16. A computer-implemented method comprising: providing a handle base class; receiving computer code, the computer code: defining one or more handle subclasses, where the one or more handle subclasses have a class hierarchy that includes the handle base class; constructing handle objects from the one or more handle subclasses; using the handle objects, where the handle objects are used exclusively through references to the handle objects; defining one or more non-handle base classes and one or more non-handle subclasses, where the one or more non-handle subclasses have a class hierarchy that includes at least one of the one or more non-handle base classes and does not include the handle base class; constructing non-handle objects from the one or more non-handle subclasses; and using the non-handle objects, where the non-handle objects are used exclusively by value; providing a first syntax for constructing both the handle objects and the non-handle objects; and providing a second syntax for using both the handle objects and the non-handle objects; processing, by a processor, the computer code, the processing producing results; and storing the results in a memory coupled to the processor.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the processing the computer program code further comprises: at least one of interpreting and compiling the computer program code.