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  Control Freaks and Java Junkies May 17, 1999
Java and ActiveX are excellent technologies with which to build an interface or application that has to be deployed on an ad hoc basis over an intranet or extranet. And if Web functionality is a key part of your strategy, using applets or ActiveX controls may make good sense. If the applets or controls are part of a heavy-duty application, you also may want to investigate Web application servers (see "Finding the Middle Ground" at www.networkcomputing.com/922/922buyers.html). In this article, we present some of the issues and concerns surrounding development and deployment of these downloadable bits of executable code. We'll compare the two technologies and explore some development and deployment choices. Java vs. ActiveX One question is when to deploy Java applets and when to use ActiveX. A full discussion of the merits of Java versus ActiveX is beyond the scope of this article, but here are a few pointers. If you require cross-platform functionality, Java applets are a good choice; though ActiveX controls are available on some non-Windows platforms, such as Apple Computer's Macintosh, Java has much wider client and OS support. Similarly, if external access from heterogeneous browser clients is likely (think extranet), Java has an edge over ActiveX from both a security and usability perspective--ActiveX is not supported on Netscape browsers without the use of plug-ins, such as ScriptAccess from NCompass Labs. Java also supports internationalization well through its use of Resource Bundles. No, Java isn't quite up to the "write once, run anywhere" promise, but it's pure portability when compared to ActiveX. ActiveX controls are most suitable for controlled environments, such as intranet applications. ActiveX controls use Microsoft's Authenticode method of code signing, which doesn't prevent them from doing damage to the host system--unlike standard Java applets with their "sandbox" model. An ActiveX control has access to the file system and can freely allocate memory. On the other hand, if you operate wholly in a Win32-based world and Microsoft Internet Explorer is your favorite browser, ActiveX may be the way to go. ActiveX controls have the advantage of operating on a download-once model, speeding the execution of applications making use of the control on subsequent access (under version 1.1, Java applets only operate this way when using X.509 signatures, and even then not with standard browsers). If you have an existing base of C++ or other OLE Custom Control (OCX) code, ActiveX also may let you reuse some legacy code. Remember that a security problem in one situation may be beneficial in another: Ease of access to the file system and other local resources can be of great help to intranet developers. Another benefit is that you can write ActiveX controls in multiple languages including C++, Delphi, PowerBuilder, Visual Basic and even Java.
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