fringe-helper contains helper functions for fringe bitmaps.
fringe-helper-define allows you to to define fringe bitmaps using a visual string replesentation. For example:
(fringe-helper-define 'test-bitmap '(top repeat) "XX......" "..XX...." "....XX.." "......XX")
You can also generate arguments for define-fringe-bitmap yourself, by using fringe-helper-convert.
fringe-helper also provides a few stock bitmaps. They are loaded on demand by fringe-lib-load and adapt to the current fringe size to a certain extend.
fringe-helper-insert inserts a fringe bitmap at point and fringe-helper-insert-region inserts a fringe bitmap along a region. fringe-helper-remove removes both kinds.
Here's an example for enhancing `flymake-mode' with fringe bitmaps:
(require 'fringe-helper)
(require 'flymake)
(defvar flymake-fringe-overlays nil)
(make-variable-buffer-local 'flymake-fringe-overlays)
(defadvice flymake-make-overlay (after add-to-fringe first
(beg end tooltip-text face mouse-face)
activate compile)
(push (fringe-helper-insert-region
beg end
(fringe-lib-load (if (eq face 'flymake-errline)
fringe-lib-exclamation-mark
fringe-lib-question-mark))
'left-fringe 'font-lock-warning-face)
flymake-fringe-overlays))
(defadvice flymake-delete-own-overlays (after remove-from-fringe activate
compile)
(mapc 'fringe-helper-remove flymake-fringe-overlays)
(setq flymake-fringe-overlays nil))
If you have any feedback, please email me, or visit this package's page at the Emacs wiki.