The syllabus says applet. Modern Java says legacy.
The official outcome names applets, but modern Java has deprecated the Applet API for removal with no replacement. Learn the historical lifecycle and exam vocabulary without pretending applets are a current deployment choice.
After this lesson
You should be able to
- Order the historical applet lifecycle methods.
- Explain why a new application should not be designed as an applet today.
What the outcome is referring to
Historically, an applet was a Java class loaded by a supporting browser or applet viewer. The container, not main(), controlled its lifecycle: init() prepared it once, start() activated it, paint() drew it, stop() paused it, and destroy() released resources. That lifecycle is still useful for understanding framework-controlled code and connects directly to Swing events.
For modern engineering, stop there. In Java 21 the Applet and JApplet APIs are deprecated for removal and have no replacement, and current browsers do not provide the old Java plug-in model. This lesson exists to satisfy and accurately contextualize the official outcome—not to recommend an obsolete architecture.
Make the idea stick
Now try it yourself
Historical applet lifecycle
Order the container-controlled lifecycle, then leave it in history.
Carry the useful idea forward
The useful pattern survived: your code often runs inside a framework that calls lifecycle methods and event handlers. Swing calls listeners, application servers call request handlers, and mobile frameworks call screen lifecycle methods. Learn inversion of control from applets, then use supported platforms for real applications.
Try it yourself
Match init, start, stop, and destroy to one lifecycle responsibility each.
Need a hint?
Think prepare, activate, pause, release—in that order.
Check the worked solution
init prepares once; start activates; stop pauses; destroy performs final cleanup.
Quick check
What is the responsible way to teach applets in this R25 course?
Why this lesson exists
Syllabus mapping
Course Outcome 5: Develop applets that interact abundantly with the client environment and deploy on the server. · Outcome bridge — applets are named in the official outcome but omitted from the unit topic list.
Maps to course outcome CO5.