gistfile1.php

<?php

/**
 * Implementation of hook_theme()
 */
function module_theme($existing, $type, $theme, $path) {
  $theme = array();
  $base = array(
    'path' => "{$path}/theme",
    'file' => 'theme.inc'
  );

  $theme['search_results'] = $base + array(
    'template' => 'search-results',
    'arguments' => array('nodes' => array(), 'type' => null),
    'pattern' => 'search_results__'
  );

  $theme['search_result_item'] = $base + array(
    'template' => 'search-result-item',
    'arguments' => array('node' => null, 'type' => null),
    'pattern' => 'search_results_item__'
  );

  return $theme;
}

/**
 * Page callback with theme() calls
 */
function module_display_results() {
  // Assume a query has been run and $node_ids is an array of node ids to load
  $type  = 'page';  // Type of node
  $nodes = array(); // Collection of themed nodes

  $item_templates   = array('search_result_item__'.$type, 'search_result_item');
  $result_templates = array('search_results__'.$type, 'search_results');

  foreach ($node_ids as $node_id) {
    array_push($nodes, theme($item_templates, node_load($db_result['nid']), $type));
  }

  return theme($result_templates, $nodes, $type);
}

?>