Java Web Start

Java Web Start provides a platform-independent, secure, and robust deployment technology. It enables developers to deploy full-featured applications to end-users by making the applications available on a standard Web server. By using any Web browser, end-users can launch the applications and be confident they always have the most-recent version.

• It's an easy, robust, and secure way to deploy applications directly from the Web.
• Developers can make applications readily available via the Web.
• JRE installation : It's easy to set up, it's browser-independent
• From the desktop: users can access and use applications based on Java 2 technology, using a richer and more responsive user interface than is available on a Web page.
• Once a Java Web Start based application is installed, users simply click to run the application whenever needed.
• Users do not need to manually update applications because each time they launch an application, it is transparently updated from the Web (so they always use the most recent version available).
• Caches resources locally on the disk.
• Applications can launch in the same manner
• from a Web page
• from the shortcut on the desktop
• from the Start menu
• from the Java Web Start Application Manager
• Platforms
• Windows 95/98/NT/2000,
• Solaris Operating Environment (SPARC and Intel editions)
• Linux/i486
• Macintosh / OS X release
• It's Free: There is no licensing fee or royalty to redistribute Java Web Start.
• State persistent: A sandboxed application can store state, using the PersistenceService APIs. This API is somewhat similar to cookies for HTML pages. Thus, it will be a secure way of persistently store information locally on the client computer.

Java Web Start is designed on the premise the most people still want applications for many activities. Most users are not dreaming of giving up their favorite traditional word processor, spreadsheet application, or email client for some HTML-based interface in a browser. The application interface has a number of benefits that are very appealing:

• The user interface is very rich and responsive
• Applications are easy to launch from Start Menu, Desktop, or by other means - and do not necessarily require the Web browser to be running
• The speed and responsiveness of the application does not depend on the connection speed
• Applications work offline, for example, in a plane when traveling

However, traditional applications also have a number of problems. In particular, applications are often complicated to install, and even worse to upgrade.
Java Web Start technology, the innovative technology for deploying applications based on the Java 2 platform, enables you to launch full-featured applications via any browser, on any platform, from anywhere on the Web, in a secure fashion. It provides the best of both worlds: The ease of deployment and use of HTML, as well as the power and flexibility of a full-fledged application.

Java Web Start is a new deployment technology for Java-technology-based applications. It is the plumbing between the computer and the Internet that allows the user to launch and manage applications right off the Web. Java Web Start provides easy, one-click activation of applications, and guarantees that you are always running the latest version, eliminating complicated installation or upgrade procedures.

Java Web Start is designed on the premise the most people still want applications for many activities. Most users are not dreaming of giving up their favorite traditional word processor, spreadsheet application, or email client for some HTML-based interface in a browser. The application interface has a number of benefits that are very appealing:

• The user interface is very rich and responsive
• Applications are easy to launch from Start Menu, Desktop, or by other means - and do not necessarily require the Web browser to be running
• The speed and responsiveness of the application does not depend on the connection speed
• Applications work offline, for example, in a plane when traveling

However, traditional applications also have a number of problems. In particular, applications are often complicated to install, and even worse to upgrade.

The two approaches are very similar. The key difference is in the user experience. If the Java application/applet needs to interact with a web page and be tightly bound to a web browsers, then applets may be the solution. On the other hand, if browser independence is important then Java Web Start is the deployment platform of choice. There are a number of other differences, but this is the fundamental difference.

• Java Plug-in enables users to run Java 2 technology-based applets inside a browser.
• Java Web Start enables users to download full-featured applications with any browser. Once they have downloaded and launched an application, the browser can be closed, while the application continues working.
• The application is not dependent upon an open browser to function. The browser can be shut down or you can go to a different Web page and the application will continue running.

Do I need to change my application to work with Java Web Start?
If your application is written to the Java 2 platform, and is delivered as a set of JAR files, there should be no need to revise your application.
Make sure that all your application resources (such as images and resource bundles, for example) are retrieved from a JAR file, since Java Web Start launches an application by invoking the public static void main(String[] args) method.
And if your application needs unrestricted access to the system, (for example, network or disk access), you will need to sign your code.