Design Consideration for Java Applet

Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines, second edition.

Copyright 2001. Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

When establishing applications, we need to consider delivery, accessibility to user, and suits a global audience with minimal effort to localize.

When deciding between an application and an applet, the two main issues you need to consider are distribution and security, including read and write permissions. For applet we must also decide whether to display it in the user's current browser window or in a separate browser window.

Distribution
It is simple for applet, users can access the latest version of the applet from anywhere on the Internet, but the applet must be downland and re-start at the browser each time they needed it. But the browser required to have the JFC or JavaTM Plug-In, or we may need to consider to provide plug-in and non-plug-in configurations for user access.

Security
Applet cannot read or wirte from user's hard disk, they are for displaying web information only, it can be front end for system database.

Placement
For applet we must also decide whether to display it in the user's current browser window or in a separate browser window.

Applet display in the same window
It is suited for users perform a single task and should not include a menu bar which confuses users.

Applet display in the separate window
When the applet involved more than one task. Try to avoid confusion between the browser's menu and controls and the applet's menus and controls. We also need to avoid potential conflicts between mnemonics in the two windows.