Casting enhancements on weapons / spellblade idea

[Random832]

I have a friend who wants to become a "spellblade" - apparently this is something from Final Fantasy with the ability to place elemental qualities on weapons.

What sort of progression should there be for an ability which can place any special abilities on a weapon for temporary periods of time (round/level-ish)? Should this be one spell, a spell per different ability, or some sort of supernatural ability instead of spells?

(I've got the beginnings of a class designed but can't make up my mind on anything)

[Siosilvar]

Look at the Duskblade from PHB2. Smiting Spell is from the same book, and both essentially let you cast spells through your weapon.

[Random832]

I was thinking more e.g. "Weapon is treated as a flaming [etc] weapon, as the weapon special ability, for [some duration]"

[DracoDei]

That would either be Soulknife (which is generally agreed to be an underpowered class, and has probably at least half a dozen fan "reworks" on these boards), or MAYBE Eberron's Artificer.