1. A method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, instructions for extracting, transforming, and loading data; identifying, by the computing device, a plurality of data processing activities based on the instructions; determining, by the computing device and based on the instructions, a processing sequence for performing the plurality of data processing activities; creating, by the computing device, a plurality of processing objects corresponding to the plurality of data processing activities, each one of the plurality of processing objects including a discrete data structure that is produced by performing a corresponding one of the plurality of data processing activities; and performing, by the computing device, the plurality of data processing activities in accordance with the processing sequence and by using the plurality of processing objects.