Applet client

The Applet client provides a browser-based Java run time capable of interacting with enterprise beans directly, instead of indirectly through a servlet.

This client is designed to support users who want a browser-based Java client application programming environment that provides a richer and more robust environment than the one offered by the Applet > Servlet > enterprise bean model.

The programming model for this client is a hybrid of the Java application thin client and a servlet client. When accessing enterprise beans from this client, the applet can consider the enterprise bean object references as CORBA object references.

No tooling support exists for this client to develop, assemble or deploy the applet. We are responsible for developing the applet, generating the necessary client bindings for the enterprise beans and CORBA objects, and bundling these pieces together to install or download to the client machine. The Java applet client provides the necessary run time to support communication between the client and the server. The applet client run time is provided through the Java applet browser plug-in that you install on the client machine.

Generate client-side bindings using an assembly tool. An applet can utilize these bindings, or we can generate client-side bindings using the rmic command. This command is part of the IBM Developer Kit, Java edition installed with the WAS.

The applet client uses the RMI-IIOP protocol. Using this protocol enables the applet to access enterprise bean references and CORBA object references, but the applet is restricted in using some supported CORBA services.

If we combine the enterprise bean and CORBA environments in one applet, you must understand the differences between the two programming models, and use and manage each model appropriately.

The applet environment restricts access to external resources from the browser runtime environment. We can make some of these resources available to the applet by setting the correct security policy settings in the WAS client.policy file. If given the correct set of permissions, the applet client must explicitly create the connection to the resource using the appropriate API. This client does not perform initialization of any service that the client applet can need. For example, the client application is responsible for the initialization of the naming service, either through the CosNaming, or the JNDI APIs.

Related concepts

Development and assembly tools

Related tasks

Develop applet client code