Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating runtime entities in a visual modeling environment. A method includes providing designtime graphical modeling language entities for use in a visual modeling program, receiving input defining an application definition at designtime as including at least a first and second designtime entities as components of a designtime version of the application, and generating runtime entities of the application. The designtime graphical modeling language entities include the first and second designtime entities, and the first designtime entity has an associated first runtime entity precompiled for a first platform. The input includes a configuration of properties of the first and second designtime entities, and generating the runtime entities includes setting properties of the first runtime entity in accordance with the configuration of properties of the first designtime entity.