Question Answer

Applet Life Cycle Diagram in Java

The Java applet life cycle follows a fixed sequence of methods managed by the browser or applet viewer. Below is a clean diagram showing the flow and state transitions.

          Page Loaded / Applet Created
                       |
                    init()
                       |
                    start()
                       |
          +------------+------------+
          |                         |
      paint()/update()/repaint()    |
          |                         |
          +------------+------------+
                       |
              Page Hidden / Tab Unfocused
                       |
                      stop()
                       |
              Page Closed / Applet Removed
                       |
                   destroy()

What Each Method Does

• init(): Runs once; allocate resources and initialize UI/components.
• start(): Called each time the applet becomes visible or active.
• paint()/update()/repaint(): Handles drawing and screen refresh.
• stop(): Pauses work when the applet is hidden or the page is switched.
• destroy(): Final cleanup before the applet is unloaded.