Application or Applet? Java software comes in several flavors - the most common being the stand-alone application, and the applet. Web developers may have come across the term applet before, and perhaps even used one. An applet is an piece of software code that runs under the control of a web browser, as distinct from the application which requires an interpreter. Applets are commonly used to enhance the interactivity of a web page, and deliver client-side content. Applets run in their own frame, and can display graphics, accept input from GUI components, and even open network connections. Due the potential security risks associated with running applets from external and potentially malicious sources, most web browsers limit file access, and impose additional restrictions on applets (such as only being able to connect to the hostname from which the applet was downloaded). Fortunately, stand-alone applications have no such restrictions, and a full range of functionality is provided for in the way of pre-written Java classes. Stand-alone applications can run as a console application (writing text to the screen or terminal window), or they can have a graphical user-interface, by opening a new window or dialog box. You've used applications before, such as word processors, text editors, and games. The Java language is capable of all this things.