What is "java web start" used for?

Question

I was reading about java web start from wiki. Can someone please tell me

• What is it used for?
• A practical application of it; to make its use clearer.
• Do other languages like C++ / C# have anything similar?

Thanks,
Roger

Answer 1

Java Web Start is kind of like a successor to applets - it allows Java programs to be run from your browser (though unlike applets, they don't run within the browser). For a practical example, see the TopCoder Arena.

http://www.topcoder.com/contest/arena/ContestAppletProd.jnlp

Here, Java Network Launching Protocol (JNLP) is the protocol that defines how a Web Start application should be run (analogous to HTML telling a browser how a page should be rendered).

See the Oracle tutorials:

• Lesson: Web Start
• Deploying a Java Web Start Application
• Java Network Launch Protocol

Answer 2

Java Web Start software provides the power to launch full-featured applications with a single click. Users can download and launch applications, such as a complete spreadsheet program or an Internet chat client, without going through lengthy installation procedures.

With Java Web Start software, users can launch a Java application by clicking a link in a web page. The link points to a Java Network Launch Protocol (JNLP) file, which instructs Java Web Start software to download, cache, and run the application.

I'm quoting the Java Tutorial lesson on WebStart

For those of you who work with .Net something like Java Webstart is ClickOnce technology.