Applet

The term applet was first introduced in 1993 with the application then known as AppleScript. An applet offers vivid displays and graphics and usually interacts with a human user. It typically performs with another program, offering minimal function that otherwise has no independent purpose. Unlike the typical web-based application, an applet can not perform independently. It is required to function in a container which is provided via plugin, host application or mobile hardware devices that are compatible with the applet programming model. Prior to performing a specific task, an applet is first executed on the system’s client platform, a factor that distinguishes it from a servlet. This enables it to provide functionality far greater than the default capability of it’s container, which in most cases is a web browser. An applet is written in a language that differs from the HTML or scripting language that invokes it. It is written in a compiled language while it’s container is scripted in an interpreted language, thus provoking greater functionality of the applet.