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Migrating from Applets to
Java Desktop Applications
Evolve your Applet-dependent website to a better and safer
distribution model with JavaFX Hybrid Desktop Applications
Bruno Borges
Principal Product Manager
Oracle Corp.
May, 2015

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Safe Harbor Statement
The following is intended to outline our general product direction. It is intended for
information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a
commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon
in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of any features or
functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.
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Program Agenda
Why are you still using Applets? A brief history check
The Future of Applets is tied to Browsers
Seamless Migrate from Applet/Browser to Java Desktop App
Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Applications
Distribution Models for Java Desktop App
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3
4
5
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Why are you still using Applets?
A brief history check
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Applets used to do what browsers couldn’t
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And provided easy distribution model for fully capable desktop applications

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Applets and Browsers these days
• HTML5, CSS3, Javascript… Browsers are well capable for most use cases
– 3D, Local storage, Canvas, Audio processing, etc
• Applets still exist for some reason
– Distribution model still interesting
• Install Java, hit a URL on the browser and you are ready to go
– Security requirements
– Communication with hardware devices in a “transparent” way
– Proprietary network protocols
– Advanced and specialized file transfer
– Local cryptography, desktop sharing, audio/video streaming, etc
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Most banks in Brazil require 3-step verification
Example: Internet Banking Authentication Model
Segurança
Internet
Banking
Internet
Banking
Creden
tials
• User/Pass
• Bank Account ID
• SSN
Hard
ware
Token
• Hardware Auth Token
• Token Card
• SMS Token
Device
• Access Origin Check
• Singularity

Copyright © 2014 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. |
Program Agenda
Why are you still using Applets? A brief history check.
The Future of Applets is tied to Browsers
Seamless Migrate from Applet/Browser to Java Desktop App
Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Applications
Distribution Models for Java Desktop App
1
2
3
4
5
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The Future of Applets depend on Browsers
Browsers can, and already have showed signs to drop support on Applets
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• Advantage
– Semi-transparent execution model
• Disadvantage
– Java “gratis” at java.com
• Highly Dependent
– Web Browsers
– Java Browser Plugin
– Operational Systems
• “Necessary Evil”
– Automatic Updates on Windows
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Applets on Browsers – Current Access/Distribution Model
Web Browser
Your website
Java
Applets

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Applets on Browsers – 99.99% of cases
• Google Chrome
– NPAPI to be dropped in 2015
– As consequence, will drop support to execute Java Applets
• Mozilla Firefox
– Initially considered to drop support, but after community backfire decided to
continue supporting it, but disabled by default aka “Plugin Activation”
– User must manually allow execution through Firefox’s own security dialog
– Java will also ask depending the case, for execution permission
• In the end, it is up to browsers to allow/support execution of Applets
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The usual and most common runtime environment for Applets

Copyright © 2014 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. |
Program Agenda
Why are you still using Applets? A brief history check.
The Future of Applets is tied to Browsers
Seamless Migrate from Applet/Browser to Java Desktop App
Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Applications
Distribution Models for Java Desktop App
1
2
3
4
5
13

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Seamless Migrate from Applet/Browser
to Java Desktop App
You don’t want nor have to rewrite your solution! Reuse what you already have.
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You may be already doing this, known as Hybrid Mobile Applications
From a Browser+Applet web application, to a Desktop
application with wrapped embedded website
+

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You don’t have to shutdown your website+applet access model right away!
Keep Your Web Application. Distribute a New Access Model
Web Browser
Your website
Applets
Java Desktop Application
Embedded Browser
with your website
Libraries

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Browser and Applets, Desktop App and Libraries
• Web applications that depend on invisible Applets
– Javascript can be smart enough to communicate with Java if running on Embedded
Browser inside a Java Desktop application, while also working with legacy applets if
running on a browser
– Java code injects Java objects of legacy Applets features in the DOM tree of
embedded Java browser
• Web applications with visible Applets (AWT/Swing)
– These should be features from outside the embedded browser
• Example: file transfer feature as a popup (similar to Swing’s JDialog) from the Java desktop
application, while still being able to communicate with the page in embedded browser
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Combining two access models while reusing code

Copyright © 2014 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. |
Program Agenda
Why are you still using Applets? A brief history check.
The Future of Applets is tied to Browsers
Seamless Migrate from Applet/Browser to Java Desktop App
Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Applications
Distribution Models for Java Desktop App
1
2
3
4
5
18

