1. A method for controlling access to objects in a data processing application capable of exchanging data with at least one external unit, the objects being hierarchically structured and each of the objects being either locally available or retrievable from the external unit, said method comprising the steps of: associating a counter with each object indicating whether there is at least one object dependent on the object; appending a dummy dependent object to each locally available object having at least one object dependent on the locally available object that is retrievable from the external unit; responsive to the appending step, adjusting the counter, if necessary to indicate there is at least one object dependent on the object associated with the counter; selecting an object; checking the counter associated with the selected object; if the counter associated with the selected object indicates there is at least one object dependent on the selected object, then making accessible for a command, accessing an object dependent on the selected object, an object dependent on the selected object that is locally available and locking an access to an object dependent on the selected object which is retrievable from the external unit; an unlocking the access to the object dependent on the selected object that is retrievable from the external unit when all related information has been retrieved from the external unit.