A Java program that is called from a Web page and downloaded from a server. Although Java applets are executed by a Java Virtual Machine just like full-blown Java programs, they do not have access to all the resources in the user's computer. They are "sandboxed" the same as JavaScript code. However, Java applets are not widely used, whereas JavaScript is embedded in nearly every Web page for myriad kinds of interaction. Contrast with
Java application. See
Java,
Java Virtual Machine,
JavaScript and
Java sandbox.