Java Web Start: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:12, 23 October 2005

Revision as of 22:15, 2 November 2005

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[[Image:Java WebStartApplicationMan.png|thumb|300px|'''Java Web Start''', introduced in '''Java 2''', allows provisioning applications over the [[World Wide Web|web]] by clicking a [[Icon (computing)|desktop icon]] or a link on a website.]]'''Java Web Start''' is a framework developed by [[Sun Microsystems]] that enables starting [[Java programming language|Java]] applications directly from the [[World Wide Web|web]] using a [[web browser|browser]]. Unlike [[Java applet]]s, WebstartWeb Start applications do not run inside the browser, and the [[Sandbox (security)|sandbox]] in which they run does not have to be as restricted, although this can be configured. One chief advantage of webWeb startStart over applets is overcomingthat they overcome many compatibility problems with browsers' Java [[plugin]]s and different [[Java virtual machine|JVM]] versions. On the other hand, Web Start programs cannot communicate with the browser as easily as applets.

Version 1.0 of Web Start was introduced by Sun in March [[2001]], and ever since [[Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition|J2SE]] version 1.4 it has been included by default with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and does not have to be installed separately.

'''JNLP''' ('''Java Network Launching Protocol''') is a closely-related concept that is often used interchangeably with the term "Web Start". It is the protocol, defined as an [[XML]] file format, that specifies how Java Web Start applications are started. JNLP files include information such as where the [[Jar (file format)|jar]] package is located and what is the main class of the application, as well as any parameters for the program. With the right browser configuration, JNLP files are passed to a Java runtime environment which downloads the application onto the user's machine and starts executing it. AsIn welladdition asto launching standalone applications, JNLP can be used to start Java applets.

Important Web Start features include [[Cache|caching]] the downloaded application files locally, the ability to automatically download and install JREs in case the user does not have Java installed (although this does not work with every browser and platform), and for programmers to specify what JRE version is needed to run the program.