improving Java Applet performance

[yawnmoth]

http://www.frostjedi.com/terra/scripts/java.html

When I visit that in Firefox for the first time, there is a very
noticeable delay between the time the page loads and the applet
loads. For a few seconds, the browser seems to actually lock up,
even.

Also, in Internet Explorer 7, I get a "To help protect your security,
Internet Explorer stopped this site from installing an ActiveX control
on your computer. Click here for options..." message. For such a
benign applet, displaying a warning that a lot of users associate with
viruses seems unnecessary (albeit understandable).

Are slow response times and ActiveX warnings in IE7 avoidable or are
they just a cost of doing business in Java?

 

[Knute Johnson]

http://www.frostjedi.com/terra/scripts/java.html

When I visit that in Firefox for the first time, there is a very
noticeable delay between the time the page loads and the applet
loads. For a few seconds, the browser seems to actually lock up,
even.

Also, in Internet Explorer 7, I get a "To help protect your security,
Internet Explorer stopped this site from installing an ActiveX control
on your computer. Click here for options..." message. For such a
benign applet, displaying a warning that a lot of users associate with
viruses seems unnecessary (albeit understandable).

Are slow response times and ActiveX warnings in IE7 avoidable or are
they just a cost of doing business in Java?

I looked at this page with FF3 and IE7, neither gave any warnings or
were slow. Could it be that you just have a slow computer?

 

[Dave Miller]

I looked at this page with FF3 and IE7, neither gave any warnings or
were slow. Could it be that you just have a slow computer?

I got the same results as Knute.

Your connection speed could be part of the mix - use an online speed
check site to rule that in or out. If your speed is good:

For the FF problem, while the applet is open, double click on the Java
icon in your system and check the version. Then right-click and open the
console. If the v is current and the console shows no exceptions, it's
almost certainly not your JVM.

Your IE 7 results may be from the IE security settings - check on them
in Tools --> Internet Options.

If none of that shows anything, Knute's "time to upgrade the old PC"
guess is likely on target.

 

[yawnmoth]

I got the same results as Knute.

Your connection speed could be part of the mix - use an online speed
check site to rule that in or out. If your speed is good:

My speed test:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/305247805.png

I don't think it's my network connection. And it's fairly difficult
to reproduce. I was able to produce it on one computer, once, just
now, but on successive attempts, I couldn't. Even cleared the
statcache to no avail.

Also, regardless, it is a complaint that is often made (not for this
applet, mind you, but for another). Per your later suggestion, I'll
ask if people can give me that information.

Your IE 7 results may be from the IE security settings - check on them
in Tools --> Internet Options.

This is a complaint other users have, though. If a user visits your
website for the first time and gets an ActiveX warning, they may just
leave your website, figuring that having to adjust their security
settings makes visiting your website just too much of a hassle.

I don't think I've actually changed my own IE7 security settings. I
normally just click OK for the ActiveX security warning. Do the
default security settings of IE7 just result in ActiveX warnings for
all Java applets?

 

[Knute Johnson]

My speed test:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/305247805.png

Network speed isn't your problem!

I don't think it's my network connection. And it's fairly difficult
to reproduce. I was able to produce it on one computer, once, just
now, but on successive attempts, I couldn't. Even cleared the
statcache to no avail.

The first time the java plugin is loaded can take a while. Sun is
currently doing a lot of work to improve that. See
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/ea/6u10/6u10beta.jsp

Also, regardless, it is a complaint that is often made (not for this
applet, mind you, but for another). Per your later suggestion, I'll
ask if people can give me that information.


This is a complaint other users have, though. If a user visits your
website for the first time and gets an ActiveX warning, they may just
leave your website, figuring that having to adjust their security
settings makes visiting your website just too much of a hassle.

I don't think I've actually changed my own IE7 security settings. I
normally just click OK for the ActiveX security warning. Do the
default security settings of IE7 just result in ActiveX warnings for
all Java applets?

You didn't say but is this IE7 running on Vista? I've heard (I don't
have Vista) that there is considerably more security control stuff
running in Vista.

I don't think I've changed the default settings on my IE7 but I rarely
use it because of the risks and it would have been changed a long time ago.

So I just tried setting my security level to 'High' and that does cause
the warning you mentioned. My security level was set at 'Medium High'
before. I reset it to the default and had no problems then either.

 

[Dave Miller]

yawnmoth wrote:
Do the

default security settings of IE7 just result in ActiveX warnings for
all Java applets?

I don't think so. For some reason (if I live to be 500 I'll not
understand SEO) a page on our hosting site scores in the top 5 or 6 for
for the phrase "Java Tech Support". We get several LOL moments a week
when some service rep sends consumers to us thinking we're tech support
for all of Java. "Uh no ma'am, Java is a programming language..."

When they seem really helpless, I'll spend a minute with them - most
times the problem is not the JVM - and send them to the following page
which has a hello world applet on it that says "you've got Java". Not
once has anyone said anything about an active x warning.

http://www.fundableplans.com/get_java.html

All that said, Vista is it's own animal if that's your OS all bets are off:

 

[yawnmoth]

yawnmothwrote:


Network speed isn't your problem!


The first time the java plugin is loaded can take a while.  Sun is
currently doing a lot of work to improve that.  Seehttp://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/ea/6u10/6u10beta.jsp

I bet that's the problem. Thanks!

You didn't say but is this IE7 running on Vista?  I've heard (I don't
have Vista) that there is considerably more security control stuff
running in Vista.

I don't think I've changed the default settings on my IE7 but I rarely
use it because of the risks and it would have been changed a long time ago.

So I just tried setting my security level to 'High' and that does cause
the warning you mentioned.  My security level was set at 'Medium High'
before.  I reset it to the default and had no problems then either.

Windows XP SP2 (fully up-to-date; I'll get SP3 whenever Windows Update
decides to get it) with IE7.

Of course, in trying to reproduce the problem, now, I can't. Seems
rather intermittent, as well, actually. I'll try it on some of my
computers at home when I get off work...