The present invention relates to a method and computer system to store customization specifications for computer software as data in a database. The customization information includes labels, error messages, help, security, and client preferences, such as display preferences. Because this information is stored as data, it is possible for a user to maintain multilingual labels, different error messages, context-sensitive help messages (both error and help messages are also multilingual), security, and user preferences, such as display preferences, as data, rather than placing a request for a computer applications developer to modify procedural code.