'Given the name of an object (or other search parameters), return a
reference (object id) that can be used with modify_* functions or save_* functions
to manipulate that object.'

def get_item_handle(self, what, name, token=None):

    found = self.api.get_item(what, name)
    if (found is None):
        raise CX(('internal    error,    unknown    %s    name    %s' % (what, name)))
    return ('%s::%s' % (what, found.name))
