applets

[bob smith]

Do any serious Java developers still work on applets? Or are they pretty much dead?

 

[Knute Johnson]

Do any serious Java developers still work on applets? Or are they pretty much dead?

I don't know if they are serious but there are still lots of Java
Applets being created and deployed.

 

[markspace]

Do any serious Java developers still work on applets? Or are they
pretty much dead?

I like Knute's answer. Applets seem to be used occasionally, where
nothing else will do. However it seems to me the deployment to users
mechanism is still kinda clunky, and therefore applets tend to be
avoided. Applets are still heavyweight relative to alternatives like
Flash, HTML5 and JavaScript. They boot more slowly, and therefore are
perceived to provide a lesser user experience.

 

[Stefan Ram]

However it seems to me the deployment to users mechanism is
still kinda clunky, and therefore applets tend to be avoided.

I never understood the decline of applets. Last time I
asked, I was told IIRC that the problems had to do with
upward or downward compatibility. (Possibly some old applets
were not running with newer Java versions?) But IIRC no one
did mention the deployment. So I get the impression that it
is not really obvious what the actual problem with applets
is. Recently some security problems with Java made it into
the press. So nowadays one might even give this as a reason.

To me, the problems are more in the realm of HTML
integration: Applets usually have a fixed size like an
image, while HTML documents are free size. People want to
script the HTML doc model and while this is possible with a
Java applet using a JavaScript interface layer it is not
directly supported. Java Applets instead should have direct
support for a HTML document as their primary user interface,
even to the point where for output of graphics embedded
pictures (for example GIF images) are created on the fly.

On could still start to do this today with HTML 5. All
that is done today with JavaScript should also be possible
with Java.

 

[Knute Johnson]

I never understood the decline of applets. Last time I
asked, I was told IIRC that the problems had to do with
upward or downward compatibility. (Possibly some old applets
were not running with newer Java versions?) But IIRC no one
did mention the deployment. So I get the impression that it
is not really obvious what the actual problem with applets
is. Recently some security problems with Java made it into
the press. So nowadays one might even give this as a reason.

To me, the problems are more in the realm of HTML
integration: Applets usually have a fixed size like an
image, while HTML documents are free size. People want to
script the HTML doc model and while this is possible with a
Java applet using a JavaScript interface layer it is not
directly supported. Java Applets instead should have direct
support for a HTML document as their primary user interface,
even to the point where for output of graphics embedded
pictures (for example GIF images) are created on the fly.

On could still start to do this today with HTML 5. All
that is done today with JavaScript should also be possible
with Java.

Isn't that a lot of the stuff that JavaFX is supposed to do?

 

[Nasser M. Abbasi]

Do any serious Java developers still work on applets? Or are they pretty much dead?

I now use Mathematica to make applets.

These are written in Mathematica though, not Java.

They run in the browser, and need a plugin installed (like
with Java). there are now 8,000 applets at this site to run

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/

I've written applets in Java, and I found that it is easier/faster
for me to make an applet using Mathematica than with Java.

There is really limited options for make applets that
run in the browser. The ones I know about are:

1. Java applets
2. Mathematica
3. Flash
4. HTML5-Javascript
5. JavaFx
6. Microsoft Silverlight

--Nasser

 

[Roedy Green]

Do any serious Java developers still work on applets? Or are they pretty much dead?

The advantage is people can play with them without any commitment to
install. They require no skill to use. You just start clicking. You
would be amazed how many people who call themselves Java programmers
cannot unzip a jar and run it.
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com
Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming.
~ Brian W. Kernighan 1942-01-01
..

 

[Lew]

bob smith wrote, quoted or indirectly quoted someone who said :

The advantage is people can play with them without any commitment to
install. They require no skill to use. You just start clicking. You
would be amazed how many people who call themselves Java programmers
cannot unzip a jar and run it.

Or run it without unzipping it.

 

[David Lamb]

The advantage is people can play with them without any commitment to
install. They require no skill to use. You just start clicking.

You can "just start clicking" with Java Web Start as well, as long as
you've installed a Java implementation. ISTR that Sun introduced JWS in
part because browser implementations of Java (as used by applets)
weren't keeping up with changes and at the time in particular often
didn't have any of the javax.* packages.

 

[Roedy Green]

Or run it without unzipping it.

what I meant was unzip a bundle including an executable jar.
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com
Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming.
~ Brian W. Kernighan 1942-01-01
..

 

[Roedy Green]

You can "just start clicking" with Java Web Start as well, as long as
you've installed a Java implementation. ISTR that Sun introduced JWS in
part because browser implementations of Java (as used by applets)
weren't keeping up with changes and at the time in particular often
didn't have any of the javax.* packages.

The fool JRE does not install JWS properly, putting links to javaw.exe
in the browsers and setting up an association. This is a roadblock to
newbie use.

The other problem is the user has to wait while a new JVM loads.

The big advantage is you run outside the browser. So it works without
interference or tweaking. It also slickly handles JNI for you, even
better than a standalone app. It also handles auto-updates.

I wish Oracle would fix up that install problem, then JWS could really
take off.

--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com
Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming.
~ Brian W. Kernighan 1942-01-01
..

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

Do any serious Java developers still work on applets? Or are they pretty much dead?

Applets are still used but are relative rare.

Modern HTML/CSS/JS can do a lot.

If that is not sufficient then both Flash/Flex and Silverlight
seems to be preferred by most.

But if you like Java, then applets is certainly still a possibility.

And in fact they may survive both Flash/Flex and Silverlight as
Adobe and MS are focusing on HTML5 now.

Arne

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

However it seems to me the deployment to users
mechanism is still kinda clunky, and therefore applets tend to be
avoided. Applets are still heavyweight relative to alternatives like
Flash, HTML5 and JavaScript. They boot more slowly, and therefore are
perceived to provide a lesser user experience.

That is certainly a common perception.

But I am not convinced that there is so much reality behind it.

Arne

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

I never understood the decline of applets. Last time I
asked, I was told IIRC that the problems had to do with
upward or downward compatibility. (Possibly some old applets
were not running with newer Java versions?) But IIRC no one
did mention the deployment. So I get the impression that it
is not really obvious what the actual problem with applets
is. Recently some security problems with Java made it into
the press. So nowadays one might even give this as a reason.

To me, the problems are more in the realm of HTML
integration: Applets usually have a fixed size like an
image, while HTML documents are free size. People want to
script the HTML doc model and while this is possible with a
Java applet using a JavaScript interface layer it is not
directly supported. Java Applets instead should have direct
support for a HTML document as their primary user interface,
even to the point where for output of graphics embedded
pictures (for example GIF images) are created on the fly.

On could still start to do this today with HTML 5. All
that is done today with JavaScript should also be possible
with Java.

I think the reasons are:
1) Fashion - Java applets are not fashionable today.
2) Lack of need today:
- for simple menus etc. HTML/CSS/JS works fine so no need for
a plugin at all
- for fancy graphical stuff Flash/Flex and SL are simply considered
better (JavaFX came very late)
so that laves relative little for Java applets

Arne