Copyright  2001 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 901 San Antonio Road, Palo
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Java

JavaTM Plug-in 1.1 Documentation

Java Plug-in 1.1 - README

Introduction

The Java Plug-in (formally known as Project Java Activator) is a new product from Sun Microsystems' JavaSoft division. It allows web page authors to direct Java applets or JavaBeansTM components on their intranet web pages to run using Sun's Java Runtime Environment (JRE), instead of the browsers default Java runtime.  This release provides support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 or later on Win32 platforms (Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0), and Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later on Win32 and Solaris platforms (Solaris 2.5 and 2.6). The Java Plug-in delivers full Java Development Kit (JDKTM) 1.1 support and Java Compatibility Kit (JCK) compliance to Internet Explorer and Navigator users.

The Java Plug-in is designed for enterprise customers who wish to deploy JDK 1.1-based applets on their intranet web pages today. This product ensures that enterprises realize the "write once, run anywhere" benefits of the Java platform on Win32 and Solaris systems on the most widely used web browsers. More specifically, web pages modified to support the Java Plug-in allow users to JDK 1.1-based applets in Internet Explorer or Navigator, taking full advantage of all of the features and capabilities of JDK 1.1 (such as JavaBeansTM, RMI, JNI, and so on), and have confidence that they will run reliably and consistenly.

The Java Plug-in is ready for JDK 1.2 and the high-performance Java HotSpotTM virtual machine with a future-ready architecture. Thus, when Sun adds new features or functionality to the Java Development Kit, Win32 and Solaris users can take full advantage of them in Internet Explorer and Navigator immediately by deploying the latest release of the Java Plug-in. Sun will provide an updated releases of the Java Plug-in that delivers the support for the full feature set of JDK 1.2 and the Java HotSpot virtual machine later this year. This will make the process of upgrading all users in an enterprise to the latest JDK feature set as easy as modifying one web page on your intranet.
 
 

Java Plug-in Features

The Java Plug-in delivers several key capabilities to enterprises using Internet Explorer and Navigator:

Installing and Running the Java Plug-in

The first time the web browser encounters a web page that specifies the use of the Java Plug-in, the browser must download and install the required files.  Download and install times will vary depending on the type of network connection and overall system performance.  Typical total download and installation times (over a local area network) will vary from three to ten minutes. In subsequent encounters of web pages that specify the use of the Java Plug-in, it is invoked instantaneously from the user's hard drive and the applet is rendered.

Internet Explorer: When Internet Explorer first encounters a web page that has been modified to specifies the Java Plug-in, Internet Explorer will ask the user if it is OK to download an ActiveX control signed with a VeriSign digital signature signed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. If the user says "Yes", Internet Explorer will quickly download a small ActiveX control from Sun's web site that will handle downloading the main Java Plug-in ActiveX control and Sun's JRE.  This will include selecting the appropriate locale-specific JRE and offering the user a list of suitable download sites.  It will then download the files automatically and install them. The Java Plug-in ActiveX control will then run and use its parameters in the <OBJECT> tag to render the applet. The next time Internet Explorer encounters a web page modified to support Java Plug-in, Internet Explorer will seamlessly load and run the ActiveX control and JRE from the local disk, requiring no user intervention.

Netscape Navigator: When Navigator first encounters a web page that specifies the Java Plug-in, users will see a plugin-missing picture on the HTML page. When the user clicks on this picture, Navigator will direct the user to the Java Plug-in download page. Users can then download the version of Java Plug-in for their operating system and install it. Once it is installed, the Java Plug-in will then run and use its parameters in the <EMBED> tag to render the applet. The next time Navigator encounters a web page that specifies the Java Plug-in, Navigator will seamlessly load and run the plug-in and JRE from the local disk, requiring no user intervention.
 
 

How the Java Plug-in Works

The Java Plug-in does not replace or modify the browser's underlying Java runtime. Rather, it simply allows web page authors to specify the use of Sun's JRE instead of the default Java runtime for a given web page.  This ensures enterprise developers that JDK 1.1-based applets are executed with full support for all of the features and capabilities of JDK 1.1 (including the JavaBeans component model, RMI, JNI, and so on)  in Internet Explorer and Navigator.

The Java Plug-in leverages Internet Explorer's extension mechanisms in order to allow Sun's JRE to run inside Internet Explorer.  The technology used to achieve this is Microsoft's COM/ActiveX.  Using the HTML <OBJECT> tag, web page authors can run ActiveX controls or COM components as part of a web page.  Internet Explorer provides elaborate mechanisms for downloading and caching ActiveX controls.  This make it possible for the web browser to use Sun's JRE with minimal user intervention.

The Java Plug-in leverages Navigator's plug-in architecture in order to allow Sun's JRE to run inside Navigator, much like users can run QuickTime movies or Shockwave animations with plug-ins today.  Using the HTML <EMBED> tag, web page authors can cause plug-ins to be run as part of a web page.  This make it possible for the web browser to use Sun's JRE in Navigator.

In order to utilize all of the features and capabilities of JDK 1.1 in Internet Explorer or Navigator, web page authors must specify the use of Sun's JRE via the Java Plug-in.  Thus, web pages must be modified in order to invoke Sun's JRE.  Sun provides a written specification to guide web page authors on how to make these changes. In addition, Sun provides the Java Plug-in HTML Converter, free of charge, that will automatically make the changes to the selected set of HTML pages.

Java Plug-in uses the same JRE for Win32 and Solaris that users can download from Sun's web site today.

All JDK 1.1-based, 100% Pure Java applets should run unmodified using Java Plug-in.
 

Java Plug-in Documentation

System Requirements

The compressed Java Plug-in download is approximately 5 MB.  After decompression and installation, the Java Plug-in uses approximately 8 MB of hard disk space.

The minimum system requirements for the Java Plug-in on Win32 are as follows:

  - Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0
  - Pentium 90 mHz or better processor
  - 10 MB free hard disk space (recommended 20 MB)
  - 16 MB system RAM (recommended 24 MB)
  - Internet Explorer 3.02 or later, or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later

The minimum system requirements for the Java Plug-in on Solaris are as follows:

  - Solaris 2.5 or 2.6
  - SPARC workstation / Pentium 90 mHz or better processor
  - 10 MB free hard disk space (recommended 20 MB)
  - 32 MB system RAM (recommended 48 MB)
  - Netscape Navigator 3.01 or later

Java Plug-in works best over direct LAN (that is, Ethernet) connections. It will also function properly over dial-up modem (28.8 or better).
 

Copyright ©2001 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
Comments, bug reports, etc.: Send e-mail to java-plugin-feedback@eng.sun.com. 		 Sun

JavaSoft