java.lang.ClassNotFoundException thrown on com.ms.* package when applet runs

Symptoms

When running an applet in a browser using the Sun JRE, a ClassNotFoundException is thrown by the ClassLoader on the com.ms.* package. The same applet runs under the Microsoft VM.

Cause

The Microsoft VM provides many proprietary class libraries, including J/Direct, AFC, and WFC. These package are not available in the Sun JRE, so a ClassNotFoundException is thrown when the applet runs.

Resolution

The workaround is to migrate the applet source code from using the Microsoft proprietary class libraries to similar classes in the Java platform.

Microsoft VM	Java Platform
J/Direct	Java Native Interface
Application Foundation Classes	Swing, Java 2D APIs
Windows Foundation Classes	Swing, Java 2D APIs

Related Information

How to avoid potential pitfalls of Microsoft's non-standard SDK for Java
Lesson: User Interfaces that Swing: A Quick Start Guide
Trail: Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing
Trail: Java Native Interface