WebStart is a tool for application distribution and version control.
Developer only has to install the application on the SERVER.
WebStart only requires the clients to have Java.
Neither NeXtMidas nor the application itself have to be installed on the client machines!.
First Use:
When the user clicks a JNLP (Java Network Launch Protocol) link in a web
page, Java WebStart downloads the necessary application files, which are
zipped up in a JAR (Java Archive) file, and launches the application.
Click image for larger view.
The application then runs as if it was a normal Java application installed
on the local system.
Subsequent Uses:
Java WebStart maintains a local cache of the application files.
When the application is run, WebStart checks to see if the local copy is
up-to-date.
If a newer version is available on the web server, WebStart will download
it and launch the new version.
If the local copy is up-to-date, WebStart skips the download and runs the
local copy.
If the server is unavailable, WebStart can still run the local copy (it
just skips the up-to-date check when the server is unavailable).