How to turn an applet into a hablet

Habanerizing a Java Applet

Background Information

Typically, Java applets are single-user applications in HTML pages on the Web. The most straightforward habanerization of an applet would allow multiple users wherever in the world with an internet connection to interact with the same application.

For example, with the Whiteboard application that comes with Habanero, all the users can draw on the whiteboard and see what the other users have drawn as if they were all viewing the same whiteboard.

How does this work?

Follow these steps for a straightforward way to habanerize an applet: (These steps are also listed in the index.)

Change superclass, imports, and initialization.
Specify the default window parameters so that Habanero will know what you want the window to look like when this hablet opens.
Write methods to transfer state to other instances.
Take care of event handling.
Compile your hablet like any other Java class and install it into the Habanero environment.

The links above have an example running through them. You can work through the example to get experience on converting an applet into a hablet.

What next?

After you are comfortable with this basic way of habanerizing an applet, you can explore some of the more advanced topics.

Habanero^® is a registered trademark owned by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Copyright 1996-1998. All rights reserved. Java^(TM) is a proprietary trademark owned by Sun Microsystems, Inc.

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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