Write Up On Tech Geek History: Java Applets

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Significance of the Study

APPLET ARCHITECTURE

When you write a Java application for time series data, you use the JDBC Driver to connect to the database, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 1. Runtime architecture for Java programs that connect to a database

The Java application makes calls to the JDBC driver, which sends queries and other SQL statements to the database. The database sends query results to the JDBC driver, which sends them on to the Java application.

You can also use the time series Java classes in Java applets and servlets, as shown in the following figures.

Figure 2. Runtime architecture for a Java applet

The database server is connected to the JDBC driver, which is connected to the applet. The applet is also connected to a browser, which is connected to a web server that communicates with the database.

A request from an application goes through a web server, an HTTP servlet subclass, and the JDBC driver to the database. The database sends responses back along the same path.

What Is Applet In Java?  

A Java application that is integrated into a webpage is called an applet. It functions as a front-end and is run within the web computer. It makes a page more interactive and dynamic by operating inside the web browser. Applets are hosted on web servers and inserted into HTML pages via the OBJECT or APPLET tags.

It can be compared to a tiny application that runs on the address bar. In addition to updating content in real-time and responding to human input, it may also play basic puzzles or graphics.

The Life Cycle Of An Applet

The process by which an object is developed, launched, halted, and demolished throughout an application’s implementation is known as the applet life cycle in Java. In essence, it has five main methods: paint(), destroy(), stop(), init(), and start().The browser calls these methods in order to perform their 

actions.

1. Init()- The init() function is the first to be executed and is responsible for initializing the applet. It can only be called once throughout the startup process. The initialized objects are created by the web browser, which executes the init() function located inside the applet after confirming the authentication setting.

2. Start()- This function launches the applet and includes the applet’s real code. It begins directly following the call to the init() function. The start() function is called each time the browser loads or refreshes. Additionally, it is triggered when the applet is relaunched, improved, or switched across tabs in the web interface. Until the init() function is used, it is in an idle state.

3. Stop()- The applet’s execution is terminated by using the stop() function. Every time the applet is minimized, paused, or switched between tabs on the web page, the stop() function is triggered. Again, the start() function is called when we return to that page.

4. Destroy()- Once the applet completes its task, the destroy() function terminates it. When the webpage-containing tab closes, or the applet window closes, it is triggered. It is performed just once and expunges the applet data from RAM. We can’t restart the applet after it’s been deleted.

5. Paint()- The Java Graphics class contains the paint() function. It is employed in the applet to draw forms like squares, circles, trapeziums, and so on. It runs following the call to the start() function and whenever the web page or applet display resizes.

Types of Applets

Java applets can be classified as either local or remote, depending on where they are stored and how easily they can be accessed.

1. Local Applet

We will write the Local Applet ourselves and then integrate it into websites. A local applet is created locally and kept on the local machine. When a web page detects a local applet in the Java system’s memory, it does not need to obtain data directly from the internet in order to function. It is defined or provided by the pathname or folder name. When constructing an applet, two properties are used: the source folder, which defines the path name, and the code itself, which defines the filename containing the applet’s programming.

2. Remote Applet

The remote applet is stored or accessible on another computer that is linked to the world over the internet. We must have internet access on the system to be able to obtain and use the applet that resides on the other machine. We need to be familiar with a remote applet’s Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or web location in order to find and download it.

Simple Applet Program In Java

“Hello, World” is a well-known illustration of a basic applet program in Java. The code is as follows:

Java

Advantages Of Java Applets

1. Interaction With Browsers

Through a smooth integration with online sites, applets let viewers engage with dynamic information without exiting the browser. This results in improved customer service while eliminating the need to obtain and set up separate programs.

2. Diminished Server Traffic

Local execution of the applet’s code allows functionality to occur on the front end or the user’s workstation. In doing so, the server’s workload is lessened, and it can process more inquiries and users at once.

3. Availability

Applets may adjust to changing frequency bands and computing power. They can be compact and quick to load for users with poorer interactions while providing more capability for those with greater capabilities.

