A shared memory technology where shared objects can be used by any of multiple users, applications, or program sessions with programming language support during development and at runtime. The developer can declare shared memory behaviors at design time to cause one or more area classes to be generated for use at runtime. A shared objects memory is managed by the runtime environment. Content is stored at runtime in an area instance of an area class. Class methods to be generated that include methods for attaching and detaching a running session to and from an area instance, and for detaching a session from a change request on an area instance with a commit or a rollback. The runtime environment manages locks for area instances. There are programming language constructs for creating area instances and for creating data objects of arbitrary data type within area instances.