What is Java Applet equivalent in .NET?

[technical_user]

Hi,

What is Java Applet equivalent in .NET?

Overview on Java Appets:
----------------------------
What is an Applet in Java?
Applet is a Java program. This is referenced in a Web page
(html, jsp etc.). On being referred, the Applet (class file) is made available on the client and is executed in the client. Note that the Applet even though is hosted on the Server, necessarily runs in the client. This needs a Java Runtime (JRE) to be available in the client (browser environment) also.

Features:
- An Applet, since it runs in the client, can access the client
machine (meaning read from the file system, create files etc. in the client machine).
- An Applet can talk to the server, where it can from and not other machines.
- An Applet can launch exes in the client machine (say word exe or others)
- Since these features tend to be malicious, there is Security
attached to Applets, that comes in the form of Signing and Certificates.

If similar results were to be achieved using .NET, what is the answer?

Hope to get valuable inputs.

- Chethan

[buntine]

Applets are a Sun technology, Microsoft have no equivelent..
Your best bet is ASP.NET.

[technical_user]

OK. How do we achieve the following:

An application is hosted on the Server (.NET). The client views it as a collection of ASPs.
1. One functionality to be achieved is, when the client access the server application over the web, the server program has to access the client (say, read a client file) and then proceed with its course of action (like writing more files or modifying that file etc.)
2. Additionally, it has to invoke a client program.

The Applet Security framework enables in achieving this.
How can .NET help?

Thanks in advance,
Chethan.

[PeOfEo]

asp.net can do that all... it is a server side language.

[technical_user]

I am going through the links, you have provided.

One question though, Since ASP.NET is for the server side, I still have my doubts on "How much of a help will it really be on the client side?".

Thoughts?

[PeOfEo]

what do you mean? Server side scripting is just that, run on the server's side. That way the client does not have to execute the code. JS is not supported by 13% of the internet (according to last years stats on thecounter.com). If people do not support js and you are trying to use it for functional code then you have a problem. All scripts that are neccessary to the functionality of the site need to be handled server side. ASP.NET does output java script, but it does not realy on it. It outputs java script for things like feild validators so the client can see what they are doing wrong before the submit the form even though if the user does not support java script the server will catch it. That was just one example. I prefer to keep all of my ASP.NET server side, I do not like it when the server outputs java script myself mainly because it does no specify a type attribute and this will cause my sites not to comply with the w3c standards.

[ray326]

The MS equivalent to a Java applet is an ActiveX control. There is no .NET equivalent per se. The comparison with .NET is server-side Java.

[technical_user]

Ray has got a point. But industry says ActiveX components are no longer used.

PeOfEo is right. ASP.NET will do all the server side functionality for me. But what about the client side logic? I need to update files on the client, I need to invoke exes in the client. ASP.NET will not do that for me.

[buntine]

But javaScript will. Or an Applet.