Disadvantages Of Java Applets

1. Utilizing Excessive Performance And Resources

A common complaint about Java applets is their resource use, particularly with complicated ones. In certain situations, they can even cause crashes, hinder browser performance, and deplete the gadget’s batteries. This slowness and waste of resources are not acceptable in today’s performance-driven online environment.

Examples of Java Applet

Java Applets, small applications that ran within a web browser, have mostly been discontinued since their peak usage in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, here are three real-world examples from when Java Applets were more commonly used in digital marketing:

Website Games: Many businesses and marketers used Java Applets to create engaging and interactive games on their websites. This provided a way to showcase their products or services in a fun and interactive manner while attracting potential customers to their sites. For example, a company selling sports equipment could have an interactive sports game using Java Applets to drive user engagement and encourage them to explore the company’s offerings further.

Interactive Banners: Java Applets were used to create interactive banner ads on websites. These ads were more engaging than static banners, capturing the user’s attention and prompting them to take specific actions like filling out contact forms, subscribing to newsletters, or navigating to the advertiser’s website. This was an effective digital marketing tactic at the time, as interactive ads increase user interaction and engagement with a brand or product.

Financial Tools: Financial services companies often used Java Applets for interactive, real-time stock market charts, mortgage calculators, and other financial tools embedded on their websites. This allowed potential clients to access and manipulate financial data easily, making these companies’ services more attractive and user-friendly. By providing valuable tools and resources for free, businesses were able to establish trust and credibility while indirectly promoting their services through digital marketing.

Examples of Java Applet

Java Applets, small applications that ran within a web browser, have mostly been discontinued since their peak usage in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, here are three real-world examples from when Java Applets were more commonly used in digital marketing:

Website Games: Many businesses and marketers used Java Applets to create engaging and interactive games on their websites. This provided a way to showcase their products or services in a fun and interactive manner while attracting potential customers to their sites. For example, a company selling sports equipment could have an interactive sports game using Java Applets to drive user engagement and encourage them to explore the company’s offerings further.

Interactive Banners: Java Applets were used to create interactive banner ads on websites. These ads were more engaging than static banners, capturing the user’s attention and prompting them to take specific actions like filling out contact forms, subscribing to newsletters, or navigating to the advertiser’s website. This was an effective digital marketing tactic at the time, as interactive ads increase user interaction and engagement with a brand or product.

Financial Tools: Financial services companies often used Java Applets for interactive, real-time stock market charts, mortgage calculators, and other financial tools embedded on their websites. This allowed potential clients to access and manipulate financial data easily, making these companies’ services more attractive and user-friendly. By providing valuable tools and resources for free, businesses were able to establish trust and credibility while indirectly promoting their services through digital marketing.

Concept of the Problem

The Death of Java Applets

There were so many, many problems with applets.

Beginning in 2013, major web browsers began to phase out support for the underlying technology applets used to run, with applets becoming completely unable to be run by 2015–2017. Java applets were deprecated by Java 9 in 2017

  • Security was always an issue. Applets ran within the sandbox security model preventing them from accessing things like files on the hard drive, network connections and so on. Often what an applet needed to do required additional privileges, which required a trusted, signed applet and for the user to grant permission through a dialog. Most users didn’t understand the implications of this so simply accepted any applet that wanted additional privileges leading to obvious exploits.
  • The applet execution environment through browser plugins and APIs was also a perennial security problem. The majority of security related issues that Java has had over the years have been in this area.

In 2013, all the major browser providers started to phase out support for the underlying technology used by applets (primarily the NPAPI). By 2017, it was impossible to run an applet in a modern browser. At the same time, Oracle announced, with the release of JDK 9, that applets were being deprecated. With the release of JDK 11, in 2018, the browser plugin was removed from the Oracle JDK.

Although the java.applet package is still part of the Java SE specification, all classes have been deprecated since JDK 9. The browser plugin and applet viewer standalone tool are not part of the OpenJDK reference implementation so it is not possible to build these from open-source.

For anyone who is still using applets in production, the only possibility for further updates would seem to be to purchase a Java SE Subscription from Oracle and continue using JDK

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