SOURCE CODE for URLRequestor applet which allows the user to enter a URL for connection
(program can be run as an applet or application)

// this program can run as an applet or an application

// load a document from a URL when a button is pressed

import java.applet.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.io.*;

public class URLRequestor extends Applet {

	TextField url;
	TextArea textDisplay;

   public static void main(String[] args) {

	URLRequestor a = new URLRequestor();
	Frame appletFrame = new Frame("URL Requestor");
	appletFrame.add("Center", a);
	appletFrame.resize(500, 300);
	appletFrame.move(50, 50);
	a.init();
	a.start();
	appletFrame.show();
   }	
	
   public void init()
   {
	textDisplay = new TextArea();
	
   // to keep the buttons and fields from filling the north and south sections
	Panel SouthPanel = new Panel();
	SouthPanel.add(new Button("Get URL"));
	
	Panel NorthPanel = new Panel();
	NorthPanel.setLayout(new FlowLayout(FlowLayout.LEFT));
	NorthPanel.add(new Label("URL: "));
	url = new TextField(40);
	url.setEditable( true );
	NorthPanel.add(url);

	setLayout(new BorderLayout());
	add("South", SouthPanel);
	add("Center", textDisplay);
	add("North", NorthPanel);
   }

   public boolean action( Event e, Object o)
   {
	if ( e.target instanceof Button )
	{
		fetchURL(url.getText());
		return true;		
	}
	else if (e.target == url)
	{
		fetchURL(url.getText());
		return true;		
	}
	else	{	
		return false; // event not handled yet
	}

   }

   public void fetchURL(String str)
   {
	try {
		URL lurl = new URL(str);
		try {
			Object obj = lurl.getContent();
			if (obj instanceof InputStream)
			{
				showText ( (InputStream) obj);
			}
			else
			{
				showText (obj.toString());
			}
		}
		catch (IOException e) 
		{	showText("Could not connect to " + lurl.getHost());	}
		catch (NullPointerException e)
		{	showText("There was a problem with the content");	}
	}
	catch (MalformedURLException e)
	{	showText(url.getText() + "is not a valid URL");		}
   }

   void showText(String str)
   {	textDisplay.setText(str);	}

   void showText (InputStream is)
   {
	String nextline;
	textDisplay.setText("");
	try {
		DataInputStream dis = new DataInputStream(is);
		while ((nextline = dis.readLine()) != null)
		{	textDisplay.appendText(nextline + "\n");	}
	}
	catch (IOException e) 
	{	textDisplay.appendText(e.toString());	}
   }
}