Abstract: A system for providing a form description language for a networked database program is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, a database form is described using a plurality of components. Each component describes a particular item or entity within the database form. The size and placement of each of the various items in a database form is specified relative to the other items. The programming objects defining the structure of the database are created and stored separately from the data objects defining the data entered into the database by a user. A description language interpreter transmitted in conjunction with the database form allows display of the database form by executing the self-contained interpreter.