1. One or more computer-readable memories comprising executable instructions to cause a computer to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving, from a user of the computer, an explicit choice of language; providing, from an accounting application program that executes on said computer to a database that stores a first representation of a first data record, said choice of language, said first representation of said first data record being in a numeric form and not being written words of a spoken language; submitting, from said accounting application program, a query to said database; receiving, from said database, a request to provide information that describes how to convert from said first representation into said language; providing, to said database, a first file that defines a correspondence between first elements of said first representation and second elements of said language, wherein said first file is provided in response to said request, said first elements being numbers that represent concepts, said second elements being words in said language, said first file containing a table that indicates which of the numbers corresponds to a particular word in the language; receiving from said database, in response to said query, a second representation of said first data record, said second representation being in said language and comprising one of said second elements, said one of the second elements being one of the words in the language; and determining said user's choice of language based on a logon credential that is associated with said user, and that said database collects before allowing said user to access data in said database.