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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
  <title>Project Home Page</title>


  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">

</head>


<body style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">

<h2>Overview</h2>

 <p>

<!-- NOTE: to regenerate the text for this web page, copy the class
     javadoc for the JNLPAppletLauncher and run an emacs macro over it
     to remove the leading " *"s. -->

 The JNLPAppletLauncher is a general purpose JNLP-based applet
 launcher class for deploying applets that use extension libraries
 containing native code. It allows applets to use extensions like
 Java 3D, JOGL, and JOAL very easily, with just a few additional
 parameters to the <code>&lt;applet&gt;</code> tag, on Java SE
 versions as far back as 1.4.2.

 <p>

 Like Java Web Start, the JNLPAppletLauncher uses an extension's
 .jnlp file to locate the native resources for a given extension.
 The applet developer only needs to specify the platform-independent
 .jar files containing the .class files for the extension. The
 platform-specific "nativelib" .jar files are downloaded
 automatically from the same server that hosts the extension's Java
 Web Start binaries.

 <p>

 Extensions that support JNLPAppletLauncher include Java 3D, JOGL,
 and JOAL. More can be added without needing to modify the
 JNLPAppletLauncher. See the section below on <a
 href="#MODIFYING">modifying extensions to work with the
 JNLPAppletLauncher</a>.

 <h2> How to Deploy Applets Using the JNLPAppletLauncher </h2>
 <p>

 The <code>applet-launcher.jar</code> file containing the
 JNLPAppletLauncher class must be signed with the same certificate
 as the extension's native resources, for example "sun microsystems,
 inc.". The user will receive a security dialog and will be prompted
 to accept the certificate for the JLNPAppletLauncher.  The applet
 being deployed may be either signed or unsigned; if it is unsigned,
 it runs inside the security sandbox, and if it is signed, the user
 receives a security dialog to accept the certificate for the applet
 (in addition to the applet-launcher jar, if it is signed by a
 different entity).

 <p>

 The steps for deploying such applets are straightforward. First,
 the <code>archive</code> parameter to the applet tag must contain
 <code>applet-laucher.jar</code>, the extension .jar files, and any
 jar files associated with your applet. See the section on <a
 href="#ORGANIZING">organizing jar files</a> for more details.

 <p>

 Second, the name of your applet's main class and a textual
 description must be specified via the applet tag parameters
 <code>subapplet.classname</code> and
 <code>subapplet.displayname</code>.

 <p>

 Finally, the URLs for the extension .jnlp files being used must be
 specified as parameters. The <code>jnlpNumExtensions</code>
 parameter indicates the number of JNLP files that are referenced,
 and for <code>n</code> such files, their URLs are passed in as
 parameters <code>jnlpExtension1</code> ...
 <code>jnlpExtension[n]</code>.

 <h2><a name="ORGANIZING">Organizing Jar Files</a></h2>

 <p>

 Traditionally, applets are specified with a codebase and an archive
 parameter, the latter which is a list of jar files relative to that
 codebase. The codebase is optional and defaults to the directory on
 the web server containing the HTML document which contains the
 applet tag. See the documentation for the <a
 href="http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/guide/misc/applet.html">applet
 tag</a>.

 <p>

 It is not well documented, but at least in the Sun JRE at least as
 far back as Java SE 1.4.2, it is possible to use absolute URLs in
 the applet tag's archive parameter. This functionality works on all
 major operating systems: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris.
 This means that you can pull code resources from multiple web
 servers, not just one, in similar fashion to Java Web Start and its
 extension mechanism. (The security implications are that each
 unsigned piece of code downloaded from a separate server receives
 sandboxed permissions to connect back to that server; if there are
 multiple pieces of unsigned code on the stack during execution of
 the program then the permissions will be the intersection of all of
 those on the stack, implying that no programmatic network
 connections back to the web server(s) will be allowed. See the <a
 href="http://java.sun.com/sfaq/">Applet Security FAQ</a> for more
 details.)

 <p>

 This capability means that your applets can refer directly to
 extensions like Java 3D and JOGL hosted on Sun's web servers
 without having to duplicate their jar files on your web server.
 
 <p>

 To use this capability effectively with the JNLPAppletLauncher, you
 need to pull in at least three primary pieces of code: the applet
 launcher itself, your applet's code, and the Java code for the
 extension, or extensions, your applet depends on. (Remember that
 the JNLPAppletLauncher's primary function is to automatically
 download the native code associated with these extensions, and not
 the Java code for these extensions.)

 <p>

 You might choose to specify the codebase of your applet to point to
 your web server's directory containing the jar files of your
 applet, and specify absolute URLs to the
 <code>applet-launcher.jar</code> and the extension jar files. Or
 you might decide to point the codebase to the server which hosts
 the applet launcher and specify all of the other resources,
 including your applet, with absolute URLs. Or you might decide to
 use all absolute URLs in your archive tag with no codebase. The
 techniques are basically equivalent. We recommend either pointing
 the codebase to the directory containing your applet's jars, using
 relative URLs for your applet, and using absolute URLs for all
 other resources; or using all absolute URLs.

