1. A method of applying a theme in a computer system having a graphical operating system and applications running thereon comprising: receiving a user request to use a user selected theme defined by a text theme file; creating a binary file from the text theme file; loading the binary file into a shared memory area, capable of being shared by all applications; notifying running applications that there is a new theme; receiving a handle update request from a running application, the request having an application name; searching for the application name in the binary file; determining if the application name is in the binary file; locating a theme handle in the binary file if the application name exists in the binary file; and returning the located theme handle to the requesting application whereby theme properties can be applied to the application.