The life cycle of a Java applet refers to the sequence of stages it undergoes from its creation to termination within a web browser. This life cycle is managed by a series of methods defined in the java.applet.Applet class, which are automatically invoked by the browser or applet viewer during the applet's execution. Here's a detailed explanation of each stage:
1. Initialization (init() method)
The init() method is the first step in the life cycle of an applet. It is called only once when the applet is first loaded. This method is intended for basic initialization tasks, such as setting up the user interface components or loading images or files. Since applets do not use the main() method commonly found in standalone Java applications, init() serves as the setup phase for the applet[1][2][3][4][5].
2. Starting (start() method)
After initialization, the start() method is called. This method is invoked each time the applet becomes active, including the first time it is loaded and any subsequent times it is revisited after being stopped. The start() method is typically used to resume or begin applet execution, such as starting animations or threads that were suspended or not yet initiated in init()[1][2][3][4][5].
3. Painting (paint() method)
The paint() method is called after the applet is initialized and also whenever the applet needs to redraw its output. This is necessary, for example, when the applet window is minimized and then restored. The paint() method is where the applet's graphical content is generated, using the Graphics object passed to it as an argument[1][3][5].
4. Stopping (stop() method)
The stop() method is called when the web browser leaves the page con...
