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RE: Java Plugin and OBJECT tags
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RE: Java Plugin and OBJECT tags

>So the problem is that you want to use just one tag, but if you choose
>Applet you might get stuck with JDK1.1.8 on Windows IE, right? (You're
>going to be stuck with that on NS4.79 on all platforms, and any browser
>in Mac OS 9, so I assume that the ENTIRE extent of your problem is that
>you need Windows IE users to download Sun's Java if they do not already
>have it.) As such, this really doesn't belong on the Mac Java list,
>but what the heck...

NS.79 on OS X, Windows, Linux and Solaris (not OS 9) supports at least Java
1.3, you just need to use the embed tag instead of the applet (maybe that's
what you meant). Using the applet tag in most cases will get you Java 1.1,
the exception being on OS X where you will get at least Java 1.3 (and the
few people who already have the plugin installed).

From what we've been told, it looks like the requirements are:

* FR1 - Must work cross-platform and cross-browser
* FR2 - Must use at least Java 1.2 (derived from the must use the plugin
comments)
* FR3 - Must autoinstall the plugin if required.
* FR4 - Must be easy for a user to edit the parameters for the tag and
avoid them missing places to change things.


It is not going to be possible to achieve all those requirements by using
one and only one tag. You need a more inventive solution. What if the user
entered something like:

<script src="appletScript.js"></script> <!-- this could be placed in the
head of the document out of the way if required -->

<script language="JavaScript">
// You could also hard code the applet name, width and height if desireable
var applet = new EasyApplet("appletName", "width", "height");
applet.addParameter("paramName", "paramValue");
applet.addParameter("paramName2", "paramValue2");
applet.write();
</script>

It's now easy for the user to edit the param tags by adding/removing or
editing the addParameter lines and there is only one place where they have
to do so which satisfies FR4. If you absolutely needed the <param
name="test" value="blah"> layout I'm sure you could manage it by extracting
the information from the DOM, it really depends on your exact requirements.

For FR1-3 we can now deal with any way we want as we implement the
appletScript.js file to provide the API we've identified. In particular, we
can now use all three tags at our disposal where they work best. So on IE
for Windows we'll use an object tag, for netscape we'll use an embed tag and
for OS X and unknown situations we can use a standard applet tag.

This is effectively Greg Guerin's idea but working automatically so no GUI
is nessecary.

Defining your requirements clearly and carefully is the key to solving this
problem, not just bashing away with a hammer.

Regards,

Adrian Sutton, Software Engineer
Ephox Corporation
www.ephox.com
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