 <p>

 Alternatively, you can re-host the jar files and/or JNLP files and
 nativelib jars for the extensions you use on your own web
 server. This has the advantage that your applet will connect to
 fewer web servers upon startup, but has the disadvantages of
 requiring additional maintenance on your part and not automatically
 receiving updates to the extensions when they are published.

 <p>

 The <code>jnlpExtension</code> parameters passed to the
 JNLPAppletLauncher must be specified with absolute URLs.

 <p>

 The <a href="#EXAMPLES">examples</a> show how to use the
 JNLPAppletLauncher in a few different scenarios.

 <h2>Applets using the OpenGL(r) 3D API</h2>

 <p>

 Applets using the OpenGL 3D graphics API, for example through JOGL
 or Java 3D, may encounter robustness issues on the Windows platform
 because Sun's Java 2D implementation on Windows uses Microsoft's
 DirectDraw API. DirectDraw and OpenGL are incompatible at the
 driver level.

 <p>

 As a workaround for this problem, the JNLPAppletLauncher supports
 disabling the use of DirectDraw. Currently this can only be done on
 a global basis, for all applets, but doing so is unlikely to slow
 down other non-3D applets significantly.

 <p>

 Specifying the applet parameter

 <pre>
 &lt;param name="noddraw.check" value="true"&gt;
 </pre>

 <p>

 will cause the applet launcher, when run on Windows, to check to
 see whether DirectDraw is enabled and, if so, will prompt the user
 with a dialog box asking to disable it. A browser restart is
 required if the setting is changed.

 <p>

 If the dialog box is undesirable in a given situation, you can
 force the noddraw check to always disable DirectDraw with the two
 applet parameters:

 <pre>
 &lt;param name="noddraw.check" value="true"&gt;
 &lt;param name="noddraw.check.silent" value="true"&gt;
 </pre>

 <p>

 In this case it will not be obvious to the end user that a browser
 restart might be required for best robustness, but you could
 potentially document the need to try restarting the browser in case
 of instability.

 <h2><a name="EXAMPLES">Examples</a></h2>

 <p>

 An applet using Java 3D as an extension:

 <pre>
 &lt;applet code="org.jdesktop.applet.util.JNLPAppletLauncher"
      width=640
      height=480
      codebase="http://download.java.net/media/java3d/applets/applet-test/"
      archive="applet-launcher.jar,j3d-examples.jar,j3dcore.jar,j3dutils.jar,vecmath.jar"&gt;
   &lt;param name="subapplet.classname" value="org.jdesktop.j3d.examples.four_by_four.FourByFour"&gt;
   &lt;param name="subapplet.displayname" value="Java 3D Four by Four Applet"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpNumExtensions" value="1"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpExtension1"
      value="http://download.java.net/media/java3d/webstart/early-access/java3d-1.5.1-exp.jnlp"&gt;
   &lt;param name="progressbar" value="true"&gt;
 &lt;/applet&gt;
 </pre>

 <p>

 An applet using JOGL as an extension. Note that this example does
 not specify a codebase, instead specifying all of its archive tag
 elements with absolute URLs (which in a real applet tag must be all
 on one line). Note also the use of the <code>noddraw.check</code>
 parameter to disable the use of DirectDraw since using JOGL implies
 the use of OpenGL.

 <pre>
 &lt;applet code="org.jdesktop.applet.util.JNLPAppletLauncher"
      width=600
      height=400
      archive="http://download.java.net/media/applet-launcher/applet-launcher.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/gluegen/webstart/gluegen-rt.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl-demos.jar"&gt;
   &lt;param name="subapplet.classname" value="demos.applets.GearsApplet"&gt;
   &lt;param name="subapplet.displayname" value="JOGL Gears Applet"&gt;
   &lt;param name="noddraw.check" value="true"&gt;
   &lt;param name="progressbar" value="true"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpNumExtensions" value="1"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpExtension1"
          value="http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl.jnlp"&gt;
 &lt;/applet&gt;
 </pre>
 
 <p>
 
 An applet using both JOGL and JOAL as extensions. Note again that
 all code resources are specified with absolute URLs. In this
 example the unsigned applet pulls in code from both
 <code>jogl-demos.jar</code> and <code>joal-demos.jar</code>. Note
 again the use of the <code>noddraw.check</code> parameter.
 
 <pre> 
 &lt;applet code="org.jdesktop.applet.util.JNLPAppletLauncher"
      width=600
      height=400
      archive="http://download.java.net/media/applet-launcher/applet-launcher.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/gluegen/webstart/gluegen-rt.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl-demos.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/joal/webstart/joal.jar,
               http://download.java.net/media/joal/webstart/joal-demos.jar"&gt;
   &lt;param name="subapplet.classname" VALUE="demos.applets.GearsJOALApplet"&gt;
   &lt;param name="subapplet.displayname" VALUE="JOGL / JOAL Gears Applet"&gt;
   &lt;param name="noddraw.check" value="true"&gt;
   &lt;param name="progressbar" value="true"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpNumExtensions" value="2"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpExtension1"
          value="http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl.jnlp"&gt;
   &lt;param name="jnlpExtension2"
          value="http://download.java.net/media/joal/webstart/joal.jnlp"&gt;
 &lt;/applet&gt;
 </pre> 
 
 <h2> Locations of Standard Extensions </h2>
 
 <p>
 
 This section describes how to set up the <code>archive</code> and
 <code>jnlpExtension</code> parameters for a few standard
 extensions.
 
