1. A computer-implemented method for enabling a plurality of computer assemblies in a framework to reference an external component outside of the framework, comprising: a) receiving metadata corresponding to the external component from each of the plurality of computer assemblies; b) selectively storing, in a unified types object, the received metadata, based on whether the metadata was previously received by another assembly of the plurality of computer assemblies; and c) in response to determining an invocation of the external component by an assembly of the plurality of assemblies, employing the stored metadata in the unified types object to facilitate invoking the external component.