applet

Small (Java  )program embedded in an HTML  page. When you access that Web page , the browser downloads the applet and runs it on your computer. For security reasons applets cannot read or write data onto your computer. The applet can only be executed if your browser supports Java.

A small Java program that can be embedded in an HTML page. Applets differ from full-fledged Java applications in that they are not allowed to access certain resources on the local computer, such as files and serial devices (modems, printers, etc.), and are prohibited from communicating with most other computers across a network. The current rule is that an applet can only make an Internet connection to the computer from which the applet was sent.

A multimedia application written or embedded in Java language such as animation or sound,that can be downloaded over a network,, executed by browser software and lounched on the user’s computer.

This a Java program that can be "embedded" in a web page. The difference between a standard Java application and a Java applet is that applets can't access system resources on the local computer. This means system files and serial devices (modems, printers, scanners, etc.) cannot be called or used by the applet. This is for security reasons -- nobody wants their system wiped out by a malicious Applet on some wacko's web site. Applets have helped make the web more dynamic and functional as well as giving an helpful boost to the Java programming language.