How to Run Swing Applets in Netscape 4.7x and Internet Explorer

These browsers support JDK 1.1, but not later versions. That means, Swing applets do not work.

This problem may be solved by telling the browser to use another Java Runtime  Runtime Environment (JRE) than that embedded. If necessary, that JRE should be downloaded from Sun's web site as a Java Plug-In.

The downloading and installation of the Java Plug-In has to be handled by HTML. You'll need several code lines, but there exists a program that converts your HTML codes into codes taking care of this plug-in. The name of the program is HTMLConverter and you download it from  here.

An example:

We have two HTML files: 

• One not converted Only the header "This is a swing Applet" and a gray filled square are displayed.
• The other converted. The header and a green oval with "Hello, hello" are shown.

You may view the source in the two cases by right clicking with the mouse.

How to install  HTMLConverter 

Unpack the downloaded zip file, for example to the directory c:\HTMLConv

How to use HTMLConverter 

1. Open a console window.
2. Move to the directory where the converter program is:
               >cd   \HTMLConv\converter\classes
3. Start the program in this way (NB! the period):
               >java   -classpath  .  HTMLConverter
4. You'll get a window.
5. Enter the name of the HTML directory in the uppermost text field. (To me the Browse button didn't work, I have to enter the name by hand.) See the figure below.
6. Click the Convert button in the window.
7. ...and then something happens...

The original files are converted. Try by opening the files in Internet Explorer and/or Netscape 4.7x. If everything works, you may upload your files to the web server. Remember the class files.

And, if you should need them,  your original files are in the directory stated in the text field named "Backup Files to Folder:".