A method to provide support for complex constants in a run-time environment, the method comprising: identifying, within a set of program instructions, an instruction to load a complex constant; identifying, based on the instruction to load the complex constant, a first entry (500, 600) associated with the complex constant in a data structure that identifies one or more constants used by a program, wherein the first entry (500, 600) specifies at least: constant data (501, 601) representing a plurality of constant components, and a first set of instructions (502, 604) for assembling one of (i) a complex value that is an aggregate containing one or more of the plurality of constant components, or (ii) a partial complex value that is an aggregate containing one or more of the plurality of constant components and one or more variable components; executing the first set of instructions (502, 604) to assemble the complex value or the partial complex value from the constant data (501, 601); storing a particular value of the complex constant or a reference to the particular value of the complex constant onto a run-time data structure used to pass values or references between sets of instructions executing in the run-time environment, wherein the particular value is either the complex value assembled from the constant data, or the result of a combination of the partial complex value with values of the one or more variable components, wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. identifying, within a set of program instructions, an instruction to load a complex constant; identifying, based on the instruction to load the complex constant, a first entry (500, 600) associated with the complex constant in a data structure that identifies one or more constants used by a program, wherein the first entry (500, 600) specifies at least: constant data (501, 601) representing a plurality of constant components, and a first set of instructions (502, 604) for assembling one of (i) a complex value that is an aggregate containing one or more of the plurality of constant components, or (ii) a partial complex value that is an aggregate containing one or more of the plurality of constant components and one or more variable components; constant data (501, 601) representing a plurality of constant components, and a first set of instructions (502, 604) for assembling one of (i) a complex value that is an aggregate containing one or more of the plurality of constant components, or (ii) a partial complex value that is an aggregate containing one or more of the plurality of constant components and one or more variable components; executing the first set of instructions (502, 604) to assemble the complex value or the partial complex value from the constant data (501, 601); storing a particular value of the complex constant or a reference to the particular value of the complex constant onto a run-time data structure used to pass values or references between sets of instructions executing in the run-time environment, wherein the particular value is either the complex value assembled from the constant data, or the result of a combination of the partial complex value with values of the one or more variable components, wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.