Java Programming: Category of java program
Java Programs Can Be Classified Into Two Categories
Applications :
An application is a program that we can execute from any operating system prompt. Stand-alone applications can either be window-based applications or console-based applications. Window based applications have a graphical user interface. They use features that are supported by platforms like Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and OS/2. Console applications are character-based applications that do not have a graphical user interface. A stand-alone application uses the resources of a single computer. Networked applications can use the resources that are available over a network.
Applications can read from and write to files on the local computer. They have more security privileges then applets. Applications can also establish network connections, access resources across a network, and launch applications over a network.
A stand-alone application resides on the hard disk of the local machine. When the application needs to be executed, it is fetched from the hard disk into the internal memory and executed.
Applets:
Applets are Java programs that execute inside a web page. Therefore, unlike applications, applets require a Java-enabled browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or above, Netscape Navigator 4.0 or above. An applet is loaded and executed when a user loads a web page through a web browser. When the web page that contains the applet is displayed, the user interacts with the applet.
An applet is simple to use, since to start the applet, the user has to simply access a web page. An application on the other hand has to be downloaded before it can be executed. Applets have a graphical user interface, and can access the resources of the host machine only; they cannot access the files of the local computer.
An applet can reside on a remote machine. When the local machine needs to execute applet, it is fetched from the remote system into the internal memory of the local machine. Once on local machine, the applet is interpreted, linked by the browser to the resources that are available locally, and then, executed.
