Java™ Network Programming and Distributed Computing

2.6. Applications of Java Network Programming

Network programming adds a new dimension to software applications. Instead of dealing with a single user, or the resources of a single machine (such as files and database connections), network programming gives software the ability to communicate with machines scattered around the globe. This gives software access to potentially millions of external resources, as well as millions of users. The applications of such connectivity are limited only by the imagination—and the bandwidth of a network connection.

What follows is a brief overview of the practical applications of network programming. This discussion is by no means exhaustive—one of the wonders of the Internet is the creativity and imagination ...