Applets and Applications

Thanks for using this pre-release version of Visual J++.

There are two basic types of Java programs: applets and applications. Applets can be referenced by an HTML page and launched when that page is loaded by a Java-capable browser, such as Internet Explorer. Applications do not require a browser to run; they can be executed from the command line using a stand-alone interpreter.

In terms of source code, the basic differences between an applet and an application are as follows:

• An applet must define a class derived from the Applet class. An application can do the same, but it is not required to do so.
  
  
• An application must define a class with a method named main() that controls its execution. An applet does not use a main() method; its execution is controlled by various methods defined by the Applet class.

Use Visual J++Æs project templates or the Project Wizard to create customized variations of Java applets and applications.