How to add a theme options Panel

Hello I am trying to learn the inner workings of Open cart and am trying to develop an open cart theme.

For this theme, i need to add a backend theme option panel where i intend to add some customization options for the user to change to his liking.

How do I create a theme option page.

Obviously I am not supposed to change anything in the admin folder but i am not able to figure out how to do this from within the catalog folder.

I dont want detailed explanations - just how to get started with a blank slate for theme options- any API references or something similar would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot .

A theme option page already exists in Admin!
But you have to create a new theme first!
Copy the folder and everything within it at:
catalog/view/theme/default
rename to:
catalog/view/theme/yourtheme1
change code in header.tpl - footer.tpl - stylesheet.css etc. to make your new theme.
upload yourtheme1 and its contents using ftp to folder:
catalog/view/theme/
(yourtheme1 can be any name you like!)
Assuming that you are using v1.5+
Go to:
Admin->System->Settings->Edit->Store->Template
and you will now see yourtheme1 in the Template dropdown list.
Select this and save!
Go to your storefront and you will see your new theme!
You can make as many new themes as you like; follow the above and the user can select any one of them to their liking!
If this is not what you want then please explain more clearly!

See my theme options mod, all the works been done for you: http://the1path.com/opencart-themes-mods/theme-options