Techniques for binding a data exchange format with a computer program application having source code in a particular language include receiving comment data from a particular file that includes the source code. The comment data includes first data indicating a parameter of the data exchange format. Second data from the particular file is also received. The second data is associated with the comment data and includes a statement that defines a class of data objects in the particular language. Based on the first data and the second data, third data for configuring the data exchange format is generated. When the particular language is Java and the data exchange format is XML, these techniques allow a developer to automatically produce an XML grammar document that is based on Java data objects defined by the developer and that is responsive to the developer's choices for options in the XML grammar. Individual classes or multiple nested classes are handled.