Abstract: Method of programming an information processing system having a plurality of data processing devices connected with a network and having access to data stored in complex structures, such as sets or trees, including providing a programming language on said information processing system in which data types of variables used therein are defined by the content of the variables, allowing program variables used with said programming language to be defined without assigning a predetermined data type thereto, developing application programs of the network management type using said programming language, manipulating said complex data structures using said application programs by requesting and receiving data from said complex data structures without designating particular data types of the data to be received, and providing a language interpreter for said programming language on each of said plurality of data processing devices.