In a server system coupled to at least one client system, a method for synchronizing a user interface (UI) presentation to be displayed to a user of the client system to a UI description maintained by the server system, the method comprising the steps of: converting the UI description into one or more UI object definitions; storing each UI object definition in a document; and, transmitting the document to the client system; the client system adapted to convert the UI object definitions to UI objects to generate the UI presentation.