Method and apparatus for establishing an identity for an object in an object description language. A set of attribute values describing the object may be read from a data storage arrangement. Respective numerical hash values may be calculated for each attribute value of the set of attribute values, and a unique identifier may be formed as a function of the numerical hash values. A reference to the object may be created as a function of the unique identifier, and the reference used to establish an identity of the object in the object description language.