coloring gradient

before you say, yes im aware you can make a gradient of swatches. thats not what this is about.

i would like to request the ability to have a gradient of colors drawn in. like say for example you draw a box. at the top or side of the box (depending on your settings/ hotkey) it is the first color, and on the opposing end is the other color with a gradient of colors in between. im not saying to make a million colors but something akin to what photoshop does where it dithers it. this would help tremendously in making backgrounds without the use of external progroms