Is there an easy way of importing a model at run-time? I would really like scripted access to the File/Append functions.

I'm not interested in importing from another format. What I would like to be able to do is load everything I need for a model - specifically, mesh, material, texture, armature, actions (anything else)?

One of the old API said there is a fileLoad obejct in the Blender module, but it's gone.

Otherwise, where do I start in defining my own module which would support this? (Preferably from a URL as well as a file). Sounds rather ambitious.
Martin