Message #3477

From: David Vanderschel <DvdS@Austin.RR.com>
Subject: Re: [MC4D] Inside a hypercube (and Java Applets)
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2016 20:47:49 -0500

Regarding using the Java Control Panel to allow execution of unsigned
Java applets:
On 7/22/2016 6:54 PM, Melinda Green melinda@superliminal.com [4D_Cubing]
wrote:
>
> There’s nothing wrong with that advice except that applets can’t be
> run standalone.
It is almost trivial to organize things in such a way that you can use
the same code to make either an applet or a stand-alone app. Indeed, I
did precisely that for MC3D; and the difference is so minute that there
is no maintenance issue. (However, my applet runs in its own window,
not the browser’s window; so that probably simplifies things.)
> A separate Java application can certainly be written for them but
> that’s more maintenance trouble
As I recall, there is even a way to adapt an applet to function as an
app; but I do not recall the specifics anymore.
> and people are afraid to download and execute desktop applications
> anyway. …
Well, doing the authorization in the Java Control Panel is equivalent to
downloading and executing an unsigned executable anyway, and people need
to understand that. The point is that the mechanics of downloading an
app and then authorizing the execution of it is much easier to accomplish.

I certainly regret having used Java to write MC3D; but that was back in
the day of "Write once, run anywhere." I should have used Javascript,
for which that promise still holds (oddly). However, my choice nowadays
is Python. Forget running it in a browser.

Regards, David V.