A workstation architecture for one or more medical diagnostic instruments is provided using a modular approach. Elements common to operations for the instruments are grouped together as a set of service components that are made available to instrument specific software applications. Application developers can develop software specific to the instrument while accessing the common service components to speed software development. A user interface tool is provided to permit a customized user interface to be developed for the instrument, within a generally consistent interface environment. The resulting user interfaces have a consistent look and behavior among different instrument types to facilitate a simplified and familiar user experience. The common service components provide a broad variety of services that are useful to developers and are easily integrated with instrument specific software. Features such as language variability and secure access points are provided in a distributed environment.
