Unfortunately, they are often not the right tool for the job. In Part 2 of this deployment series, Todd Sundsted explains how to combine the best features of applets with a handful of more traditional deployment techniques, creating a solution both easy to use and powerful enough for the enterprise. I also described its limitations, which include lengthy download times, the browser's document-centric presentation model, and nonuniform support across browsers. Despite these shortcomings, applets should not be abandoned completely. They are clearly useful in some situations - for example, as realtime information on an otherwise static Webpage.
Problems arise, though, when developers use applets inappropriately.
Unfortunately, too many training classes and books still put a disproportionate amount of emphasis on applets, and many newcomers look solely to applets when deploying Java applications in a Web-based enterprise environment. In Part 2 of this series on deployment methods, I present an alternative technique that uses applets in an unconventional manner. This method melds some of applets' best features with those of traditional deployment techniques and creates a foundation upon which powerful deployment tools can be built. The time is ripe to adopt a new deployment model. In recent months, I've talked with developers who have independently created similar techniques.