1. One or more computer-readable storage media containing executable instructions that, when implemented, perform a method comprising: a) receiving a self-descriptive dictionary object comprising: at least one data item, wherein the data item comprises a name, a type, and a value; data representing an address of at least one location of a type indicator of the at least one data item, the address comprising at least one of an address of a sending application, an address of a message queuing network, an address of a local process, and an address of a remote process; a count of the at least one data item; at least one first instruction to manipulate the at least one data item; at least one second instruction to serialize the self-descriptive dictionary object; and at least one third instruction to deserialize the self-descriptive dictionary object; b) invoking the at least one third instruction to deserialize the self-descriptive dictionary object; c) sending the deserialized self-descriptive dictionary object to an application; and d) discovering by the application an unknown type identifier; e) in response to discovering an unknown type identifier, the application sending a query to the address of the at least one location of a type indicator of the at least one data item in response to discovering an unknown type identifier.