diff --git a/confluent/config/attributes.py b/confluent/config/attributes.py
index f7a9c1e3..72abc999 100644
--- a/confluent/config/attributes.py
+++ b/confluent/config/attributes.py
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ node = {
         'description': ('List of static groups for which this node is'
                         'considered a member'),
     },
-    'type': {
-        'description': ('Classification of node as system, vm, etc')
-    },
-    'id': {
-        'description': ('Numeric identifier for node')
-    },
+    #'type': {
+    #    'description': ('Classification of node as system, vm, etc')
+    #},
+    #'id': {
+    #    'description': ('Numeric identifier for node')
+    #},
 #    'location.timezone': {
 #        'description': 'POSIX timezone to apply to this node',
 #    },
diff --git a/confluent/httpapi.py b/confluent/httpapi.py
index dece786a..357fe81e 100644
--- a/confluent/httpapi.py
+++ b/confluent/httpapi.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import base64
 import Cookie
 import confluent.auth as auth
+import confluent.config.attributes as attribs
 import confluent.consoleserver as consoleserver
 import confluent.exceptions as exc
 import confluent.messages
@@ -31,6 +32,22 @@ opmap = {
     'DELETE': 'delete',
 }
 
+def node_creation_resources():
+    yield confluent.messages.Attributes(
+        kv={ 'name': None}, desc="Name of the node").html() + '<br>'
+    for attr in sorted(attribs.node.iterkeys()):
+        if attr.startswith("secret."):
+            yield confluent.messages.CryptedAttributes(
+                kv={ attr: None }, desc=attribs.node[attr]['description']).html() + \
+                '<br>'
+        else:
+            yield confluent.messages.Attributes(
+                kv={ attr: None }, desc=attribs.node[attr]['description']).html() + \
+                '<br>'
+
+create_resource_functions = {
+    '/node/': node_creation_resources,
+}
 
 def _sessioncleaner():
     while (1):
@@ -248,7 +265,7 @@ def resourcehandler(env, start_response):
 
 def _assemble_html(responses, resource, querydict, url):
     yield '<html><head><title>' \
-          'Confluent REST Explorer: ' + resource + '</title></head>' \
+          'Confluent REST Explorer: ' + url + '</title></head>' \
           '<body><form action="' + resource + '" method="post">'
     if querydict:
         yield 'Response to input data:<br>' + \
@@ -275,8 +292,19 @@ def _assemble_html(responses, resource, querydict, url):
             pendingrsp.append(rsp)
     for rsp in pendingrsp:
         yield rsp.html()+ "<br>"
-    print url
-    if not iscollection:
+    if iscollection:
+        localpath = url[:-2]
+        try:
+            firstpass = True
+            for y in create_resource_functions[url]():
+                if firstpass:
+                    yield "<hr>Define new %s:<BR>" % url.split("/")[-2]
+                firstpass = False
+                yield y
+            yield '<input value="create" name="restexplorerop" type="submit"></form></body></html>'
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+    else:
         yield '<input value="update" name="restexplorerop" type="submit"></form></body></html>'
 
 
diff --git a/confluent/messages.py b/confluent/messages.py
index 42acb9ea..dfe76d47 100644
--- a/confluent/messages.py
+++ b/confluent/messages.py
@@ -35,25 +35,31 @@ class ConfluentMessage(object):
             value = self.defaultvalue
             note = ''
             type = self.defaulttype
+            try:
+                desc = self.desc
+            except:
+                desc = ''
             if 'value' in val:
                 value = val['value']
+            if value is None:
+                value = ''
             if 'note' in val:
                 note = '(' + val['note'] + ')'
             if isinstance(val, list):
                 snippet += key + ":"
                 for v in val:
                     snippet += \
-                       '<input type="%s" name="%s" value="%s">%s' % (
-                            type, key, v, note)
+                       '<input type="%s" name="%s" value="%s" title="%s">%s' % (
+                            type, key, v, desc, note)
                 snippet += \
-                       '<input type="%s" name="%s" value="">%s' % (
-                            type, key, note)
+                       '<input type="%s" name="%s" value="" title="%s">%s' % (
+                            type, key, desc, note)
                 snippet += '<input type="checkbox" name="restexplorerhonorkey" '
                 snippet += 'value="%s">' % (key)
                 return snippet
             snippet += key + ":" + \
-                       '<input type="%s" name="%s" value="%s">%s' % (
-                            type, key, value, note)
+                       '<input type="%s" name="%s" value="%s" title="%s">%s' % (
+                            type, key, value, desc, note)
             snippet += '<input type="checkbox" name="restexplorerhonorkey" '
             snippet += 'value="%s">' % (key)
         return snippet
@@ -247,13 +253,17 @@ class PowerState(ConfluentChoiceMessage):
         }
 
 class Attributes(ConfluentMessage):
-    def __init__(self, node, kv):
+    def __init__(self, node=None, kv=None, desc=None):
+        self.desc = desc
         nkv = {}
         for key in kv.iterkeys():
             nkv[key] = { 'value': kv[key] }
-        self.kvpairs = {
-            node: nkv
-        }
+        if node is None:
+            self.kvpairs = nkv
+        else:
+            self.kvpairs = {
+                node: nkv
+            }
 
 class ListAttributes(ConfluentMessage):
     def __init__(self, node, kv):
@@ -264,11 +274,15 @@ class ListAttributes(ConfluentMessage):
 class CryptedAttributes(Attributes):
     defaulttype = 'password'
 
-    def __init__(self, node, kv):
+    def __init__(self, node=None, kv=None, desc=None):
         # for now, just keep the dictionary keys and discard crypt value
+        self.desc = desc
         nkv = {}
         for key in kv.iterkeys():
             nkv[key] = { 'note': 'Encrypted' }
-        self.kvpairs = {
-            node: nkv
-        }
+        if node is None:
+            self.kvpairs = nkv
+        else:
+            self.kvpairs = {
+                node: nkv
+            }
diff --git a/confluent/pluginapi.py b/confluent/pluginapi.py
index cdac95f0..5d8331e1 100644
--- a/confluent/pluginapi.py
+++ b/confluent/pluginapi.py
@@ -123,10 +123,21 @@ def enumerate_node_collection(collectionpath, configmanager):
     return iterate_resources(collection)
 
 
+def create_node(inputdata, configmanager):
+    try:
+        nodename = inputdata['name']
+        del inputdata['name']
+        attribmap = { nodename: inputdata }
+    except KeyError:
+        raise exc.InvalidArgumentException()
+    configmanager.set_node_attributes(attribmap)
+
+
 def enumerate_collections(collections):
     for collection in collections:
         yield msg.ChildCollection(collection)
 
+
 def handle_path(path, operation, configmanager, inputdata=None):
     '''Given a full path request, return an object.
 
@@ -152,6 +163,11 @@ def handle_path(path, operation, configmanager, inputdata=None):
         try:
             node = pathcomponents[1]
         except IndexError:  # doesn't actually have a long enough path
+            # this is enumerating a list of nodes
+            if operation == "delete":
+                raise exc.InvalidArgumentException()
+            if operation == "create":
+                create_node(inputdata, configmanager)
             return iterate_collections(configmanager.get_nodes())
         if iscollection:
             if operation == "delete":
