Java

And don't forget about Java! This language has gained popularity quickly and is supported by both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Applets created in Java with a tool such as Microsoft Visual J++ are very similar to ActiveX components: they are self-contained, downloadable chunks of content that can be rendered in a Web page. And like ActiveX components, applets get their own special tag. The <APPLET> tag tells a browser to download Java code and run it. The following code runs an applet in a Web page:

<APPLET CODE="DBLBULB.CLASS" HEIGHT=35 WIDTH=26> </APPLET> 

The CODE attribute of the <APPLET> tag identifies the source code of the Java applet in much the same way that the CODEBASE attribute identifies the source for an ActiveX component. Applets can also have <PARAM> tags that specify initial values. In many ways, applets are the functional equivalent of ActiveX controls. In fact, scripting languages can access the public functions in applets just as they can access the methods of ActiveX components.