Theming Drupal content input forms

From a comment at http://drupal.org/node/101092

http://drupal.org/node/101092#comment-262746

<?php
function phptemplate_node_form($form) {
  if(file_exists(path_to_theme().'/'.$form['type']['#value'].'_form.tpl.php')) {
    return _phptemplate_callback($form['type']['#value'].'_form', array('user' => $user, 'form' => $form));
  }
}
?>

but the way of messing with the forms is dirtier than form_alter in my opinion.

I have revised my opinion. Something like the above callback function (provided performance is reasonable) combined with the approach Agaric follows in How to theme a Drupal form is the way to go.

Not that form_alter isn't completely awesome.

Resolution