Abstract: A method and a system for developing/customizing web-based collaborative applications are provided. The system is a scalable, secure, enterprise class software platform for web and email-based collaborative application. The system provides a platform to develop and customize as well as deploy these applications. The application engine of the system can leverage libraries of pre-existing applications or rapidly build entirely new that allow focusing on the solution to customer needs. A web-based application built employing the system's application engine is a composite of definitions of application components. Browser-based wizards are provided by the application engine of the system to define application component types. The application engine of the system also provides for combining/tying these application component types together.