Applet vs. Noapplet Speed

[Jerremy]

Hi all,

We are using the latest version of SuperContainer, 2.792 with Mac OS 10.6.8 with all Java updates installed. FM Server is v10.

I've noticed a significant speed difference in SC when applying the noapplet style.

If I click through records on a layout that has say 4 SCs on it, using the applet, all four areas will display a message "Connecting to SuperContainer Server...", then after 5 to 6 seconds, the images will finally load (see attached image). However, if I switch the SCs to noapplet, the images load instantaneously as I cycle through the records.

Is the java applet that much slower, or is there something I can do to speed that up?

There are many places I can change the SCs to the noapplet style because they are read-only areas, but users do like the drag and drop capability of the applet - I'd like to see how I can speed that up.

As I mentioned, I've confirmed that the server has all the current system and java updates along with the latest SC. Anything I can do or check to see why the applet takes so long to load?

Thanks for any help or ideas,

Jerremy

[Smef]

Yes, the noapplet style is significantly faster. The java applet should load quickly after the first time, however.

[Jerremy]

Yes, the noapplet style is significantly faster. The java applet should load quickly after the first time, however.

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply. Maybe that is the issue? It seems like the applet loads for each instance of SC on the layout, then again as you navigate to the next record and so on. Even if there is not a file in the SC, the four panels take 5-6 seconds to load until it displays the upload button. It takes another 5-6 seconds when you go to the next record, etc. Whereas, if I change the SCs on that same layout to no applet, I can flick through the records a second at a time and have the SCs load immediately, no waiting.

Are you saying that after the applet is triggered to load on the first record, it should not have to 'reload' on subsequent records? Referencing the image I attached in the first post, This "Connecting to SuperContainer" happens each time you change a record and takes 5-6 seconds to load the SC.

Thanks again,

Jerremy

[Smef]

Usually the applet is cached on the user's computer after the first time and it doesn't have to reload. The noapplet style will always be faster, however. If speed is important and you don't need the drag-and-drop then I would definitely recommend using the noapplet style.

[Jerremy]

Usually the applet is cached on the user's computer after the first time and it doesn't have to reload. The noapplet style will always be faster, however. If speed is important and you don't need the drag-and-drop then I would definitely recommend using the noapplet style.

Hi again David,

Thanks again for the quick replies.

You say that usually the comp caches the applet - is there something we can do to make it do so and not have to reload every time? All of our users are experiencing this - it's not just a few Macs that have the problem. We'd like to continue to use the drag and drop... and sounds like for whatever reason, it's not caching as it should.

Thanks again,

Jerremy

[Smef]

hmmm, I'm not sure what to tell you there. The default behavior of a browser is to cache things like that, so it should be doing it unless they have disabled their caching or a script of yours is forcing it to reload every time. If you want to give me a call some time we can take a look at your system and see why it isn't being cached.

[Jerremy]

hmmm, I'm not sure what to tell you there. The default behavior of a browser is to cache things like that, so it should be doing it unless they have disabled their caching or a script of yours is forcing it to reload every time. If you want to give me a call some time we can take a look at your system and see why it isn't being cached.

Hi again David,

I'll try to do a little more investigating here now that I know it should cache and not reload like it is. It can't be a script as it happens when just clicking from one record to the next using the built in FM Toolbar. You mentioned default behavior of the browser - in our case, would a setting in Safari have any impact on the SCs on the layout. Not sure if the webviewers on the Mac tap into those settings or not. I'll take a look and see if I can find anything.

Thanks,

Jerremy

[Smef]

Yes, web viewers on mac use safari and they use internet explorer on windows. Any settings in those browsers will affect the filemaker web viewers.

[Jerremy]

Yes, web viewers on mac use safari and they use internet explorer on windows. Any settings in those browsers will affect the filemaker web viewers.

Hi again David,

Just want to see if what we are experiencing is the normal behavior or if something is not working right.

When I go to the layout with 4 SCs (see SS above), they all get the "Connecting To SuperContainer Server..." message for 5-6 seconds. After they all load, if I click to the next record, this all happens again until all 4 load (and so on for each subsequent record). The load time is the same for a SC with or without an image. If I click back to a record that had already loaded, the SCs are already there - and do not have to reload. Is that what you mean by caching? Or, after the first record loads, each subsequent record should not have to reload the applet? I guess I'm asking if the applet just needs to load just once, then it's cached for all SCs on all records and layouts, or does it need to load for each instance of a SC, then it's cached only for that instance of the SC? Hope that makes sense.

I've looked around at the settings in the Java Preferences.app. All the settings are there for caching. Under view cache files, sc_applet.jar is listed. Nothing changed when I played around with the settings.

Thanks again for your help,

Jerremy

[Smef]

You should only see the java applet loading one time unless you are on a particularly slow connection. Give me a call and we can take a look at this through screen sharing some time and you can show me what is happening for you.