Abstract: The present invention comprises a National Language Support (NLS) system with Language Driver Identifiers (LDIDs) embedded as locale-specific descriptors within data objects. The Identifiers, which may be in the form of a system-comparable ID (e.g., ID byte), are employed by the system in several places to record the particular language (driver) which was used when a given data object was created or modified. The LDID methodology of the present invention allows the system to intelligently process data objects created or modified under one language driver with those created or modified by a different language driver. In the event of incompatibilities, the system provides error handling routines, including a preferred interface for warning users of incompatibilities and receiving user choices in response thereof.