= Term: HttpShell =

A JEE Filter that examines incoming HTTP POST requests for certain parameters that indicate required operations on the MeshObjectGraph.

The HttpShell may:
 * create one or more new [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects]
 * look up [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects]
 * change [wiki:Property Properties] on [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects]
 * [wiki:Blessing bless] or [wiki:Unblessing unbless] [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects]
 * [wiki:Deleting delete] [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects]
 * [wiki:Relating relate] or [wiki:Unrelating unrelate] pairs of [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects] to/from each other
 * [wiki:Blessing bless] or [wiki:Unblessing unbless] [wiki:Relationship Relationships] between two [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects]
 * invoke [HttpShellHandler HttpShellHandlers].

Because the HttpShell can perform all data manipulation operations on [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects] and the MeshObjectGraph, it acts like a shell in an operating system on the [wiki:MeshObject MeshObjects] in a MeshBase.

The primary advantages of the HttpShell are:
 * data manipulation can be expressed entirely in HTML, by setting the parameter values to which the HttpShell reacts.
 * developers can avoid having to write special POST handlers in many circumstances.