Java Applet

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Java Applets allow you to imbed a program directly into a browser. The user simply has to visit your website to view the applet. Applets can be used to display graphics, animation and produce sound/music. Applets can be very useful for displaying advertisements on web sites or providing a greater deal of interactivity than an HTML page alone can provide.

Although applets can be used for a variety of multimedia purposes, they are rarely used for this purpose. Macromedia Flash is the more common choice for animation/multimedia web applications. Additionally, Microsoft Internet Explorer, currently the most popular browser, does not include support for the latest version of Java applets, by default. Due to these factors, the use of applets has become somewhat restricted in the last few years.

Because an applet runs in the web browser, an applet cannot make changes to the user’s local computer. This means that it is difficult for an applet to save any information entered by the user. The applet does not have the option of saving files on the user’s computer. The only thing that an applet can do with entered data is to submit it back to the website.

This book will not cover Java Applets. Figure 1.3 shows a Java applet.

Figure 1.3: A Java Applet

When to use a Java Applet

• When your application should run directly with a website
• When your application enhances the use of a website
• Applications that display animation that should be quickly accessed form a website

Limitations of a Java Applet

• Applets cannot save data to the user’s disk
• Applets can not make use of the latest Java technology on Internet Explorer.