1. An application object for a supervisory process control and manufacturing information system application distributable to a plurality of networked computer devices and having a layered architecture, the application object comprising: a set of text entries listed in a first language; a set of dictionaries within each object drafted to enable the set of text entries to be translated into a plurality of languages; and a set of one or more translation fields for storing text in each of the plurality of languages corresponding to the set of text entries listed in the first language.