Abstract: A method for implementing software by providing a data structure, providing a set of executable code components, incorporating a combination of the executable code components into the data structure by reference, and processing the data structure to implement a function defined by the incorporated combination of software components. For example, the invention may be implemented through a database for maintaining records and a set of executable code components that are located inside or outside the database. In addition, the data components may be expressed in a form in which each data component has an unambiguous meaning and cannot be subdivided without losing the entirety of the meaning of the original data. Similarly, the executable code components may be expressed in a form in which each executable code component cannot be subdivided without losing the entirety of the useful functionality of the original code.