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- JavaTM Plug-in 1.1.1 Documentation
- Java Plug-in 1.1.1 - README
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- Introduction
- Java Plug-in is a software product from Sun Microsystems Inc. It enables 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
- browser's default Java runtime. This release provides support for Microsoft
- Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator on various Win32 platforms and Solaris
- platforms (see this table for specific platform support). 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.
- 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 enable users to run
- 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 the JavaBeansTM
- component model, RMI, JNI, and so on), and have confidence that they will run
- reliably and consistently.
- 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
- release 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:
- Full JDK 1.1 support: Allows enterprise developers to develop and deploy
- applets, taking full advantage of JDK 1.1 features and functionality, such
- as RMI, JavaBeans, and so on.
- Full Java CompatibleTM support: The Java Plug-in utilizes the latest release
- of Sun's JRE, which is fully compliant with the Java Compatibility Kit (JCK)
- test suite.
- Future-ready JDK Architecture: Java Plug-in features an architecture that
- makes it easy for Sun to bring new JDK features and functionality, including
- those contained in JDK 1.2 and the high performance Java HotSpot virtual
- machine, to Windows and Solaris desktops much more quickly than has been
- previously possible.
- Free public download and easy install: Upon encountering a web page that
- specifies Java Plug-in, the browser will download and install all the
- necessary files and render the applet, requiring minimal user intervention.
- Free Java Plug-in HTML Converter: Makes it easy and automatic for IS
- managers and web page authors to modify their HTML pages to specify the use
- of Java Plug-in rather than the browser's default Java runtime.
- 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
- 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 that specifies the 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 enables 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 (JavaBeans, RMI, JNI, and so
- on) in Internet Explorer and Navigator.
- Internet Explorer: 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 makes it possible for the web
- browser to use Sun's JRE with minimal user intervention.
- Netscape Navigator: 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 makes 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 using
- 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
- Java Plug-in FAQ
- Java Plug-in Expanded 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, Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0
- - Pentium 90 MHz or faster processor
- - 10 MB free hard disk space (recommended 20 MB)
- - 24 MB system RAM
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- 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 faster processor
- - 10 MB free hard disk space (recommended 20 MB)
- - 32 MB system RAM (recommended 48 MB)
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- Java Plug-in works best over direct LAN (that is, Ethernet) connections. It will
- also function properly over dial-up modem (28.8 or faster).
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- Sun supports the following configurations: Internet Explorer
- 3.02Internet Explorer 4.0Navigator 3.0Navigator 4.0
- Windows 95XXX
- Windows 98XXX
- Windows NTXXXX
- Solaris/SPARCXX
- Solaris/x86X
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- Copyright ⌐1995-98 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
- Comments, bug reports, etc.: Send e-mail to
- java-plugin-feedback@eng.sun.com.
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