|
|
JavaBoutique: Articles: Webmasters:
Java for the Webmaster: All Gain No PainSome folks believe that Java applets are the spice of life. Others feel that a Web site without Java is like a fish without a bicycle.As Editor-in-Chief of the Java Boutique, I'd be among the first to agree with the former, however, even I don't believe in using Java just because you can. Java was developed to be useful, not just icing on a cake. Web surfing can be tedious for those not using their company's T-1 connection. When you get to the crux of the matter, the real problem for most of today's Web surfers is speed, or rather the lack of it. Most Internet users are still dialing in using 28.8 modems, and above all hate waiting for Web pages to download. Ask a group of users what they hate the most about the Web, and almost all of them will tell you it's the waiting that's involved. That means that it's up to you as the developer to decide how your--and hence, their--precious bytes are spent. Java can indeed be used to speed your site, or it can slow it to a crawl. If your site is very unique and you know that your visitors won't mind waiting for a 300KB applet to download, then by all means use it. If, on the other hand, you just want to animate that huge image of your corporation's building, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate the purpose of your Web site. Many applets are available that are what I call "byte-sized," having less than a 20KB file size. If you're concerned at all about speed, these are the types of applets you should focus on using. If you've ever looked around the Java Boutique, you may have found one or more applets that you'd like to add to your own site. Most of the applets that are featured on the Java Boutique are free to use, so your first task may be simply narrowing down the number of applets you choose to download. Applet Categories With that in mind, now we'll go over the various types of applets that are available. Some of the first applets to be released utilized simple animation effects. These enabled developers to add animations to their site by including parameters in the applet code that pointed to various image files which were cycled through, creating a "flipbook" type animation. As Java evolved, other visual applets began to be released that offered greater appeal. We'll show you a few right now: Animation applets are best used with fast-loading, small images that reflect the style of a company or individual's Web site. They can be used for great visual effects on entertainment or personal sites, but keep in mind that the longer it takes to download the applet, the longer your visitors will be looking at a gray rectangle, and the more likely they'll be off to visit someone else's site. Realize that, except in certain circumstances, Java animations are best used on secondary pages, not your main page, as they tend to "freeze" some browsers as they load, and they can be an annoyance rather than a visual treat. This article first appeared in October, 1998 |
New on the Java Boutique:
New Article:
Sitting for the Java Certification Exam
Anybody can claim to be programmer. Certification proves it.
New Article:
Introduction to Java: Part 3: Getting the Java Development Kit
The new, much-anticipated installment of Selena Sol's popular series is here!
Updated Section:
JavaBoutique Servlet Center
Learn what servlets are, download code, and learn how to build them.
New on internet.com:
ECommerce.internet.com:
Prepare Your Site for the Holiday Madness
As e-commerce sites brace for a second straight holiday season of colossal growth, online traffic management becomes an intensive need for e-merchants of ALL sizes. Our EC Tech Advisor helps you determine if your site will be ready for this year's holiday blitz.
IntranetProductWatch.com:
WaveStar LambdaRouter
High-capacity all optical router replaces electronic switches with microscopic mirrors. Signals require no optical-electrical-optical conversion and can reach speeds of up to 40gbs/second.
WDVL.com:
Dabbling in Live Databases - GUFE (goofy): The Generic but Usable Front End
The Perl You Need to Know, Part 8 continues it's focus on MySQL. This month Aaron Weiss gets GUFE ("goofy" - the Generic but Usable Front End) as he shows you how to build a visual front end to a live SQL database.
All Rights Reserved. Legal Notices.
