The good thing about this is that Java can be used for special applications on the Internet. Moving images, text, handling forms and making them do something special in real time, getting specific files from a site and responding to users' needs. All this can be done through Java. In short, Java extends the capabilities of the Hyper Text Markup Language, the programming language of the websites on the Internet. Java is also used to good effect in news sites where a small box scrolls text, giving the latest news.

Java programs, also called applets, are widely available on the Internet for free. Or you can get your developer to write an applet specifically for your needs and copyright it. Internet convention has it that Java applets arefree and there are several sites that have collections of free applets. You can download and use them provided you do not tinker with the source code.

Writing Java applets needs a fair amount of programming experience and the same skills that are needed to write programs in other computer languages. Therefore it is not a job for any and everybody. However, you do not have to be a formally trained computer programmer; there are books that help you through the process. A good guide to Java, its applications and development can be found at www.sun.com, the site of Sun Microsystems, the computer company that developed the language. They recommend books and give an overview of how Java began and has developed.

For those serious about Java, Sun has a Java Development Kit that can be downloaded for free and installed. With help from a book and the documentation that comes with the Kit, developers can make their own programs for specific applications.

If your developer does not want to go through the hasslesof programming in Java, there is its younger brother called Javascript. Consider this to be an offshoot of Java that does some functions of that language but otherwise has limited capabilities. The advantage is that Javascript is easy to do and can be learnt by almost anybody.

There is comprehensive documentation of Javascript on the Netscape site. This gives examples and helps you get started with the language. The best way to go about learning is to read the documentation and then try the script yourself and see what works best for you. Ultimately, practice makes perfect with a little help from the experts.

You do not need any software development stuff to run Javascript or write them. They are written in plain English and inserted as text into the web page where the effect is needed. Javascripts can vary from extremely simple two liners to complex programs running to several pages, depending on what they are supposed to do.

Javascripts can be made to do most of the jobs on the Internet that Javadoes, with some exceptions. You can make form handlers, programs to change images, move text, change page colours and other more useful stuff that is needed on your site.

Java and Javascript are both useful if you are putting things like catalogues on a site. You can provide check boxes next to each catalogue item; when a user checks the box, the item is listed on a form and other parameters like prices, shipping, etc., get calculated. Users can then see what they have selected from the catalogue, make changes and send the form to you for processing. This is real on-line processing and makes the site that much more useful.

Caution is needed when using Java or Javascripts, though. Programs made in either have to be run and tested on different browsers to make sure there are no bugs. Otherwise, users will get an irritating message saying, ``There is an error in the script'' and the function will not work.

Another limitation of both is that older versions of browsers, Netscape Navigator 3.0 and older andInternet Explorer 3.0 and older, do not run Java. Therefore, developers have to give people using these old browsers (and there are lots of them) an alternative--this could be images, text of another page with stuff that they can use. Tell your developer not to assume that everybody will be able to view the Java program.

So if you want a special effect, remember that Java and Javascript are available. And like any other tool, need to be used with some care. Also, since both take some time to open in any browser, use them sparingly. Tell your developer not to clutter the page with Java programs.