Java

John Hawkins · Post by **John Hawkins** » 24 Mar 2006 4:17 pm

I was prompted lately to install Java ! I did that with no apparent difference to the PC performance --at least not that I can tell ! I'm mostly a PC dummy and really don't know what Java is or does !

If it makes no apparent difference in PC preformance or if it takes up too much space, why have it ? Should I uninstall the program ?

Would appreciate your advise and suggestions! Thanks !

John

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 24 Mar 2006 4:55 pm

More and more web pages are utilizing java script to display web content these days. If one's web browser lacks the ability to read and display java script and applets, some content will be unavailable to the viewer. So, yes, it's in your interest to be able to view java content.

What you're noticing is the java updater trying to keep your files current.

If you think you'd rather not have this going on on your system, you have options.

One is to keep the updater installed and ready, but disable it. Click Start and enter "msconfig", and "Enter". Click the startup programs tab, and deselect the "jusched" application, or whatever it says, if not that precisely, I can't remember.

If you want to permanently get rid of this from running, go to Start/Run, and enter "regedit", Enter, and go to HKLM/Run/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Run, and look for the "java/jusched.exe" entry, and just delete it.

I've typed all this from memory, so, if anything doesn't look right, that's the reason. But I do this stuff all the time, so, it works for me.[This message was edited by Dave Potter on 24 March 2006 at 04:57 PM.][This message was edited by Dave Potter on 24 March 2006 at 05:13 PM.]

John Hawkins · Post by **John Hawkins** » 24 Mar 2006 5:26 pm

Dave,

I appreciate your reply and info. Based on what you said in the first para. I don't think I will mess with Java !

I will print out your options though, in case I want to take it out at a later time !

Thanks again for your answer!

John

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 25 Mar 2006 12:34 pm

Dave said: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
More and more web pages are utilizing java script to display web content these days. If one's web browser lacks the ability to read and display java script and applets, some content will be unavailable to the viewer. So, yes, it's in your interest to be able to view java content.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Javascript is NOT Java!

Javascript is an interpreted language that is used in browsers to add functionality to web pages and is extremely useful in creating website navigation menus.

Java is a compiled programming language that is used to present you with active content on web pages, to create chat rooms and forums and to display scrolling news tickers, and create interactive games among other things.

While it is possible to deactivate Javascript in certain browsers it will cause many websites to malfunction, and you may not be able to see their navigation menus. If you choose to disable, or uninstall the Java plugin you will not be able to view certain interactive content, or use chat rooms or forums or play games that require Java. Java is owned and updated by the Sun Corp.

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 25 Mar 2006 6:15 pm

Java will not hurt your machine! Java is needed if you want to run "Java servlets", little programs that run in your web browser. These programs have fallen out of favor in recent years, but I still think it's a really cool idea.

You see, Java programs are executed by the "Java Virtual Machine" (JVM) instead of by the operating system. JVM's are available for Windows, Mac, Unix, and Linux. This means that a program written in Java can be run without changes in multiple environments.

I write Java for a living. You can use one of my programs at enu.print.avery.com. This Java program runs on the web server, not on your machine, so you don't need to install Java to use it. "Server side Java" is a popular programming model for thousands of commercial web sites.

JavaScript is something else entirely. It's misnamed - it actually has nothing to do with Java. JavaScript is code that's embedded in a web page to provide some user interaction without contacting the server. (We call this "client-side scripting".)

You can see JavaScript in action on the site I mentioned above. Slowly enter the number "5160" in the Product Number box. As you do it, you'll see the product list below it change. That's JavaScript doing that.

Also, the way the list changes when you select a different category is done with JavaScript.

My Java program on the server outputs a dynamic web page containing HTML and JavaScript. Your browser translates the HTML code into the visual page that you see, and then executes the JavaScript instructions as you enter keystrokes or change things with your mouse.

These days, Java on the desktop has pretty much been replaced by Flash. This is the end result of a lawsuit between Sun and Microsoft. Microsoft tried to change the Java language so that it would only work in Windows, and Sun (who invented Java) objected. Microsoft then refused to bundle Java in Windows. The download of the JVM took too long for most Internet users of the day, so Java servlets sort of faded away.

------------------
<img align=left src="http://b0b.com/b0bxicon.gif" border="0"> Bobby Lee
-b0b- quasar@b0b.com 
System Administrator 
My Blog[This message was edited by b0b on 25 March 2006 at 06:59 PM.]

John Hawkins · Post by **John Hawkins** » 26 Mar 2006 9:13 am

Wiz and b0b ,
I have a much better understanding of Java now, after your very good explinations !

Thanks for taking your time to give them !

John

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 27 Mar 2006 12:14 pm

Netscape was the original creator of Javascript, which was originally called LiveScript.

Read about the history of Javascript here: http://javascript.about.com/od/reference/a/history.htm

Here is an extract that really describes the differences between Java and Javascript, and what each technology is designed to do.

At the time there were two browsers that were reasonably popular - Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Netscape was the first to bring out a programming language that would allow web pages to become interactive - they called it Livescript and it was integrated into the browser (meaning that the browser would interpret the commands directly without requiring the code to be compiled and without requiring a plugin to be able to run it).

This meant that anyone using the latest Netscape browser would be able to interact with pages that made use of this language.

Another programming language called Java (which required a separate plugin in order to run) became very well known and so Netscape decided to try to cash in on this by renaming the language built into their browser to Javascript. Note that while some Java and Javascript code may appear similar, they are in fact two entirely different languages that serve completely different purposes.