Provided are a method, system, and computer program product to generate references to reusable code in a schema. A program is coded in a first programming language having data structures, wherein at least one of the data structures includes a reference to reusable code. A model file is generated providing a source name identifying the reusable code, elements and attributes in a second programming language for the reference to the reusable code in the program. A generator is invoked with a reference to the model file. The invoked generator processes the data structure coded in the first programming language to generate a data structure schema in the computer readable medium in a second programming language describing elements and attributes of the data structure coded in the first programming language. A determination is made of instances of the source name indicated in the model file in the data structure. For the determined instances of the source name in the data structure, a reference in the data structure schema to the reusable code identified by the source name is generated, wherein the reference generated in the data structure schema includes the element and attribute information indicated in the model file.