Re: greetings...

> 
> This is where I think we disagree. The look and layout is left to the
> website owner not the block or module developer. So by utilizing the
> theme engine and it's templates the website owner controls what the
> layout and look is.
> 
> Following that basic premise I see no way you can allow a block or
> module developer to exercise control over the layout and look of any
> website. Templates or otherwise. For example a block is a block and a
> module is a module..they both offer a function to your website. 
> 
> The theme/skin and theme engine offer the look, layout and feel of the
> website. So on a more basic level the block/modules deliver content
> while the theme/skin and theme engine control the presentation. This is
> a separation of content and presentation that has to exist regardless of
> the theme engine one ultimately decides to use.

Okay, I think we're on the same page for the most part.  My main point
is that output should be formatted via a template, not API calls.  The
module developer would most likely provide a default template, and the
website owner could modify it if he chose to do so.  Is this possible
today with encompass?  I guess that's the part I'm still missing.  Going
on my rudimentary understanding of things, for this to actually work,
modules and blocks make calls to the core, possibly passing what data it
wants rendered to the screen as arguments?  the core then routes the
message to the theme engine, which performs the view processing logic
and renders the display?  or maybe the theme engine processes the view
and returns it to the module for the module to display?  the latter
might make more sense.  it  also makes sense to me that you need a level
of abstraction/indirection between modules/blocks and the theme engine,
and the logical place for that seems to be the core. with the core
routing calls between view clients (aka modules, blocks, themes?) and
view services (aka theme engines), all through a generic interface on
the core, it seems as though the idea of pluggable theme engines becomes
possible.

just trying to get a handle on how this all works, and maybe tossing out
some ideas on how it could work.  

sure wish my e-mail client could render diagrams.