I would add to the list http://drupal.org/project/install_profile_api
Particularly the crud.inc file.

I've used it for a couple projects and added bits to it.

Topically, I do have a node create function that works well most of
the time. But it's a bit flakey depending what contrib modules are
doing to the node form.

I focus on passing everything in a simple keyed array format, and the
function then makes it look like a node submission. The difficulty
I've had is making the submitted form the right structure - the cck
fields are difficult to emulate, but I'm handling many of them (text,
number, nodereference, etc).

If it's of any interest, here is the uncommitted code. I chopped out
some hacks, so this version untested.

function install_create_content($content_type, $properties) {
  global $user;

  $default = array();
  $default['type'] = $content_type;
  $default['format'] = 0;
  $default['comment'] = 2; // Enable read/write comments
  $default['status'] = 1;  // Published
  $default['promote'] = 0; // Not promoted to front page.
  $default['sticky'] = 0;  // Not sticky.

  $default['created'] = date('g:i:sA');
  $default['log'] = 'Updated at ' . date('g:i:sA') . ' via
install_create_content' ;

  $default['name'] = $user->name;
  $default['uid'] = $user->uid;

  foreach ($properties AS $property => $value) {
    $field = content_fields($property, $content_type);
    if (isset($field['field_name'])) {
      switch ($field['type']) {
        case 'nodereference':
        case 'userreference':
          $default[$property] = array(array('nid' => $value));
          break;
        default:
          if (is_array($value)) {
            // Uncertain.
            $default[$property][] = $value;
          }
          else {
            $default[$property] = array(array('value' => $value));
          }
      }
      if ($field['widget']['type'] == 'options_select' &&
isset($default[$property][0]['value'])) {
        if ($field['multiple']) {
          foreach ($property[0] AS $v) {
            $default[$property]['keys'][$value] = $value;
          }
        }
        else {
          $default[$property]['key'] = $default[$property][0]['value'];
        }
        //unset($default[$property][0]);
      }
      unset($properties[$property]);
    }
  }

  $node = array_merge($default, $properties);
  $node = node_submit($node);
  node_save($node);
  return $node;
}

On 1/26/08, adrian rossouw <adrian@bryght.com> wrote:
>
> On 25 Jan 2008, at 4:56 PM, Daniel F. Kudwien wrote:
>
> >
> > It is.  But it's the most advanced and flexible solution currently
> > available
> > for Drupal.  Many folks have contributed to ImportExport API,
> > however the
> > module seems to be unmaintained currently.  The API docs are in an
> > pre-alpha
> > state, too.  So it is definitely not easy to understand, how
> > ImportExport
> > API works, and how it could work out for your requirements.
> it's a query builder. just like views / cck.
>
> and it has it's own set of _schema like hooks, which is what's
> annoying about it.
> since you get to type everything out ... again.
>
> I once wrote a install profile generator for it for drupal 4.7, but i
> didn't have the time nor energy
> to update ieapi for d5
>
>