System wide data type system?

[Klas Lindberg <klasa@master.hl.lu.se>]

Is there any kind of system wide data type system in the works for linux 
(like the ones found in AmigaOS and BeOS). Such a mechanism would 
essentially eliminate the need for programs like c2p (by introducing 
modular translators) and be a very handy desktop functionality (drop this 
icon for that debian package onto LyX or whatever and the dataTypeManager 
kicks in and ask you if you want a TeX description of the stuff in the 
package). Sounds neat? I always wonder why so few OS'es implement such 
wonders.


/klasa