Can Java Applets access external sources when given permission by the user?

Question

I'd like to create a service where people can enter external websites, after which the returned source will be modified by my application (for whatever purpose) and then returned to the user.

One would normally redirect all traffic through the server, so that the server is the one accessing the external source. This is because HTML5 and flash sockets cannot access external sources unless the external source has the required policy files (please correct me if this is false). Even if the user wants the client to, it still can't access these external sources if the external source itself does not have such policy file.

My question is: can a Java applet access an external source regardless of it's policy file, if the user allows it to? How is this usually done?

If not, is there anything else I can try? Redirecting all traffic through my server is not an option because of 1. high use of bandwidth and server resources for a free service and 2. a high chance of my server being marked as a spam bot or bandwidth hogger.

Thanks in advance.

Regards, Tom

Answer 1

If choice of technology is not a problem you can use a Java Web start application.

1. Your application will be launched from a web page (if that is what you want)
2. After user-confirmation your application can do everything (similar to native apps)

I have actually done this with a Java web start application that used web services from servers other than the one it was launched from.