in java context
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Can anyone tell me the difference between applet and plugin?
in java context
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An applet is an independent application. A plug-in works extends the capabilities of another program.
An applet is a software component that runs in the context of another program, for example a web browser. An applet usually performs a very narrow function that has no independent use. Hence, it is an application -let. The term was introduced in AppleScript in 1993. An applet is distinguished from "subroutine" by several features. First, it executes only on the "client" platform environment of a system, as contrasted from "servlet." As such, an applet provides functionality or performance beyond the default capabilities of its container (the browser). Also, in contrast with a subroutine, certain capabilities are restricted by the container. An applet is written in a language that is different from the scripting or HTML language which invokes it. The applet is written in a compiled language, while the scripting language of the container is an interpreted language, hence the greater performance or functionality of the applet. Unlike a "subroutine," a complete web component can be implemented as an applet.
A plugin (or plug-in) is a computer program that interacts with a main application (a web browser or an email program, for example) to provide a certain, usually very specific, function.
Typical examples are plugins that
* read or edit specific types of files (for instance, multimedia files)
* encrypt or decrypt email (for instance, PGP)
* filter images in graphic programs
* play flash presentations
The main application provides services which the plugins can use, including a way for plugins to register themselves with the main application and a protocol by which data is exchanged with plugins. Plugins are dependent on these services provided by the main application and do not usually work by themselves. Conversely, the main application is independent of the plugins, making it possible for plugins to be added and updated dynamically without changes to the main application.
Plugins are slightly different from extensions, which modify or add to existing functionality. The main difference is that plugins generally rely on the main application's user interface and have a well-defined boundary to their possible set of actions. Extensions generally have fewer restrictions on their actions, and may provide their own user interfaces. They sometimes are used to decrease the size of the main application and offer optional functions. Mozilla Firefox uses a well-developed extension system to reduce the feature creep that plagued the Mozilla Application Suite.
Perhaps the first software applications to include a plugin function were HyperCard and QuarkXPress on the Macintosh, both released in 1987. In 1988, Silicon Beach Software included plugin functionality in Digital Darkroom and SuperPaint, and the term plug-in was coined by Ed Bomke. Currently, plugins are typically implemented as shared libraries that must be installed in a place prescribed by the main application. HyperCard supported a similar facility, but it was more common for the plugin code to be included in the HyperCard documents (called stacks) themselves. This way, the HyperCard stack became a self-contained application in its own right, which could be distributed as a single entity that could be run by the user without the need for additional installation steps.
Open application programming interfaces (APIs) provide a standard interface, allowing third parties to create plugins that interact with the main application. A stable API allows third-party plugins to function as the original version changes and to extend the lifecycle of obsolete applications. The Adobe Photoshop and After Effects plugin APIs have become a standard and been adopted to some extent by competing applications. Other examples of such APIs include Audio Units and VST.
Plugin:
A program that allows a Web browser to display a wider range of content than originally intended. For example: the Flash plugin allows Web browsers to display Flash content.
Applet:
A small program written in Java and included in a HTML page. It is independent of the operating system on which it runs. An applet can be used to display scrolling text in a
specific area, or animations.
Plugin:
is a application
Applet:
is a program that can be transmitted from a server to a client computer and executed on the client.
Applets are a type of plug-in.
All applets are plugins, but not all plugins are applets.
Applets are called such because they were originally written via Applescript back in the day.
Not from any informed perspective, but I could speculate that an applet is a data transfer and a plugin is an external device.