RE: Simplification of faces

[Drew Adams]

>     Could you give a simple example of how a current use of
>     `modify-face' would be replaced with a call to `face-spec-set'
>     or `defface' in your proposal?
>
> You need to write a function like `modify-face' that constructs a face
> spec out of the args, and then calls `face-spec-set'.
>
> If you want it to change only certain attributes and leave the others
> unchanged, you would need to call frame-attribute to get the values of
> the other attributes, and perhaps put them into the spec you
> construct, so as to make sure they won't be altered.

What does "call frame-attribute" mean? I see no such function in Emacs 22.1.
Could you please give a more concrete example?

Assuming I could understand and do what you describe, why would each person
need to do all of that, just to be able to change a face attribute? Can't we
have an Emacs function that does exactly that, change certain attributes
only? What was wrong with `modify-face', for that matter?

This is an important feature, for me at least. I need to be able to do this,
whether such a function is available or I need to roll my own. If there will
not be such a function, please let me know just how it can be done.