,
    the default ratio for the bitmap widths should be 2.0 (or more) to allow
    the fringes to be wide enough to show the bitmaps.

Ok, this argument makes sense.  It suggests that the fringe widths
should be in pixels.

But then let's reconsider the default.  Why shouldn't the default
value be the number of pixels that the fringe bitmaps require?
Why make it nil?

Whatever special thing nil does, people will probably always want to
do.