How to map data from other languages to java

We have to store data from some flat files that is created using IBM's Ab-Initio product. They have their own datatypes that I need to map to java data-types while I process that data in java.

Does anyone know what would a good technique to do so ? Are their any java APIs to do so ?

simplest technique I have in mind is to create a map of Ab-Initio to Java type after checking the size in Ab-Initio and choosing datatype that represents that size and type in Java.

Any inputs are appreciated !

Thanks, -JJ

When converting data between various languages I like to stick to a couple basic data structures which seem to be able to handle any type of data:

1. Primitives - for storing basic values like strings and numbers.
2. Maps - for associating properties with values for an object.
3. Lists - for storing sequences of primitives and objects.

Of course, in Java, it's canonical to create an object with bean properties instead of a Map when the full domain of attributes is known.