A unified theory is presented for the shape analysis of curved surface with a single layer structure composed by frame, membrane or shell. The shapes produced by the theory have no shear stress in elements, and the stress states in the whole shape are as uniform as possible under an ordinary load. The theory starts from defining an element potential function expressed by the measurement of the element length or the element area. Therefore, the shape analysis can produce various forms according to the definition of the potential function, and each of those form or the cable net form with the potential function of the second power of element length is simply gotten by the linear analysis. The form in tensile stress is mechanically equal to an isotropic tension form.