Object-Oriented Thought Process, The, Second Edition

Java Applets Are Objects

Java Applets provide a great example of what an object actually is because they are totally self-contained and have both attributes and methods. I use this example quite a bit to explain the concept of an object.

Defining an Applet

First, let's define an applet. Applets were actually on the leading edge of the Internet boom. My first exposure to Java was a demo that Sun provided with one of the first beta releases of Java. The demo was that of a bouncing head. Applets were introduced to provide dynamic content to Web pages. Prior to the mid-1990s, most Web content was static: basically text and hyperlinks. As the Web became more widespread, people understandably wanted flashier Web sites.

What makes applets really interesting ...