Why and When to Use Applets

When Java first hit the scene, most developers used it to write applets—graphical Java classes that run inside a browser. Over the past few years, Java development has shifted toward server-side development and standalone graphics applications. Applet usage has diminished as Web developers and users had their fill of nervous text-scrolling marquees. Animated GIF images now provide many of the animation features that applets once provided.

Although applets are generally safe, various security researchers have discovered bugs in various browsers that allow Java applets to wreak havoc on a user's system. Because of these potential security breaches, many companies have installed filters to prevent users from running applets ...

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