Abstract: Described are methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a flexible development platform. The system aspect includes a hierarchical data modeling system, which itself includes a number of data modeling system base data types, a structure class comprising one or more complex data types. There is also an encoding module. In the first structure class, each complex data type includes the data modeling system base data types or another structure class. The encoding module converts the one or more complex data types of the first structure class into a form using only the data modeling system base types.