| Some of the latest Java tools make it possible to
deliver cross-platform solutions to millions of Web or
intranet users without writing a single line of code.
Michael Kranitz, director of digital business at The
Computer Group, recently used such a tool to convert a
commercial application into a Java applet. The original product, LeaseWizard, is written in Borland Delphi for Windows. It helps car shoppers decide whether leasing or purchasing is a better deal. Kranitz wanted to post a free, abbreviated version of LeaseWizard on his Web site, but he doesn't know how to program in Java. So, he constructed a working prototype in Excel and used a tool called SmartTable, by Visual Numerics, to automatically convert the spreadsheet into a Java applet. SmartTable creates Java class files that duplicate both the appearance and the function of the spreadsheet. Users can enter data and calculate results on-line. Later, Kranitz hired a programmer to write an HTML/JavaScript version that non-Java browsers can use. However, it doesn't do as much interactive error-checking when users enter data, and it consumes a lot more screen space. "You have to scroll it, and that's a big deal," says Kranitz. "[The Java applet] looks a lot better on the screen." Excellent Java Applets LeaseWizard Jr. is an Excel spreadsheet
converted into a fully functional Java applet.
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