Convert HTML to Java2

Unfortunately, the common browsers (Netscape, Internet Explorer) do not support Java2 -- the most recent version of Java. Java2 is needed to support the most recent GUI widgets such as JApplet.

Fortunately, both of these browsers support ways to extend themselves using "plug-ins". With the right magical incantations in the HTML file the browsers will load a plug-in which does support Java2 and the plug-in will run the applet.

The HTML incantations really are magical and it's best to do them automatically with a software tool. Sun provides just such a tool, but it's a bit of a pain to install and use. You have two options: do it the "right" way, or take a short-cut.

The "Right" Way

• Download Sun's HTMLConverter tool to your P: drive. Extract the files to P: NOT P:\cs132.
  (The previous link is a local copy at UW. You can also get it from Sun.)
• Open an MS-DOS window (Start --> Programs --> MS-DOS Prompt).
• At the prompt, type P: and hit enter.
This first command changes to the P: drive. If the prompt says P:\cs132 type cd .. to move up a directory. If you're doing this at home, substitute the name of the drive where you unzipped the downloaded software (typically C:).
• Then type cd converter\classes. This command changes to the directory where the converter's class file resides. This assumes you placed it at the top level of the drive. If it is within other directories, you'll need to include them just after the cd. For example, cd temp\converter\classes.
• Now type k:\jb3\java\bin\java.exe -classpath ;. HTMLConverter. This command runs the converter.
  
  If you're working at home you will need to find out where the file java.exe is stored.
  Go to Start --> Find --> Files or Folders and look for java.exe.
  On one system it said their copy was in the folder c:\JBuilder3\java\bin.
  Then change the above command to c:\JBuilder3\java\bin\java.exe -classpath ;. HTMLConverter.

When the program runs, it will look something like this:

• Enter the path to the folder containing your HTML file. If you're working in the lab, it should be P:\cs132\W11\Hangman. You may also use the browse button -- but remember, you're looking for the folder containing the HTML file, not the file itself.
• Press the "Convert..." button.
• When you switch back to JBuilder, your previously simple little APPLET tag should have been converted to something like this:

  <!--"CONVERTED_APPLET"-->
  <!-- CONVERTER VERSION 1.3 -->
  <OBJECT classid="clsid:8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93"
    WIDTH = "500" HEIGHT = "500"  
    codebase="http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/1.3/jinstall-13-win32.cab#Version=1,3,0,0">
    <PARAM NAME = CODE VALUE = "W11.Hangman.ui.HangmanUI" >
    <PARAM NAME = CODEBASE VALUE = "javaclasses" >
  
    <PARAM NAME="type" VALUE="application/x-java-applet;version=1.3">
    <PARAM NAME="scriptable" VALUE="false">
  <COMMENT>
  <EMBED type="application/x-java-applet;version=1.3"  
    CODE = "W11.Hangman.ui.HangmanUI" CODEBASE =
  "javaclasses" 
    WIDTH = "500" HEIGHT = "500"  
    scriptable=false 
    pluginspage="http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/1.3/plugin-install.html">
  <NOEMBED></COMMENT>
  
  </NOEMBED></EMBED>
  </OBJECT>
  
  <!--
  <APPLET 
    CODE = "W11.Hangman.ui.HangmanUI" 
    CODEBASE = "javaclasses" 
    WIDTH = "500" 
    HEIGHT = "500">
  </APPLET>
  -->
  <!--"END_CONVERTED_APPLET"-->
  
  

What a pain! Doesn't it make you wish that Netscape and Microsoft could get it together with a common standard?!? One browser that does support Java2 is Opera -- at www.opera.com.

A Short Cut

Rather than downloading the HTMLConverter from Sun, installing it and running it, an alternative is to simply cut and paste the code, given above, into your HTML file in place of the existing APPLET tag.

A Gotcha

One of the side effects of this conversion is that the AppletViewer finds two tags in the HTML file requesting an applet -- it apparently ignores the fact that the original tag is now inside a comment. The result is that AppletViewer shows two copies of the same applet. Solve this by simply deleting the original applet tag.