Java AWT applets

31 Oct 2023

In this blog post, we will explore Java AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) applets. AWT is a framework that provides GUI components and graphics for building user interfaces in Java. Applets, on the other hand, are small programs designed to run within a web browser.

What are Java AWT Applets?

Java AWT applets are Java programs that use AWT classes to create interactive and graphical applications that can be embedded in web pages. They were commonly used in the early days of the internet to provide interactive content and animations.

AWT Applet Example

To illustrate the usage of Java AWT applets, let’s create a simple applet that displays a “Hello, World!” message.

import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;

public class HelloWorldApplet extends Applet {
   public void paint(Graphics g) {
      g.drawString("Hello, World!", 20, 20);
   }
}

In the above code, we extend the Applet class and override the paint method to draw the “Hello, World!” message using the Graphics object.

Running the AWT Applet

To run the AWT applet, follow these steps:

Save the above code in a file named HelloWorldApplet.java.
Compile the code using the following command in the terminal or command prompt:
```
javac HelloWorldApplet.java
```
After successful compilation, an HelloWorldApplet.class file will be generated.

Create an HTML file (index.html, for example) and add the following code:

<html>
<body>
   <applet code="HelloWorldApplet.class" width="300" height="200"></applet>
</body>
</html>

Open the HTML file in a web browser, and you should see the “Hello, World!” message drawn by the applet.

Conclusion

With the help of Java AWT applets, you can easily create interactive and graphical applications that can be run within web browsers. While AWT applets have now been largely replaced by more modern web technologies, they still provide a historical perspective on Java’s early capabilities for web-based applications.

If you’re interested in diving deeper into Java applet development, feel free to explore the Java documentation and experiment with more complex applet examples.

References

Hashtags

#Java #AWT