Here i think the fapi approach makes far more sense, like nedjo said. Drumm's form_table element is _far_ more understandable and themeable than our current theme_table.
That approach is certainly good, and certainly cool, but it does not replace the ability to -- when necessary -- just build a complex string based on complex PHP logic. Template files are great for fitting pre-rendered strings into an HTML shell, but they are terrible for encapsulating large quantities of conditional logic. I'd LOVE to see more template file support -- being able to throw snippets around in small files rather than functions would be cool -- but not if it comes at the *expense* of basic function support. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what's really being suggested? --Jeff