1. A method for communicating information between network elements in accordance with a set of directives, including the steps of: providing a first network element; and installing a first communications software module onto said first network element, said first communications software module is configured to execute communications functionality according to a communications interface specification having a core portion and an extensible portion, said extensible portion is configured to incorporate a first set of directives, said first set of directives including one or more modules of directives, where said communications functionality performs actions that include receiving and transmitting a first set of message types that are configured to incorporate particular types and structures of data, and where said message types incorporating said particular types and structures of data are defined by directives within said first set of directives; and operating said first communications software module to perform said actions; where said particular types and structures of data are expressed by an object oriented programming language and represented as one or more data only object classes residing within a class hierarchy, said class hierarchy having a structure that is expressed in said object oriented programming language; and where said first communications software module is represented by a first set of source code of a programming language and where said first set of directives is not represented by a programming language and where a software generator program inputs said first set of directives and generates a portion of said first set of source code in response to said directives.