Abstract: A machine-independent operating environment, method and storage medium embodying machine-code usable by a computer system for exchanging design information between a plurality of computer-aided design tools. A set of data format objects are provided for exchanging the design information between each computer aided-design tool. An accessing method is provided for enabling each computer-aided design tool to store the design information into and retrieve the design information from an associated data format object. An archiving method is provided for enabling the computer system to write the data format objects storing the design information onto and read the data format objects storing the design information from a storage device interconnected with the computer system using each associated data format object. Preferably, each computer-aided design tool is expressed in machine-portable object code which is executed by a virtual machine on the computer system.