Network Overview
Internet Basics
IP - Datagrams
  TCP - UDP
  Application Layer
Ports
Java Networking
URL
  Demo 1
Read From URL
  Demo 2
InetAddress
  Demo 3   Demo 4
Sockets
  Demo 5
Client-Server
RMI
Exercises

Java was designed from the start with networking in mind. Java became famous because of  applets, which were invented to provide dynamic content to web pages. Many other features of Java, however, extend Java network programming far beyond mere applets. Some of these include:

• java.net package in the core language includes numerous network related classes.
  
  
• Remote Method Invocation (RMI) packages allow a Java program running on one machine to invoke methods on another machine.
  
  
• Streaming I/O architecture provides a uniform structure in that I/O over a network is treated the same as I/O to a disk or the console.
  
  
• Serialization allows objects to be sent over a network and reconstructed on another machine.
  
  
• Threading allows easier creation of server programs where threads can be easily spun off to serve new clients as they connect.
  
  
• java.security and other packages allow for secure interactions over networks.
  
  
• Portability of java means that Java networking programs developed on one type of platform can also run and communicate with each other when used on other platforms.

In this chapter and the rest of Part II, we examine the above topics and other aspects of networking with Java.

Latest update: Dec. 8, 2004