The present invention provides methods for facilitating the sharing of data structures in a software application written using both a high level programming language and assembly language. Methods are provided for defining a data structure in an assembly language program such that the data structure is created in exact conformance to the physical and logical memory layout mandated for a comparable data structure by a compiler for a high level language. Such methods comprise providing assembly language directives that cause the assembler to automatically adapt a data structure definition to the alignment constraints imposed by the high level language compiler.