[Pmwiki-users] "templating" or how to layout PmWiki

[Thomas -Balu- Walter]

I am one of the persons trying to get PmWiki look a lot
different, but I had some problems in the previous version and the new
layout is even harder to change.

It's not really the code of the pages, but the way it is done. In fact
the learning curve in this part of PmWiki is kinda high IMHO.

I am just again lost in all those *Fmt-Arrays and variables :-] which
makes me think if there can be an easier way for doing the "look" .

Since you have to fiddle around using PHP anyway, why not have PmWiki
load a php file from the skin directory (perhaps create a new level):

pub/skins/skinname/page.php

The only purpose of this file would be to return a string or even print
the page.

Of course one would have to know some variables and functions too to
access parts of the page or decide wether to display the browse-, edit-
or print-page. But to do so I could use all the power of PHP which I
know and not having to learn the structure of the variables and arrays
that are used now.

I could easily create different files for browse- and edit-pages and
just having page.php load them in case they are needed (or do everything
in one file). I'd have the total power of php and not having to write
(and know) "function: " as one element of a bigger array that gets
parsed somehow inside PmWiki. 

This is just a small thing that crawled up into my mind while despairing
about the structure as it is now :-). What do others think about this?

     Balu