Secure Global Desktop Administration Guide > Applets > How does Secure Global Desktop use applets?

How does Secure Global Desktop use applets?

If you are using the browser-based webtop

If you are using the browser-based webtop, the Sun Secure Global Desktop Client Helper is available as an applet. The applet is responsible for:

• downloading and installing the Sun Secure Global Desktop Client;
• starting the Sun Secure Global Desktop Client;
• managing the display engine for applications that display on the webtop or in a new browser window (in-place applications); and
• responding to instructions received from the Sun Secure Global Desktop Client, for example prompting the web browser to re-draw the screen.

The browser-based webtop also uses the terminal emulator and X emulator applets to display applications on the webtop or in a new browser window. However, these applets must not be customized or scripted. If you do want to customize or script them, you must use the classic webtop.

Use of these applets is optional. If you do not use them, applications can't be displayed on the webtop or in a new browser window and users have to manually refresh their webtop display.

If you are using the classic webtop

If you are using the classic webtop, applets are used to authenticate users, render webtops, and to display applications.

The following applets are supplied:

• Client drive mapping (CDM)
• Framework
• Login
• Print
• Terminal emulator
• Webtop script
• Webtop tray
• X emulator

These applets are used in HTML pages, which together with graphics files make up Secure Global Desktop themes. For example, the X emulator applet XDE.class is used in the HTML page xde.html that forms part of the sco/tta/standard webtop theme.

You can use JavaScript to manipulate applets. This enables you to create your own custom webtops or dispense with the webtop altogether. Launching applications from JavaScript describes how users can bypass the Webtop mechanism and launch applications when they point their web browser at a particular web page.

The emulator applets let you use applet parameters to override application object attributes, if you want to. However, you can only use this method to configure X and character applications -- you can't use applet parameters to change the way a Windows application behaves.

Note If you create your own themes, you must use the TTAAPPLET element when you include one of the Secure Global Desktop applets.

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