David Gulbransen
Kenrick Rawlings
Sams.net Publishing
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46290
FIRST EDITION
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International Standard Book Number: 1-57521-070-3
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-072940
99 — 98 — 97 — 96 —————————4 — 3 — 2 — 1
Interpretation of the printing code: the rightmost double-digit number is the year of the book's printing; the rightmost single-digit, the number of the book's printing. For example, a printing code of 96-1 shows that the first printing of the book
occurred in 1996.
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Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
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Introduction
I. Introduction to Java
1 What Is Java?
2 Uses and Restrictions of Java
II. Using Java
3 Java Browsers
4 Java's Capabilities
III. Adding Applets to Your Web Pages
5 Finding and Using Applets
6 Java-Enhanced Page Design
IV. Learning to Program Java
7 The Java Developer's Kit
8 Speaking Java: Java Syntax
9 Java Objects
V. Applet Programming
10 Applet Structure and Design
11 Building a User Interface
VI. Programming Complete Applets
12 The TickerTape Applet
13 The SlideShow Applet
Glossary of Terms
A Java Resources on the Net
B JavaScript and Java Language Reference
C 50 Useful Java Applets
D What's on the CD-ROM
Index
To Stephanie, for your love and support.
And to my father, for never losing faith in me.
David Gulbransen
To my father, for always being there.
Ken Rawlings
Thanks to Andy Granger, for putting up with us. Thanks to Jim Causey, for putting up with us. Thanks to the Dynamic Duo, for putting up with us. Paul, Clarence, and Alabama, thanks for the CDs! Thanks to our families: the Gulbransen’s, the
Berlin’s, the Rawlings’, the Moreford’s, and the McKee’s (Whew!).
Fran Hatton: Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks to Beverly Eppink, for the opportunity. Thanks to Dan Friedman, for showing that programming is more than just coding. Thanks also to Mark Lynch, Mark Tabor, and John December.
Thanks also to the Java Development Team, Sun Microsystems/JavaSoft, the ACCESS MicroCenter at Indiana University, and the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts.
David Gulbransen ([email protected]) is currently the Computing Specialist for the Indiana University school of Fine Arts. He is also a principal partner in Grey Associates, a Java software development
and consulting firm. Occasionally, Dave likes to put down the mouse for a movie camera to pursue his hobby of cinematography. He wants Ken’s cats.
Ken Rawlings ([email protected]) is currently employed at Indiana University as a software specialist at the ACCESS MicroCenter. He is also the Principal Software Architect for Grey Associates.
In his copious amounts of spare time, Ken enjoys coding Scheme, coding Delphi, and listening to the soulful sounds of James Brown. He has two very popular cats.
Billy Barron ([email protected]) is currently the Network Services Manager for the University of Texas at Dallas and has a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of North Texas. He has written and
technically reviewed such books as Tricks of the Internet Gurus, Education on the Internet, and Accessing Online Bibliographic Databases, as well as writing for periodicals.
Lay Wah Ooi ([email protected]) is a Computer Systems Engineer at Titan Spectrum Technologies. She graduated with a Computer Science degree from the University of North Texas. Lay Wah has contributed to Sams.net
Publishing's Internet Unleashed and was a technical editor for Java Unleashed.
The question, “What is Java?” often only leads to more questions. Some people see Java as yet another bit of Internet hype. Others see Java as the future of the Internet and Internet applications. In truth, Java probably lies somewhere in
between the extremes.
We hope that this book will begin to show you what Java is and what Java is not. Java is new, and Java is exciting. But Java is not the solution to every computing problem. Java is, quite simply, a new object-oriented programming language. With it comes
the advantages of object-oriented programming and several other advantages that have been created through Java’s development process.
Java has been presented in many different ways by many different interests, but at the heart of all the Java hype is the language itself. Many people are confused or scared about what using Java means. What we hope to accomplish with this book is to
provide you with some answers.
Part I takes a first look at Java. You’ll see where Java has been and where it’s headed. You’ll also take a look at what Java is capable of and hopefully you’ll finish these chapters as excited about Java as we are.
Part II approaches Java from a user’s standpoint. How do you view Java applets and applications? What are the limits of what Java can do? What are the real-world uses for Java, and when is Java not enough?
Part III discusses how you can start using Java applets in your own Web development projects. You'll learn where to find Java applets, how to add those applets to your Web pages, and how to customize them.
Once you’ve seen what Java can do and have started adding Java to your pages, Parts 4 and 5 will teach you more about the language and take you through the basics of programming your own applets.
Finally, Chapters 12 and 13 provide you with some real-world applet examples. You can see the development of two working applets from beginning to end. Use this part as a starting point for developing your own applets and as a general guide for
programming.