Reverse-engineering a Java Applet can sound like a daunting task, but it’s actually much easier, than you’d think.

Most Java applets you will encounter will come with a “sample HTML” file, which contains the HTML code for implementing the applet.  Here’s how to work out what to do in NOF based on that code:

<applet code = "applet.class" width = "XXX" height = "XXX">

This line defines the actual Java applet being used - in this example, “applet.class” as well as the height and width of the space being reserved on the page for the Java Applet. 
To implement this in NOF, create a Java object using the Java tool on the tools palette, and create the object so that it’s size (displayed in the bottom right corner of your NOF window) is the same as the “width” and “height” settings

<param name = "name" value = "value">

Lines which read along this pattern are all Applet Parameters. These lines configure the applet’s internal settings. For the most part, you can add these using the “Parameters” section of the “Applet Parameters” widow by clicking on the plus (+) button, then adding the “name” and “value” into the appropriate fields.

In some cases, a parameter’s value will look like a file name: filename.ext This usually indicates that the applet requires an additional file be added to the Applet’s File List in order for the applet to work properly.   Add this file to the list by clicking the “Browse” button in the Applet Parameters window and pointing NOF to the file or files.

When working with Parameters, it is vitally important that you type in the parameter’s name and value exactly as they appear in the sample HTML code. Java applets are extremely literal-minded and may balk at a typo, or a character being typed in as lower-case when it should be typed in as upper-case.

NetObjects Fusion will take any applet which uses more than one file in it’s file list and place it (and all the appropriate files) into a folder bearing the name of the first .class file chosen when the applet was placed on the page. In some cases, this may cause the applet to malfunction, as the applet might be expecting its files to be in a folder bearing a specific name.   Check your documentation to see if this is the case.  If this is the case, you can rename the folder that NOF will create in the Publish view by right-clicking on it (Control-Click if you’re on a Mac) and selecting “Rename” from the pop-up menu that appears.