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In our web application, we using a Java applet to invoke MS.Word application by jacob jar e.g. Word to open, edit, and when it saves automatically it uploaded to the server.

Google Chrome will no longer support NPAPI, so soon we can not run our applet in Chrome anymore.

So, any suggestions for an alternative for the Java applet. We want to make the same experience for the user, just like before.

kapil
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  • A non-web application. – user253751 Jul 14 '15 at 08:36
  • Or you could tell your users to not use Chrome, but that's probably going to annoy them more than a non-web application, if they're not technical people. – user253751 Jul 14 '15 at 08:41
  • Maybe you should rethink your application in a way that does not involve Word. Nowadays one can have very nice rich text editors implemented entirely in browser tools (Javascript/HTML5). And it's cross-platform and requires no existing Office license. – RealSkeptic Jul 14 '15 at 08:47
  • #RealSkeptic thx for your response we have already that option in our application client can view/modify their documents using editor/word. but it's mandatory we need to implement it (Word). can we implement like this using Java web start? but i don't know whether the JWS can communicate with our javascript which runs with in browser or not. – kapil Jul 14 '15 at 12:01
  • If you mean the Jacob COM library (http://sourceforge.net/projects/jacob-project/) then we are talking about the usage of an DLL which natively communicates over COM with Word. In this case you are out of luck - there is currently no alternative. See my post here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/31315991/what-cross-browser-technology-do-you-use-in-your-web-applications-to-manipulate/31335284#31335284 – Lonzak Jul 15 '15 at 07:08
  • possible duplicate of [Alternatives to Java applet to launch Microsoft Office applications](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30479338/alternatives-to-java-applet-to-launch-microsoft-office-applications) – smorgan Jul 15 '15 at 22:54

2 Answers2

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We have the same problem. With Webstart is not longer possible to do that communication. We are going to use Websockets between webstart application and browser. Our first attempt is to start a websockets server in the webstart and make browser connect to localhosts. If this is not possible for security limitations in the browsers then we are going to do it through the webserver, browser and webstart application connecting to the webserver and exchanging messages.

Victor Sanchez
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I can see 2 distinct possibilities.

  1. Create a standalone application that "wraps" your web application using a technology such as electron. You can then do your browser to desktop integration as you like. This will require an install on the client.
  2. Launch a webstart application (or it could really be any installation that happens on the client). It will need to start a webserver, or connect to a webserver and communicate via http.

I'm saddened by the loss of the Applet. It is a technology not easily replaced. And another methods seem somewhat like 'workarounds'. There is no easy, cross-browser way to break out of the browser sandbox and access the system.

For myself, the loss of the Applet has simply meant that automating some of these processes has become too difficult and it is just better to find an alternative way of achieving a similar end result.

A small note: If you are starting a local webserver, be mindful of security. It can be accessed by other processes on the system. Wouldn't it be fun to open word on anyone's system by sending a request to a port!

Ryan How
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