A computer program for inventorying a items with attributes. The items are recorded as encoded items by the program. The program maintains a contents table with attribute records each with an identity field, a name field, and a value field. There is an interface for inputting and retrieving item attribute values. Each encoded item is assigned a unique identity value. Each encoded item is represented by one or more attribute records, each storing (1) the unique identity value in the identity field, (2) an attribute type value associated with a particular attribute in the name field, and (3) an encoded value associated with the particular attribute in the value field.