1999
HTML Tags for Java Applets
In 1999, I took a class in Java at Santa Monica College. I was interested at the time in the small variations
among how The W3C, Sun, Netscape, and Microsoft specified the <APPLET> tag.
So here are how each specified the tag in 1999, minus the formatting of the original pages:
Netscape
https://developer.netscape.com/docs/manuals/htmlguid/tags14.htm#1237108
APPLET
(Java applet)
The APPLET tag specifies a Java applet that will run in a
web page. Applets can only be displayed by Java-enabled
browsers. Navigator 2.0
You build an applet using the Java language and compile it
with a Java compiler. It is beyond the scope of this
document to discuss how to write Java applets. However, an
excellent place to start learning about writing Java is the
Java Tutorial at:
https://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/
After writing and compiling a Java applet, you can display
it in a web page by using the APPLET tag. The CODE attribute
specifies the name of the Java applet to run. The CODEBASE
attribute specifies the subdirectory or folder containing
the Java applet. You can use PARAM tags between the
<APPLET> and </APPLET> tags to provide
information about parameters, or arguments, to be used by
the Java applet.
Syntax
<APPLET
CODE="classFileName"
CODEBASE="classFileDirectory"
ARCHIVE="archiveFile"
ALT="altText"
ALIGN="LEFT"|"RIGHT"|"TOP"|"ABSMIDDLE"|"ABSBOTTOM"|
"TEXTTOP"|"MIDDLE"|"BASELINE"|"BOTTOM"
HEIGHT="height"
WIDTH="width"
HSPACE="horizMargin"
VSPACE="vertMargin"
MAYSCRIPT
NAME="value"
>
<PARAM ...>
</APPLET>
The CODE attribute is required (otherwise there is no applet
to run). Netscape Navigator 3 and Navigator 4 can display
applets if the WIDTH and HEIGHT attributes are omitted, but
some other browsers cannot, so for best results you should
always include the WIDTH and HEIGHT attributes.
CODE ="classFileName"
specifies the filename of the applet to load. All Java
class files end with a .class extension (for example,
myApplet.class). Many browsers will display the applet
correctly even if you omit the .class extension in the
filename.
CODEBASE="classFileDirectory"
is the directory containing the applet class file and
any resources the applet needs. The value is a URL for
an absolute or a relative pathname. An absolute URL is
used as is without modification and is not affected by
the document's BASE tag. A relative CODEBASE attribute
is relative to the document's base URL defined by the
BASE tag. If the document does not define a BASE tag,
it is relative to the directory containing the HTML
file.
ARCHIVE="archiveFile"
is a URL for a file in the CODEBASE directory to be
downloaded to the user's disk. The suffix on the
archive file must be .zip, but the file must not be
compressed. The browser searches the archive file for
the class file named in the CODE attribute. If the
browser cannot find that class file in the archive
file, it searches for it using the standard
mechanism.Navigator 3.0
ALT="altText"
specifies text to be displayed by browsers that do not
support the APPLET tag. Navigator 3.0
ALIGN
specifies the alignment for the applet. If you do not
provide a value for ALIGN, Navigator uses BOTTOM as the
default.
LEFT aligns the applet with the left margin.
Content following the applet flows around the
applet on the right. You can use <BR CLEAR>
to make content appear below the applet.
RIGHT aligns the applet with the right margin.
Content following the applet flows around the
applet on the left. You can use <BR CLEAR>
to make content appear below the applet.
TOP: The top of the applet is vertically aligned
with the tallest item in the current line. Only
one line of content is aligned with the applet.
Subsequent lines of content in the same
block-level element appear below the applet. If
the applet is not surrounded by content in the
same block-level element as the applet, then it is
aligned on the left.
ABSMIDDLE: The middle of the applet is vertically
aligned with the vertical middle of other content
(such as text or images) in the current line. The
content is moved down from its natural position in
the page to accommodate the alignment. Only one
line of content is aligned with the applet.
Subsequent lines of content appear below the
applet. If the applet is not surrounded by content
in the same block-level element as the applet,
then it is aligned on the left. Navigator 3.0
ABSBOTTOM : The bottom of the applet is vertically
aligned with the bottom of other content (such as
text or images) in the current line. The content
is moved down from its natural position in the
page to accommodate the alignment. Only one line
of content is aligned with the applet. Subsequent
lines of content appear below the applet. If the
applet is not surrounded by content in the same
block-level element as the applet, then it is
aligned on the left. Navigator 3.0
TEXTTOP aligns the top of the applet with the top
of the tallest text in the current line. If the
current line contains no text, the top of the
applet is aligned with the vertical middle of
other content (such as images) in the line. If the
applet is not surrounded by content in the same
block-level element as the applet, then it is
aligned on the left. Navigator 3.0
MIDDLE: The middle of the applet is vertically
aligned with the bottom (or baseline) of other
content (such as text or images) in the current
line. The content is moved down from its natural
position in the page to accomodate the alignment.
Only one line of content is aligned with the
applet. Subsequent lines of content appear below
the applet. If the applet is not surrounded by
content in the same block-level element as the
applet then it is aligned on the left. Navigator
3.0.
BASELINE -- The bottom of the applet is vertically
aligned with the bottom (or baseline) of other
content (such as text or images) in the current
line. The content is moved down from its natural
position in the page to accomodate the alignment.
Only one line of content is aligned with the
applet. Subsequent lines of content appear below
the applet. If the applet is not surrounded by
content in the same block-level element as the
applet then it is aligned on the left. Navigator
3.0.
BOTTOM is the same as BASELINE.
HEIGHT="height"
specifies the height of the applet. An integer value
(for example, "100") indicates the height in pixels. A
percentage value (for example, "25%") indicates the
height as a percentage of the height of the parent
window, frame, or block of content. The applet is
scaled to fit the specified height and width.You should
provide a width and height to ensure that all
Java-enabled browsers can display the applet.
WIDTH="width"
specifies the width of the applet. An integer value
(for example, "100") indicates the width in pixels. A
percentage value, (for example, "25%") indicates the
width as a percentage of the width of the parent
window, frame, or block of content. The applet is
scaled to fit the specified height and width. You
should provide a width and height to ensure that all
Java-enabled browsers can display the applet.
HSPACE="horizMargin"
specifies the horizontal space, in pixels, between the
applet and surrounding text. Give the value as an
integer.
VSPACE="vertMargin"
specifies the vertical space, in pixels, between the
applet and surrounding text. Give the value as an
integer.
MAYSCRIPT
permits the applet to access JavaScript. Use this
attribute to determine whether or not an applet can
access JavaScript on a page. If an applet accesses
JavaScript when the MAYSCRIPT attribute is not
specified, an exception will be generated. Navigator
3.0
NAME ="value"
specifies the name of the applet, so that different
applets in the same window can refer to (and
communicate with) one another. The name can also be
used by JavaScript functions and scripts.
Applet Example
The following example runs the applet jumping.class. It has
two input parameters, message and speed, that affect the
results of the applet. When this applet runs, it displays
the words in the message, a few words at a time. The words
come and go, so they seem to jump around at the specified
speed.
<P>Here is an applet. It has two parameters -- speed and message.
<APPLET CODE="jumping.class" CODEBASE=jclasses
WIDTH=240 HEIGHT=400
ALIGN=ABSMIDDLE HSPACE=10 VSPACE=20>
<PARAM NAME=message
VALUE="Use Netscape Navigator to browse the world wide web.">
<PARAM NAME=speed VALUE="4">
</APPLET>
Its alignment is ABSMIDDLE.
</P>
The file jumping.htm shows this example in action in a separate window.