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Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Applications
JavaFX Introduction and Resources
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Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Application – Architecture
Windows Mac OS XLinux
Oracle JRE
JavaFX
Application
Embedded
Browser
Native UI
Controls
Native
Hardware
Access
HTML5, CSS3,
JavaScript part of
your application
(remote or local)
Native JavaFX or
Embedded Legacy
Swing Controls
Reuse your Java
libraries for hardware
integration (ie:
functionality from
legacy Applets)
Bundle the JRE with your
application for native
installers
One unified
desktop
application

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• Advantage
– Controlled “web” environment
– Reuse your existing web application
– Reuse your existing Java libraries or UI
controls (JApplets)
• Highly Independent
– Java “gratis” or Oracle support contract
– Controlled Java updates
– Independent of 3rd-party browsers
(Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE, etc)
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New Access Model for your Web Application
Java Desktop Application
Embedded Browser
with your website
Legacy Applets and/or
New Rich Features, as
Libraries

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JavaFX
• Java SE 8
– Bundled with new Javascript Engine: Nashorn
– Follows ECMAScript 262 v5.1
• JavaFX 8
– Supports embedded Java Swing components (migrate visual JApplets)
– WebView
• Support for HTML5 tags, CSS3, Javascript, and DOM tree
– WebEngine supports bi-directional calls between Java APIs and Javascript in
webpages loaded inside WebView
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JavaFX 8 – Web Engine
• html5test.com
• acid3.acidtests.org
• webkit sunspider 0.9.1 test
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Standards compatibility and performance analysis
Firefox 29: 244.8ms
Chrome 34: 259.8ms
JavaFX 8: 252.4ms
http://www.websocket.org/echo.html

Copyright © 2014 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. |
Program Agenda
Why are you still using Applets? A brief history check.
The Future of Applets is tied to Browsers
Seamless Migrate from Applet/Browser to Java Desktop App
Hybrid JavaFX Desktop Applications
Distribution Models for Java Desktop App
1
2
3
4
5
24

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Distribution Models for Java Desktop Apps
How to distribute your application to your users
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Before distributing, you must package it
• Tool name: javapackager (pka javafxpackager)
– Support on NetBeans out of the box
– Also as Apache Ant task
• Supported Installers
– Windows: EXE/MSI
– Mac OS X: DMG
– Linux: RPM/DEB
– Others: installer/image
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Java tool to package your app and JRE on native installers

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Options of distribution models
• Applet and web application, on a browser
– This is where you are today
• Java Web Start
– Java Desktop application loaded off of browser. Security checks are kept
• Standalone: download links of native installers or the JAR file
– Native installers: user double click and install as desktop standalone application
– JAR file: user must have Java previously installed
• Appstores for General Purpose Desktops/Laptops
– Users are comfortable with this model, since it’s how they install apps on mobile
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Java Web Start
• Application files (JARs), like Applets, are hosted on website server
– User clicks on a link to load the application via JWS
– When remote JAR files are updated, JWS automatically updates on user’s computer
• With a Hybrid JavaFX Desktop application in place, this is the easiest model
to move forward before a full replacement, off of browsers
– Users will perceive as a “new window”
• Disadvantages
– Java must be installed prior to execution
– Developer must still keep up-to-date on new security Java updates, due to automatic
Java updates in some operational systems
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Download Link
• Provide users with a “Download” section on the website
– JAR download for reduced package size
• User must have Java installed
– Native installers per operational system
• JRE and application bundled into native installers for Windows/Mac/Linux
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Appstores for General Purpose Desktops/Laptops
• Publish the native installers (JRE+application bundled) on 3rd-party
appstores for PCs
– Decide which version of Java JRE is bundled. Won’t conflict with any other JRE
installed, or bundled with another application
– Keep control of when to upgrade the version of JRE bundled with the application
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Comparison based on external users accessing the application from their own PCs
Differences between Distribution Models for the
Application Developer
Applet Web Start Download Appstore
Unnecessary to Have Java Previously Installed NO NO YES YES
Independent of Java Browser Plugin NO YES YES YES
Unaffected by Java “gratis” Auto Updates NO NO YES (1) YES
Unaffected by Java LiveConnect™ Constraints NO YES YES YES
Unaffected by Browsers Restrictions NO YES YES YES
Application Auto Update for Users OOTB YES YES NO YES
Has Control of Which Java Version Update NO NO YES YES
Has Control of Runtime Environment NO NO YES YES
(1) NO if user downloaded JAR file only, without bundled JRE