Multiple database access server for application programs

A method and apparatus for providing access to database data by applications programs executing on a computer system wherein a database bucket mechanism is interposed between one or more application programs and one or more databases. The bucket mechanism is comprised of an applications interface communicating with each of the applications programs in their native modes and a bucket engine generating buckets containing bucket objects. Each bucket represents a group or class of database data members and contains one or more bucket data objects containing members of the databases, a database object mapping the bucket data object to the databases and an access object containing methods for accessing the databases in their native modes. Buckets and bucket data objects are constructed by the bucket engine according to information stored in an object map and a table map.