Java Web Start is a mechanism provided by Sun Microsystems to automatically install and start applications from the internet. After Java Web Start is installed, all you need to do is double-click the provided link. The required files are then automatically loaded to a cache on your local disk and the program is started. The first time this may take a little while, but the second time around most information is taken from the local cache.
The big advantage of this mechanism is that the new version will start automatically as soon as the program is updated on the server. The program also works when you are not online — in this case, the local copy from the cache is used.
First, Java Web Start needs to be installed. If you are using JDK 1.4, Web Start may already have been installed along with the JDK. If not, follow these steps:
Download the Java Web Start installation file. You can get it from
Gentleware AG at http://www.gentleware.com
Or directly from Sun at http://java.sun.com/products/javawebstart/
You will automatically be provided with a self-installing file for your platform.
Close all your browser windows
Execute the downloaded file.
Open your browser again, then go to http://www.gentleware.com and click on the icon provided for Java Web Start. After a few moments, the latest release version of Poseidon for UML (Community Edition) will start up automatically.