What is the difference between applet and application?

The main difference between Applet and Application is that the applet is a small java program that can be executed by a Java compatible web browser while the application is a standalone program that can be executed directly on the machine. 

An applet is specifically designed to run within an HTML document using a Java-enabled web browser. It is a small program and does not affect the operating system or hardware. An application is a standalone java program that can be run directly on the machine. It will perform the tasks defined in the program regardless of the architecture of the computer.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is the applet
     – Definition, Functionality
2. What is the application?
     – Definition, Functionality
3. What is the difference between applet and application?
     – Comparison of key differences

Key terms

Applet, Application, Java

what is the applet

Applets are small programs that are designed to run in web browsers to generate dynamic content. They require a Java plugin to run in the client browser. Applets work on the client side with minimal response time. They can be run by browsers on multiple platforms, such as Windows, Linux, and Mac. In an applet, the code is embedded in an HTML page. When there is a Java-enabled web browser, the applet code is transferred to the system and the code is executed in the browser.

                                                             Figure 1: Applet Program

Applets can be used to perform various tasks. They can be used to display graphics, create animations, play sound, etc. An applet can be added to a web page locally or remotely. A local applet is developed and stored on the local system. A remote applet is developed and stored externally.

What is the app?

Applications are stand-alone Java programs that run on the underlying operating system. It is designed to perform a specific task. They can be run with or without the help of a graphical user interface (GUI). These applications can be word processing programs, image processing programs, database programs, etc. 

                                                            Figure 2: Java Application

The starting point of a Java application is the main() method. If the java application is developed in an IDE, it can be run by pressing the Run button. It is also possible to compile the program using the javac command and run it using the java command at the command prompt. Also, Java applications can access data, resources available in the system without security restrictions.

Difference Between Applet and Application

Definition

An applet is a small application that performs a specific task that runs within the scope of a dedicated widget engine or larger program, often as a plugin. An application is a standalone program that is designed to run on a standalone machine to perform a task. This is the main difference between Applet and Application.

program type

While an applet is a small program, an application is a large program.

Creation

Another difference between applet and application is that an applet is created by extending the java. Applet. while an application is created by writing the program inside the main method.

Read and write operations

Also, an applet cannot read and write files on the local computer. But, an application can perform the reading and writing of files on the local computer.

Performance

Another difference between applet and application is that an applet is executed by any web browser that supports Java. Whereas, the application can be run using the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). It is the combination of JVM, Java class libraries, and other files required to run Java applications.

Initialization or starting point

Also, an applet is initialized via inti() while an application is started from main().

security restrictions

Security restriction on execution is also a difference between applet and application. An applet runs in a more restricted environment with more security restrictions. They can only access browser-specific services. An application can access the data and resources available on the system without security restrictions.

conclusion

The difference between Applet and Application is that Applet is a small Java program that can be run by a Java compatible web browser while Application is a standalone program that can be run directly on the machine. 

Reference:

1. “Java Applet Tutorial – Javatpoint.” www.javatpoint.com, available here.
2. “Java Applet Basics.” Www.tutorialspoint.com, Tutorials Point, available here.

Courtesy image:

1. “Arabic applet example” By غاده الأحمري – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Netbeans 8.0” By Pavel Pscheidl – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikipedia