The Pioneering Java Work of David Griffiths

David Griffiths is one of the most well known and prolific Java designers since the development of the World Wide Web. Java is a free programming language developed by Sun Microsystems and released to the public in 1995. Most of the syntax is derived from C and C++ but Java has a simpler object model. Java has the distinct advantage of being run on a virtual machine giving it the capability to run on any computer platform regardless of architecture. Java was soon implemented in a variety of applications and platforms performing a myriad of tasks and functions.

Web browsers soon allowed for the use of Java applets in their programming architecture and set the stage for David Griffiths and his Java work. David Griffiths wrote many Java applets that are still in use today and make up part of Java programming courses around the world. The applets were designed for animations used for water, snow, and ripple effects for use on the web. The kits and source code for these applets can be found anywhere on the web even though David Griffiths has not maintained a website since 2001. The lake class applet applies a "watery" or "ripple-like" effect to the area it is applied. This can and has been used on all types and settings of photos and image to create fantastic image results.

By using transparency and separate images the lake effect can be applied to virtually any image. This will also help create a moving animation in the image. The original image does not and should not be an animated file. Try to use a JPEG image file but a GIF file will do if there is no animation and no transparency. This very same Java applet is still being downloaded and used all over the world wide web. In addition Griffiths also developed a class called snow for Java. The "snow" applet delivers what its name suggests, snow. This snow is an animated and surprisingly simple to set up and use on virtually any browser or system. No special plug-ins are required, nor are there any potential web hosting storage-space issues. Java allows for an applet to be written once and saved on a dedicated server and then it can be used and downloaded by any developer or Internet user.

This way anyone can use a well developed applet or applets, and in the case of David Griffiths his applets are used on a daily basis. The snow applet uses a single image file, JPEG or GIF, and a single applet file to produce the snowing effect. The applet code is performed in four lines of code in the HTML for the web page and can produce severe to moderate snow storms with the augmentation of the "strength/" parameter. Griffiths' applets for Java have allowed many users and developers to have a fuller experience on the web and with animations. His work, although he no longer maintains it, is still being used and implemented as well as improved upon . The work of David Griffiths has been used and implemented on a variety of sites from educational institutions to private and personal sites.

David wrote: "...thank you to all the people who have done so many things with the little program I wrote one Saturday afternoon so so long ago...."