java version detection and browser notification

[G. Garrett Campbell]

I have some applet users who have very old java versions (microsoft vm or
versions < 1.5)
I would like to notify them with a request to update their java version.

I created a java applet containing
version = System.getProperty("java.version");

Then I compiled it under java 1.2 (javac).

That works to collect the version number.
____

Now I want to notify them.
Ideally I would do appletContext.showDocument(url) to
pop up a web page with a link to www.java.com to install newer java code.

But showDocument is a 1.4+ method.

Any ideas on how to show a web page from an old java version?
Any better ideas on notification? (Javascript maybe?)

Thanks

 

[douggunnoe]

I have some applet users who have very old java versions (microsoft vm or
versions < 1.5)
I would like to notify them with a request to update their java version.

I created a java applet containing
version = System.getProperty("java.version");

Then I compiled it under java 1.2 (javac).

That works to collect the version number.
____

Now I want to notify them.
Ideally I would do appletContext.showDocument(url) to
pop up a web page with a link towww.java.comto install newer java code.

But showDocument is a 1.4+ method.

Any ideas on how to show a web page from an old java version?
Any better ideas on notification?  (Javascript maybe?)

Thanks

How about a Dialog window?

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/dialog.html

Surely one of the methods at that link is good for 1.2, but I can't
swear to it.

 

[G. Garrett Campbell]

I found that AppletContext works better thna appletContext.
Now a web page shows up when the java version is less that 1.5
Thanks

I have some applet users who have very old java versions (microsoft vm or
versions < 1.5)
I would like to notify them with a request to update their java version.

I created a java applet containing
version = System.getProperty("java.version");

Then I compiled it under java 1.2 (javac).

That works to collect the version number.
____

Now I want to notify them.
Ideally I would do appletContext.showDocument(url) to
pop up a web page with a link towww.java.comto install newer java code.

But showDocument is a 1.4+ method.

Any ideas on how to show a web page from an old java version?
Any better ideas on notification? (Javascript maybe?)

Thanks

How about a Dialog window?

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/dialog.html

Surely one of the methods at that link is good for 1.2, but I can't
swear to it.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

..
But showDocument is a 1.4+ method.

Rubbish! AppletContext and its methods (e.g.
showDocument()) were introduced in Java *1.0* .

OTOH - it is not a reliable method to show new
pages, since pop-up blockers might interfere with
changing the page.

I suggest you are better off popping a dialog.


For 'altogether better' Java versioning, look to
web start (that will not help with the 1.1 VMs
though).

 

[Paul Geisler]

I think it is also allways possible to call some javascript inside the
page which could take any further actions, for example showing a warning
message and download links beneath the applet.

 

[Roedy Green]

Any ideas on how to show a web page from an old java version?

see com.mindprod.common11.VersionCheck

http://mindprod.com/products1.html#COMMON11