Applets and the File System

Harold (hblank@pxlmagic.com)
Mon, 30 Aug 1999 13:50:53 -0500

From: "Harold" <hblank@pxlmagic.com>
To: <java-security@java.sun.com>
Subject: Applets and the File System
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 13:50:53 -0500

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BEF2EE.AD312550
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hello. I recently sent a letter to Sun regarding a requested feature =
which would allow me to pop up a dialog box and let the user browse his =
file system, select an image file and then display the image in the =
applet. Because of the tight security, this was looking rather hopeless =
and I feared I would have to use ActiveX controls only. Then I received =
a reply from Sun which mentioned signed applets and policy files. So I =
read information on signed applets and policy files. In the end, I am =
right back where I started...activeX. So, either I misread things or =
the signed applets require the user to create a policy file (like a user =
will know how to do that). With ActiveX, the user simply clicks an OK =
button which allows the activeX control access to resources it would not =
normally have. Can Java security not come up with a similar method? =
One which does not require the intervention of a mostly ignorant user =
base? Or am I ignorant in that Java does have such a feature?

Thanks
Harold L. Blankenship

------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BEF2EE.AD312550
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

Hello.  I recently sent a letter = to Sun=20 regarding a requested feature which would allow me to pop up a dialog = box and=20 let the user browse his file system, select an image file and then = display the=20 image in the applet.  Because of the tight security, this was = looking=20 rather hopeless and I feared I would have to use ActiveX controls = only. =20 Then I received a reply from Sun which mentioned signed applets and = policy=20 files.  So I read information on signed applets and policy = files.  In=20 the end, I am right back where I started...activeX.  So, either I = misread=20 things or the signed applets require the user to create a policy file = (like a=20 user will know how to do that).  With ActiveX, the user simply = clicks an OK=20 button which allows the activeX control access to resources it would not = normally have.  Can Java security not come up with a similar = method? =20 One which does not require the intervention of a mostly ignorant user=20 base?  Or am I ignorant in that Java does have such a = feature?
 
Thanks
Harold L. = Blankenship
------=_NextPart_000_0005_01BEF2EE.AD312550--