An applet is small java program which are used by the web designers while programming. It is written in java programming language and is embedded in HTML. This can be a useful tool across many areas of web development and design. The website designers often make use of these applets to in their HTML web page as a tag called <applet> tag. When you load a page which contains an applet, the applet code is transmitted to your system which is executed by the browser's java virtual machine (JVM). Thus your browser needs to have a JVM machine in order to see this applet part. Generally all the web browsers have inbuilt java virtual machine.
The applets will make a web connection only to the computer from where it was sent. Web designers make use of applets as the chances of it getting attack by a virus are almost negligible. The reason is that they are so small that it hardly can fit anything else in them except its code. Most of the web designers ensure that they include the applets in there HTML code. The applets cannot access certain resources on the local machine like files and serial devices. The applet can only communicate to its local computer and not any computer available on the network. Web designers use applets when to want to execute a program from another application. An applet cannot be executed directly from the operating system like an application.
The popularity of applets increased more among the website developers especially after the demand of object linking and embedding (OLE). If the web designers design the applet in a proper way they can be invoked from many different applications. Because of its small size, good cross-platform compatibility is ensured. Applets are highly secure and robust. Web designers use them generally in their web pages for invoking small internet applications from a browser. Applets are basically standalone applications or you can say extension of other software. However, there are some applets which function like a normal software application if they are hosted by an operating system. But as they are small in size they will perform only small tasks.
Many a times, the applets do not run separately. They either require JVM or a plug-in or variety of different application that support the applet programming model in order to execute them. This depends on the way they are coded by web designers. Website designers use applets for various applications like flash movies, media player, internet explorer and various other browsers, and online games. The capabilities of an applet is restricted by the browser even web designers cannot do anything about this. A web site builder can implement a whole web component as an applet. One of the reasons why the web designers use them is because of its great functionality. Web designers also use them to provide interactive features to web applications that HTML fails to provide. Thus applets are used by web designers for its numerous benefits.
Any good web design company or web marketing services provider can give you more information about applets, or any other aspects of web design. Look for a good company in your area to help revamp your online image- a quick search for web design Australia or web design Melbourne will show you just how many reputable groups are out there. Shop around and choose a good web services provider and see how they can help you.