Apparatus and method for linking objects created in a rapid application development environment

1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

invoke a rapid application development graphical user interface to define fields associated with a set of objects;

facilitate the creation of new objects derived from the set of objects using the rapid application development graphical user interface to select existing fields of the set of objects and define new object fields;

associate tabs with the new objects; and

select a set of tabs to create a new application.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to associate selected objects of the set of objects and the new objects with an additional application.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the rapid application development graphical user interface is a browser accessed home page displaying tabs.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the rapid application development graphical user interface includes data input controls.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein the data input controls are selected from text entry boxes, check boxes, buttons, linking controls, drop down menus, and radio buttons.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein the data input controls have attribute properties.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein the attribute properties comprise at least three attribute properties selected from a hide attribute, a required attribute, an auto-load attribute, a data lookup attribute, a read-only attribute, a data format attribute, a default values attribute, a formulas attribute, a data visibility security attribute, and an edit privilege security attribute.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein the attribute properties facilitate the depiction of fields within generated graphical user interfaces.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein the attribute properties control role based access.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to associate an object with a version number.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprising executable instructions to create a set of versioned objects, wherein each versioned object has a common set of base fields.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprising executable instructions to associate a designated object with one version number with a first application and the designated object with a second version number with a different application.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to associate an object with a state selected from a test state and an active state.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to specify rules associated with an object.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the rules are expressed within decision tables.

16. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

invoke a rapid application development graphical user interface to define fields associated with a set of objects;

facilitate the creation of new objects that define fields using the rapid application development graphical user interface to define a set of fields based on a provided set of data input controls;

associate tabs with the new objects; and

select a set of tabs to create a new application.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 further comprising executable instructions to associate selected objects of the set of objects and the new objects with an additional application.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the rapid application development graphical user interface is a browser accessed home page displaying tabs.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the data input controls have attribute properties.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the attribute properties control role based access.