Re: Success with Java Plug-in?

["Curt Smith" <smithc04@dcor.state.ga.us>]

Regarding java applets / client side java, I've got an heretical suggestion.

The web developers on my project have shown me a browser based scripted technology
that kicks the pants off the look, speed and ease of java applets.

The latest version of Flash has a powerful scripting language and GUI components
where you can develop a full business application GUI, input fields, client side validation
submit to URLs etc etc.  The Flash forms look great!   a lot better than Swing and much
shorter development time, download time, etc etc.   Just the Flash plug in on the browser.

I don't know how fluent this technology is with raw sockets.  I know it can submit URLs etc
and we're using HTTP and XML to communicate so we don't care about RMI or any of that
brittle technology anyway...

The general URL for flash5 http://www.flash5actionscript.com


Here's doc on flash 5 using xml.

http://www.flash5actionscript.com/xmlobject.shtml 

Don't mean to sound like an advertisement, but this is what java applets should have been.
Simple language, slick UI, small down load size, fast to startup.

We've developed a point of sale flash 5 applet where the user chooses sale items and 
the flash5 code implements a spread sheet adding up the sale and a submit sends XML
to a URL and waits for a confirmation response to finish the transaction.  

Applet startup time is one or two seconds on a slow box. 

Just an alternative opinion from a Java on the server side type guy.

curt


Curt Smith
Java Architect, Dept. of Corrections, state of GA
(w) 404-463-0973
smithc04@dcor.state.ga.us