  The set of externally visible properties associated with process variables in
the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) is predefined in
the EPICS base distribution and is therefore not extensible by plug-compatible
applications. We believe that this approach, while practical for early versions
of the system with a smaller user base, is now severely limiting expansion of
the high-level application tool set for EPICS. To eliminate existing barriers,
we propose a new C++ based interface to abstract containerized data. This paper
describes the new interface, its application to message passing in distributed
systems, its application to direct communication between tightly coupled
programs co-resident in an address space, and its paramount position in an
emerging role for EPICS - the integration of dissimilar systems.
