Applet Basics

• Applets are embedded in a normal HTML page.  So, you start with the typical HTML tags.
• You have to tell it where to get the applet, and where to put the applet.  You can also pass in parameters to the applet.
• Your page can still have any other HTML features, including JavaScript, graphics, and other applets.  As a matter of fact, there's a protocol for letting one applet on a page communicate with another.
• Some browsers come with a JVM, but the version can vary.  Others don't come with JVMs at all.  So, you have to download the Java Plug-In.
• The problem is, to use the features we've used, you have to use version 1.3.  But if you are programming for a wide audience, you have to go way back to 1.0, which has many limitations over 1.3!  Consider carefully the use of applets, and whether or not you can perform the same task with something else.  You often can, with HTML forms, JavaScript, layers, and DHTML.
• Could this be what has led to the demise of applets of late?
• But, if you are working in a controlled environment, say a company intranet or a classroom, applets might be the right solution.


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Created by:  Brandan Jones February 15, 2002