1. In a computer system providing an application authoring environment, a method of creating an application characterized by: authoring an application; converting said application into a master application template, including the step of creating at least one metadata item associated with the master application template that specifies a scope of allowable modification of at least one attribute; creating a child application template from said master application template, including the steps of: copying said master application template and designating the copy as a putative child application template, said putative child application template associated with the at least one metadata item having a designated scope of allowable modification; and in said putative child application template, altering the at least one metadata item to specify a reduced scope of allowable modification of the at least one attribute to create a child application template; and creating an application from said child application template.