[support] D6 CCK & FormAPI

[Luke]

Good day:

I would like to create a multistep registration process.

I thought that the content_profile registration module could pull it off, 
but it seems that it just adds all of the different profile nodes 
together, to create one huge registration form.

I am looking for a better way.

So, I am contemplating writing a custom registration module, with forms 
which save their data in the CCK content_profile fields, because I still 
like the way content_profile handles the fields after they are populated.

However, I am no expert with either Forms API, or with module authorship--I 
am working from these:
http://drupal.org/node/262422
and:
http://drupal.org/node/344795

However, I know not how to manipulate the CCK content properly behind the 
scenes.

Can someone point me to a good reference, set of examples, etc.?  The 
first link above does no database work whatever, and while I am competent 
with PHP, I am not confident with drupal internals yet.

Thanks & regards,

Luke