Seen enough of Logo, topBar, Header Content, this widget, that widget, here, there and everywhere customizations and Plugins to assist obfuscate and obliterate the presence of the name of the underlying (appreciated?) platform we all use.

But what does 'theming' (branding) really mean for web-site owners ? I have some few handfulls of ideas re: the direction and places that 'theming' should travel towards. Not just mere changing of color, backgrunds, kiddie CSS stuff and the 'code-oriented' design aspects.

I want to arrange, re-arrange *anything, anywhere and anyhow -- any part of the UI and maybe even the UX to create my own *personalized (and also for all my clients' non-duplicate-able web-site "looks.."

I am looking to develop some sort of a superior "theme-roller" - for Elgg-based sites -- one where I can define the "looks" using some smart-like point/ click/ drag/ drop/ type a few specifications and then have the theming *utility *generate all the necessary code - HTML, CSS, JS, PHP including required Elgg API/Function Interface calls. It gets so tiresome coding the *same sort of thigs over-and-over again and again.. Views. Actions, yadda, yadda...

It is all the same design "pattern" for coding with Elgg. So why not a Theme, Styling, Views, Actions *code-generator* ? Possible ? Yes ! Someone I was recently discussing such several approaches blithely called it 'making a Developer 'redundant' ;-) True - a point/ click. drag/ drop smarty interface for developing Themes, PlugIns will make a lot of 'developer' code-tasks;' redundant..

I worked with something quite very similar - years ago on a different, specific application system to manage 000,000`s of lines of PHP, HTML, CSS, JS code -- auto-generated and guaranteed to work out-of-the box. It's time to start with Elgg's "weaver' utilities... ;-P A little, somewhat very much along the lines of 'write once & plugiuns/themes everywhere..!'

What might be 'requirements' then - for such 'theming capabilites from any others ? Is CSS stuff code-changing sufficient ? Or do we propel, with Elgg, towards some nether stratospheres ? Y'all r welcome to say what the 'populace desires...' A "PlugIn" to generate them all...!