An application program is tightly coupled to a relational database without changing the software of the database management system. A first user defined function (udf) allocates a work area in the address space of the database management system. Then, a second udf embodying the computational steps of the application program undertakes the computational steps within the dbms work area and saves the results in the work area. Importantly, the second udf does not return an answer to the application program during the processing of records, thereby eliminating copying costs and context switch costs. When processing is complete, the results are transmitted to the application program and the work area is released.