detecting browser name/version from an Applet

[Karen Parker]

Does anyone know whether it's possible for an applet to detect the browser it is being run in? I have an applet that needs to know whether the user is browsing with Netscape or IE. I know that I can find this out with Javascript and then pass it as an applet parameter, but I'm hoping there's a way to do it from within the applet as well.

[Nathan Pruett]

I think you're going to have to pass it as a parameter from JavaScript... I know of no way for the applet to detect what kind of browser it is running in...

-Nate

[Manfred Leonhardt]

Hi Karen,
Try the code below to see how it can be done.

import java.applet.*;
public class BrowserType extends Applet
{
  public void init()
  {
    String browser = System.getProperty( "java.vendor" );
if( browser.indexOf( "Netscape" ) != -1 )
    {
      System.out.println( "Netscape broswer!" );
    }
    else if( browser.indexOf( "Sun" ) != -1 )
    {
      System.out.println( "Applet Viewer!" );
    }
    else if( browser.indexOf( "Microsoft" ) != -1 )
    {
      System.out.println( "IE broswer!" );
    }
  }
}

Enjoy,
Manfred.

[Rohit Agarwal]

Concurring with the same topic. Where do the output of the System.out.println in an applet go to. I cant see them on the browser nor in the java console
Also, can we find out which operating system i am running too?
Rohit

[Nathan Pruett]

Manfred,

Pretty snazzy!

Rohit,

System.out.println should be printing to the java console in the browser, or to the command-prompt window that launched the browser ( for appletviewer and Unix-related browsers ).

You can get the OS by using

System.getProperty( "os.name" );

Look in the Java API under the System class, getProperties() method for more.

-Nate