 <h3>JNLPAppletLauncher</h3>
 
 The master jar file for the JNLPAppletLauncher is located at the following URL:
 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/applet-launcher/applet-launcher.jar
 </pre>
 
 This jar needs to be added to your archive parameter.
 
 <h3>Java 3D</h3>
 
 The early access release of Java 3D 1.5.1 and later support the
 JNLPAppletLauncher. You will need to add the following URLs to your
 archive parameter:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/java3d/webstart/early-access/j3d/1.5.1/j3dcore.jar
 http://download.java.net/media/java3d/webstart/early-access/j3d/1.5.1/j3dutils.jar
 http://download.java.net/media/java3d/webstart/early-access/vecmath/1.5.1/vecmath.jar
 </pre>

 and refer to the following in one of your <code>jnlpExtension</code> parameters:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/java3d/webstart/early-access/java3d-1.5.1-exp.jnlp
 </pre>

 <h3>JOGL</h3>

 JOGL 1.1.1-rc3 and later support the JNLPAppletLauncher. You will
 need to add the following URL to your archive parameter:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl.jar
 </pre>

 Because JOGL depends on the GlueGen runtime, you will also need to
 add the following URL to your archive parameter:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/gluegen/webstart/gluegen-rt.jar
 </pre>

 Finally, add the following to one of your
 <code>jnlpExtension</code> parameters:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/jogl/builds/archive/jsr-231-webstart-current/jogl.jnlp
 </pre>

 Note that the jogl.jnlp extension will automatically pull in the
 native code associated with the GlueGen runtime, so you don't have
 to separately refer to the gluegen-rt.jnlp file.

 <h3>JOAL</h3>

 JOAL 1.1.1 and later support the JNLPAppletLauncher. You will need
 to add the following URL to your archive parameter:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/joal/webstart/joal.jar
 </pre>

 Because JOAL, like JOGL, depends on the GlueGen runtime, you will
 also need to add the following URL to your archive parameter:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/gluegen/webstart/gluegen-rt.jar
 </pre>

 (If you are using both JOGL and JOAL, you only need to refer to
 gluegen-rt.jar once in your archive parameter.)

 <p>

 Finally, add the following to one of your
 <code>jnlpExtension</code> parameters:

 <pre>
 http://download.java.net/media/joal/webstart/joal.jnlp
 </pre>

 Note that the joal.jnlp extension will automatically pull in the
 native code associated with the GlueGen runtime, so you don't have
 to separately refer to the gluegen-rt.jnlp file.

 <h2><a name="MODIFYING">Modifying Your Extension To Work With The JNLPAppletLauncher</a></h2>

 <p>

 If you are the author of an extension like JOGL which requires some
 native code, with only a simple code change you can make your
 extension work with the JNLPAppletLauncher. Simply add the
 following method somewhere in your code:

 <pre>
  private static void loadLibraryInternal(String libraryName) {
      String sunAppletLauncher = System.getProperty("sun.jnlp.applet.launcher");
      boolean usingJNLPAppletLauncher =
          Boolean.valueOf(sunAppletLauncher).booleanValue();
      if (usingJNLPAppletLauncher) {
          try {
              Class jnlpAppletLauncherClass =
                  Class.forName("org.jdesktop.applet.util.JNLPAppletLauncher");
              Method jnlpLoadLibraryMethod =
                  jnlpAppletLauncherClass.getDeclaredMethod("loadLibrary",
                                                            new Class[] { String.class });
              jnlpLoadLibraryMethod.invoke(null, new Object[] { libraryName });
          } catch (Exception e) {
              throw new RuntimeException(e);
          }
      } else {
          System.loadLibrary(libraryName);
      }
  }
 </pre>

 and wherever you would call <code>System.loadLibrary()</code> (from
 within an <code>AccessController.doPrivileged()</code> block) to
 load your extension's native code, call the above
 <code>loadLibraryInternal</code> method instead.

 <p>

 Note again that because the <code>applet-launcher.jar</code> and
 the nativelib jars for all extensions must currently be signed with
 the same certificate, this implies that you must resign both the
 applet launcher as well as any other extensions your applet relies
 on (unless yours is a Sun-standard extension and can be signed with
 Sun's code signing certificate).

 <h2>Acknowledgments</h2>

 The JNLPAppletLauncher was developed by Kevin Rushforth, Kenneth
 Russell, and Chien Yang. It is based on the former
 JOGLAppletLauncher developed by Lilian Chamontin.

</body>
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