Patent ID: 7086067

Claim:
A computer implemented method of managing application definitions used in a computer program, comprising the steps: establishing a relational database separate from the computer program and for serving runtime data to the computer program; storing the application definitions in the relational database, each of said application definitions comprising a set of rules for processing or storing data used in the computer program, the storing step including the steps of: i) storing in the relational database initialization strings for the application definitions, and ii) customizing the initialization strings to form the application definitions; initializing values used in the computer program, using the initialization strings in the relational database during runtime execution of the computer program, wherein the initializing step includes the steps of: i) invoking a given procedure to check the relational database for a value associated with one of the application definitions; ii) passing to the given procedure an encloser and a class name for said value; and iii) said given procedure using said encloser and said class name as keys to look for one of the initialization strings in the relational database; including in the computer program instructions to access and use the application definitions in relational database; providing a user of the computer program with access, independent of the computer program, to the application definitions in the relational database, whereby the user can, while running the computer program, alter, change, add and delete said application definitions in the relational database, without accessing the computer program; providing an applet for displaying to the user all of the application definitions in the relational database, each of the application definitions associated with a respective one pair comprised of one encloser and one value; the user selecting on the said pairs; in reponse to said selecting, displaying to the user a custom edit panel; and said user using said custom edit panel to change the application definition associated with the selected one of said pairs.