From:  "Kester, Rush W." <[log in to unmask]>

> As I understand, Java has two classes of data types: primitives and objects.

Right (actually, primitives and classes).  (Is it endemic to languages
that claim to be "pure OO" to equivocate at this point and have special
rules for "class objects" vs. "primitive objects"?  Don't get me started
on "pure OO" again!  Sorry, my fault... I know that's not what you were
asking about... :-)

> The first is a very tiny set that includes char, boolean, int, double,
> short, and just a few others. The second is a gigantic set, which includes
> all the thousands of classes in all the Java standard libraries.

Actually it is an infinite set which includes all of the types that a user
can define.  Part of that set, as you say, is the JDK classes.

> Is this
> second category available from Ada (or from any other language, for that
> matter)?

If you mean, can you bind to Java classes from Ada?  Yes.  If you mean,
is there a binding to the JDK, again the answer is yes.

> Also, I'd very much like to have a URL to a source where I can read more.
> 

Try
    http://www.ainslie-software.com/adajni/adajni.htm

Also you might check w/ Averstar (ne้ Intemetrics).

Good luck!


-- 

Mark Lundquist
Senior Software Engineer
Rational Software
Development Solutions Business Unit
UNIX Suites Group
Aloha, OR, USA