Articles : JavaBoutique's Introduction to Java :
Building Your First Application :

Applet Restrictions

Since applets can execute within a web browser session, they are normally restricted in what they can do. Here are some of the basic applet restrictions:

• An applet can't read or write files on the local computer
• An applet can't communicate with machines other than the one hosting the applet
• An applet can't call native system code

These are the restrictions applets operate under by default. There are ways to grant permission to applets so that they can perform the above tasks, however, if you are creating a normal applet, you will probably be restricted in what you can do.

Selena Sol contributes to the JavaBoutique's Introduction to Java. Selena curently works for Barclays Capital in London, one of the leading global investment banks in Europe and has worked as a software developer for the National Center for Human Genome research, Microline Software, Neuron Data, and Electric Eye in Singapore. Selena is perhaps best-known for creating the Public Domain Web Script Archive (Extropia) and writing several books on Web Programming (Perl, CGI, Java).
Email: selena@extropia.com