Abstract: A visual, component-based construction method and apparatus combines the step of constructing the software of a graphical user interface, the step of defining the relational database, and the step of constructing the application logic of a software application into a single step, thereby shortening the time to develop a software application. The addition of a graphical user interface (GUI) component to a GUI container component and setting the property values of the added component constructs the software of a GUI, relational database and application logic of a computer software application in one step. State-based control flow between GUI forms of a software application is implemented by making each icon representing a component in a visual, component-based software development tool a type declaration keyword in a visual, object-oriented, logic programming language.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a person to create tables in a relational database and use a relational database while maintaining referential integrity without explicitly specifying primary keys, foreign keys, referential integrity constraints on foreign keys, and common columns. A new column data type, link, combined with a link column naming method is used to implicitly identify the primary key, foreign keys and primary key referenced by each foreign key. Primary key values are automatically generated and immutable. Foreign key values are only set via implicit common columns. A table-level cascade delete constraint declaration is part of the definition of a parent table.