Building Your First Java Applet

By Paul Leahy, About.com Guide

Note: Before you start this tutorial, you must have downloaded and installed the Java SE Development Kit.

Java applets are like Java applications, their creation follows the same three step process of write, compile and run. The difference is, instead of running on your desktop, they run as part of a web page.

The goal in this tutorial is to create a simple Java applet. This can be achieved by following these basic steps:

1. Write a simple applet in Java
2. Compile the Java source code
3. Create a HTML page that references the applet
4. Open the HTML page in a browser