The Java* Network Launch Protocol (JNLP*) is the standard Java deployment option for delivering rich client-side applications. Through implementations such as Sitraka's DeployDirector* or the open source OpenJNLP* effort, you can deploy Java applets and applications through the browser to be executed outside the browser. Once deployed, your program can be run without bringing up a browser or downloading the classes again, though the system will check for updates to the program.

This paper discusses packaging Web applications using the javax.jnlp package, which defines the JNLP API. It provides a collection of classes and interfaces for working locally within the untrusted client environment provided by DeployDirector, OpenJNLP, Java Web Start*, and others.