The easiest way to take advantage of Java in your own web pages is to include pre-existing applets. There are many freely-distributed, general-purpose applets available.

Set up a Java Capable Browser

• If you still don't have one, you will need to get a Java-enabled browser. You might try the Java Repository.
• If you want to do your own Java programming, or want to experiment with stand alone Java programs, you will probably also want the JDK (Java Developer's Kit). You can get that from Javasoft.

Set Up Your Environment Variables

You can view Java applets, using a Java-enabled browser, without really doing anything special. If you want to develop your own applets, however, you need to pay attention to a few extra details. For example, you must have certain environment variables set correctly. Those having an account at the Center might issue the following commands (they could go in one's .cshrc file, for example):

setenv CLASSPATH .:/u/java/classes.mips/:/u/java/classes.mips/java/:/u/java/classes.mips/sun/
setenv PATH ${PATH}:/u/java/bin

You will probably have to do the appropriate, equivalent thing at your site. Your local sysadmin will have to help you with the details if you're not sure yourself; or that person may have set your system up such that the environment gets set for this automatically. The various online resources give more information on this; it's just mentioned here as a reminder to get this in place before you try to resolve any other problems.

Include Applets in your Pages

• Download the necessary files. Usually, this is just a collection of .class files, though there may be image files, etc. as well.
• Install them in a location accessible to your web server.
• Embed them in your web page, via the <applet> tag. (See the documentation from Sun).