why do I need to enable "Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins" to see anapplet?

[Mark_Galeck]

Hello,

from what I've been taught in school, applets are "safe", in that
they
cannot modify the data on the target computer, so one can go to a
website and see an applet and there should be no security issues with
that. This is the whole concept and appeal of applets.


However, I have a sample applet on my website markgaleck.com, it is
very simple, it just displays "foo". I want everybody to be able to
see it without any problems. HOW??


In order to see it under IE7, I have to enable "Run ActiveX Controls
and plug-ins" in the security options. Then I see it. If I don't
enable this, I don't see it.


WHY?? This is an applet, does not do anything to your computer, does
not have anything to do with any ActiveX controls or plug-ins.


Is this my fault or is this MS IE fault or what? I would really like
to make an applet that anybody can see, even an idiot that does not
know anything about security settings. Anybody. HOW to do this??


Thank you for any insight.


Mark

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Hello,

from what I've been taught in school, applets are "safe", in that
they
cannot modify the data on the target computer, so one can go to a
website and see an applet and there should be no security issues with
that.  This is the whole concept and appeal of applets.

However, I have a sample applet on my website markgaleck.com, it is
very simple, it just displays "foo".  I want everybody to be able to
see it without any problems.  HOW??

In order to see it under IE7, I have to enable "Run ActiveX Controls
and plug-ins" in the security options.  Then I see it.  If I don't
enable this, I don't see it.

WHY??  

Microsoft. It's lawyers and tactics.

 

[Qu0ll]

Hello,

from what I've been taught in school, applets are "safe", in that
they
cannot modify the data on the target computer, so one can go to a
website and see an applet and there should be no security issues with
that. This is the whole concept and appeal of applets.


However, I have a sample applet on my website markgaleck.com, it is
very simple, it just displays "foo". I want everybody to be able to
see it without any problems. HOW??


In order to see it under IE7, I have to enable "Run ActiveX Controls
and plug-ins" in the security options. Then I see it. If I don't
enable this, I don't see it.


WHY?? This is an applet, does not do anything to your computer, does
not have anything to do with any ActiveX controls or plug-ins.


Is this my fault or is this MS IE fault or what? I would really like
to make an applet that anybody can see, even an idiot that does not
know anything about security settings. Anybody. HOW to do this??

Are you testing the applet by running it on your local machine? Try
googling "Mark of the Web".

--
And loving it,

-Qu0ll (Rare, not extinct)
_________________________________________________
(e-mail address removed)
[Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me]

 

[John W Kennedy]

In order to see it under IE7, I have to enable "Run ActiveX Controls
and plug-ins" in the security options. Then I see it. If I don't
enable this, I don't see it.

Because if you want to do business with organized crime (viz.,
Microsoft), this is the price you pay.

 

[Andreas Leitgeb]

Because if you want to do business with organized crime (viz.,
Microsoft), this is the price you pay.

As much as I like bashing M$, this isn't the right time.

Even plugins are never bug-free, despite their design-goals, and this
is one thing they (M$) made good: allow the users to judge the risk
themselves, and not confront them with full risk by default.

 

[Mark Space]

As much as I like bashing M$, this isn't the right time.

Even plugins are never bug-free, despite their design-goals, and this
is one thing they (M$) made good: allow the users to judge the risk
themselves, and not confront them with full risk by default.

True. The best plug-in for Fire Fox is No-Script, which disables all
scripts on all pages until you specifically ok them. Makes most
browsing faster, and also does prevent the occasional malware or buggy
mess. Not to mention blaring music or seizure inducing advert.

The best recourse for the OP is just to write HTML that asks the user to
enable JavaScript if they wish to view the applet. Then have the applet
overwrite that message when it runs successfully.

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

from what I've been taught in school, applets are "safe", in that
they
cannot modify the data on the target computer, so one can go to a
website and see an applet and there should be no security issues with
that. This is the whole concept and appeal of applets.

However, I have a sample applet on my website markgaleck.com, it is
very simple, it just displays "foo". I want everybody to be able to
see it without any problems. HOW??

In order to see it under IE7, I have to enable "Run ActiveX Controls
and plug-ins" in the security options. Then I see it. If I don't
enable this, I don't see it.

WHY?? This is an applet, does not do anything to your computer, does
not have anything to do with any ActiveX controls or plug-ins.

Is this my fault or is this MS IE fault or what? I would really like
to make an applet that anybody can see, even an idiot that does not
know anything about security settings. Anybody. HOW to do this??

My understanding is that MSIE only allows ActiveX plugins and
that Java applet plugin is implemented as an ActiveX plugin.

Applet .class/.jar---(applet API)---Java plugin .dll---(ActiveX API)---MSIE

If my understanding is correct, then it makes sense what you are seeing.

Arne

 

[Donkey Hottie]

The best recourse for the OP is just to write HTML that asks the user to
enable JavaScript if they wish to view the applet. Then have the applet
overwrite that message when it runs successfully.

Enable JavaScript? For an applet?

 

[Mark Space]

Enable JavaScript? For an applet?

Yes, almost every modern applet I've seen in the last year has some sort
of dynamic interaction with the web page that's done with JavaScript.
It's just the direction modern pages are going.

You don't have to use JavaScript just for the applet itself of course,
but if you want it to do interact with the page, or you want to
dynamically pass parameters or other configuration, JavaScript is
required. Consequently, most applets don't run at all with out their
JavaScript kicker nowadays.

 

[Roedy Green]

from what I've been taught in school, applets are "safe", in that
they
cannot modify the data on the target computer, so one can go to a
website and see an applet and there should be no security issues with
that. This is the whole concept and appeal of applets.

That is correct. However Microsoft has been doing everything it could
from day 1 to derail Java. This is its latest salvo. They do this
because Microsoft's strategy is to lock users and developers into
quirky Microsoft OSes and languages. Java lets programs developed for
Windows run elsewhere, including Sun hardware, and mainframes.

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

Isn't it more likely that the Java plugin uses ActiveX technology, that being
pretty much the only way you can embed stuff in IE?

Much more.

But why let facts get in the way for some MS bashing.

Arne

 

[John W Kennedy]

Isn't it more likely that the Java plugin uses ActiveX technology, that being
pretty much the only way you can embed stuff in IE?

Hey, why should IE plug-ins be allowed to use the de-facto standard
browser plug-in API? Anyone who has the effrontery to support non-MS
software needs to be punished!

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

That is correct. However Microsoft has been doing everything it could
from day 1 to derail Java. This is its latest salvo. They do this
because Microsoft's strategy is to lock users and developers into
quirky Microsoft OSes and languages. Java lets programs developed for
Windows run elsewhere, including Sun hardware, and mainframes.

The changes in IE affect all ActiveX components not just Java applet
plugin.

So it is not an action specifically against Java.

Arne